Climate Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 42°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Moorhead, MN Climate
Average temperature, precipitation, and a comfort score, drawn from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 42°F
- Avg annual temp
- 44/100
- Comfort score
- 26.1"
- Annual precip
- 151d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota averages 42°F a year and scores 44/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 8% of U.S. cities.
- 42°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 44/100
- comfort score, milder than 8% of U.S. cities
- 26.1"
- annual precipitation · 53" snow
- 151 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
42°F (6°C)
Avg High
52°F
Avg Low
32°F
Annual Precip
26.1"
Annual Snow
52.7"
Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
42°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
26.1"
Plus 52.7" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Moorhead) 44.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Moorhead area.
How Moorhead compares to every U.S. city
Moorhead's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
44 Top 92% higher than 8% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Moorhead
MethodologyMoorhead's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17°F (-8°C) | 0°F (-18°C) | 8°F (-13°C) | 0.7" | 12.2" | 31.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 23°F (-5°C) | 4°F (-16°C) | 13°F (-10°C) | 0.7" | 7.7" | 27.4 | 0.0 |
| March | 37°F (3°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 1.3" | 9.3" | 26.0 | 0.0 |
| April | 54°F (12°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 1.7" | 4.0" | 15.2 | 0.1 |
| May | 69°F (20°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 3.4" | 0.0" | 2.2 | 0.7 |
| June | 78°F (25°C) | 56°F (14°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 4.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| July | 82°F (28°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 3.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.4 |
| August | 81°F (27°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 2.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| September | 72°F (22°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 2.9" | 0.0" | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| October | 55°F (13°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 2.5" | 0.7" | 11.0 | 0.1 |
| November | 38°F (3°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 29°F (-1°C) | 1.1" | 8.0" | 25.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 23°F (-5°C) | 8°F (-14°C) | 15°F (-9°C) | 0.9" | 10.8" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.7"
Snow: 12.2"
9.2 days with precipitation
February 0.7"
Snow: 7.7"
7.3 days with precipitation
March 1.3"
Snow: 9.3"
8.3 days with precipitation
April 1.7"
Snow: 4.0"
8.0 days with precipitation
May 3.4"
11.8 days with precipitation
June 4.7"
11.9 days with precipitation
July 3.4"
10.1 days with precipitation
August 2.7"
8.6 days with precipitation
September 2.9"
8.5 days with precipitation
October 2.5"
Snow: 0.7"
8.8 days with precipitation
November 1.1"
Snow: 8.0"
7.6 days with precipitation
December 0.9"
Snow: 10.8"
9.3 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 3
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 5
50% probability date
Growing Season
151 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
8,822
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
566
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Moorhead's climate means for you
Moorhead runs 42°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 151 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 5 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 8,822 heating and 566 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Moorhead, MN
In Moorhead, Minnesota, the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals put the annual average temperature at 42°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 52°F to a mean daily low of 32°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. As thirty-year averages computed from station USC00215586, these numbers smooth out year-to-year noise into a working baseline for a typical month.
Precipitation patterns matter as much as temperature for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. Moorhead receives roughly 26.1 inches of precipitation each year, with 52.7 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 151 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 5 and the first fall freeze near October 3. For energy use, 8,822 heating degree days and 566 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Moorhead scores 44/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for July-driven heat, or deep winter for January-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Moorhead, MN? ▼
The average annual temperature in Moorhead, Minnesota is 42°F. The warmest month averages 82°F (28°C) and the coldest averages 0°F (-18°C).
How much rain does Moorhead get? ▼
Moorhead receives 26.1 inches of precipitation annually, including 52.7 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Moorhead? ▼
Moorhead has a climate comfort score of 44/100 (Moderate), milder than 8% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Moorhead? ▼
Moorhead has approximately 151 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 5 and the first fall freeze around October 3.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Moorhead? ▼
Moorhead has 8,822 heating degree days and 566 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Moorhead climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00215586 near Moorhead.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00215586. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.