Lutsen, Minnesota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Lutsen's normal year runs from −3°F January nights to 73°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 2.6°C, January lows of −20°C, July highs of 23°C.
- NOAA stationLutsen (3 mi NNE)
- Station IDUSC00214918
- Location47.70°N 90.67°W
- Elevation1,300 ft (396 m)
- Population (census place)234
On October 22, the normal high in Lutsen is 46°F and the normal low 30°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Lutsen.
- Jan 17° -3°
- Feb 21° -1°
- Mar 33° 11°
- Apr 44° 24°
- May 58° 38°
- Jun 66° 49°
- Jul 73° 54°
- Aug 71° 52°
- Sep 62° 44°
- Oct 49° 33°
- Nov 34° 20°
- Dec 22° 7°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Lutsen each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 73°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −3°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17°F | −3°F | 6.9°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 21°F | −1°F | 10.3°F | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 33°F | 11°F | 21.8°F | – | <1 | 30 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 44°F | 24°F | 34.4°F | – | <1 | 26 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 58°F | 38°F | 48.2°F | – | <1 | 9 | 15 h 10 min |
| June | 66°F | 49°F | 57.4°F | – | <1 | <1 | 16 h |
| July | 73°F | 54°F | 63.5°F | – | <1 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 71°F | 52°F | 61.6°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 62°F | 44°F | 53.4°F | – | <1 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 49°F | 33°F | 40.8°F | – | <1 | 18 | 11 h |
| November | 34°F | 20°F | 27.1°F | – | <1 | 28 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 22°F | 7°F | 14.8°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 46°F | 27°F | 36.7°F | – | <1 | 202 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −8°C | −20°C | −13.9°C |
| February | −6°C | −18°C | −12.1°C |
| March | 0°C | −12°C | −5.7°C |
| April | 7°C | −4°C | 1.3°C |
| May | 15°C | 3°C | 9.0°C |
| June | 19°C | 9°C | 14.1°C |
| July | 23°C | 12°C | 17.5°C |
| August | 22°C | 11°C | 16.4°C |
| September | 17°C | 7°C | 11.9°C |
| October | 9°C | 0°C | 4.9°C |
| November | 1°C | −7°C | −2.7°C |
| December | −5°C | −14°C | −9.6°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Grand Marais station (16 miles away), gets 51 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00214918; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Lutsen?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July and August.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00214918.
When is the last frost in Lutsen?
In Lutsen, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 26 in half of years and after June 6 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 27 in half of years and before September 13 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 261 year in 10 after June 6; 9 in 10 after May 9
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 271 year in 10 before September 13; 9 in 10 before October 9
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 126 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 148 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 10 in half of springs and before October 7 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lutsen in zone 3b in ZIP code 55612, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Minnesota · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00214918; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Lutsen?
In a normal year in Lutsen, a 90°F day is rare and 202 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 202a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 109high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00214918.
How sunny is Lutsen?
Over a year 69% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Lutsen, 3.5 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (78%) and December the cloudiest (55%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 58% | 1.2 |
| February | 63% | 2.1 |
| March | 66% | 3.3 |
| April | 69% | 4.6 |
| May | 69% | 5.4 |
| June | 71% | 5.9 |
| July | 78% | 6.1 |
| August | 77% | 5.1 |
| September | 72% | 3.7 |
| October | 63% | 2.3 |
| November | 57% | 1.3 |
| December | 55% | 0.9 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Lutsen need?
A normal year in Lutsen brings 10,382 heating degree days, 93% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 100 cooling degree days, 89% fewer than the median (908). Nine months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,263 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,801 | 0 |
| February | 1,532 | 0 |
| March | 1,339 | 0 |
| April | 920 | 0 |
| May | 522 | 2 |
| June | 241 | 13 |
| July | 101 | 54 |
| August | 135 | 28 |
| September | 353 | 3 |
| October | 750 | 0 |
| November | 1,135 | 0 |
| December | 1,555 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 10,382 | 100 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00214918. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Lutsen's climate compare?
Lutsen is warmer than 2 of the other 128 places with their own NOAA record in Minnesota. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 36.7°F is warmer than 2%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Lutsen's climate
What is the coldest month in Lutsen?
January, with a normal high of 17°F and a normal low of −3°F. The warmest is July (73°F by day, 54°F at night).
Does it snow in Lutsen?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Lutsen's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Grand Marais station (16 miles away), records 51 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Lutsen in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Lutsen in zone 3b in ZIP code 55612, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Lutsen?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 26; in one year in ten it comes after June 6. Waiting until June 6 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Minnesota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Grand Marais, MN16 miles from this station, 39.5°F a year
- Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, MN31 miles from this station, 38.9°F a year
- Gunflint Lake (10 mi NW), MN34 miles from this station, 36.7°F a year
- Isabella (14 mi W), MN47 miles from this station, 37.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made