Park Rapids, Minnesota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Park Rapids's normal year runs from −3°F January nights to 80°F July afternoons, with 23.9 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 4.7°C, January lows of −19°C, July highs of 27°C, 606 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationPark Rapids Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00094967
- Location46.90°N 95.07°W
- Elevation1,434 ft (437 m)
- Population4,381
On October 14, the normal high in Park Rapids is 55°F and the normal low 34°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 32%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Park Rapids.
- Jan 18° -3°
- Feb 24° 1°
- Mar 37° 16°
- Apr 53° 29°
- May 67° 42°
- Jun 76° 53°
- Jul 80° 57°
- Aug 79° 55°
- Sep 69° 46°
- Oct 54° 34°
- Nov 36° 19°
- Dec 23° 5°
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 Park Rapids each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 80°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −3°F. The most precipitation falls in June (4.08 in), the least in February (0.40 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18°F | −3°F | 7.6°F | 0.43 | 6 | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 24°F | 1°F | 12.3°F | 0.40 | 5 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 37°F | 16°F | 26.3°F | 1.00 | 7 | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 53°F | 29°F | 41.0°F | 1.72 | 8 | <1 | 19 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 67°F | 42°F | 54.2°F | 3.09 | 12 | <1 | 5 | 15 h |
| June | 76°F | 53°F | 64.2°F | 4.08 | 12 | 1 | <1 | 15 h 50 min |
| July | 80°F | 57°F | 68.7°F | 3.93 | 12 | 2 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| August | 79°F | 55°F | 66.7°F | 2.78 | 10 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 69°F | 46°F | 57.8°F | 2.70 | 10 | <1 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 54°F | 34°F | 43.6°F | 2.40 | 10 | <1 | 15 | 11 h |
| November | 36°F | 19°F | 27.9°F | 0.81 | 6 | <1 | 27 | 9 h 30 min |
| December | 23°F | 5°F | 14.2°F | 0.52 | 7 | <1 | 31 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 51°F | 30°F | 40.4°F | 23.86 | 103 | 5 | 186 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −8°C | −19°C | −13.6°C | 11 mm |
| February | −5°C | −17°C | −10.9°C | 10 mm |
| March | 3°C | −9°C | −3.2°C | 25 mm |
| April | 11°C | −1°C | 5.0°C | 44 mm |
| May | 19°C | 5°C | 12.3°C | 78 mm |
| June | 24°C | 12°C | 17.9°C | 104 mm |
| July | 27°C | 14°C | 20.4°C | 100 mm |
| August | 26°C | 13°C | 19.3°C | 71 mm |
| September | 21°C | 8°C | 14.3°C | 69 mm |
| October | 12°C | 1°C | 6.4°C | 61 mm |
| November | 2°C | −7°C | −2.3°C | 21 mm |
| December | −5°C | −15°C | −9.9°C | 13 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Itasca University Of Minn (23 miles away), gets 52 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094967; 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 Park Rapids?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (10).
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 USW00094967.
When is the last frost in Park Rapids?
In Park Rapids, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 14 in half of years and after May 27 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 25 in half of years and before September 12 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 141 year in 10 after May 27; 9 in 10 after May 1
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 251 year in 10 before September 12; 9 in 10 before October 8
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 133 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 151 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 4 in half of springs and before October 4 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Park Rapids in zone 3b in ZIP code 56470, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Park Rapids's NOAA station is in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −33°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Minnesota · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00094967; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. 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 Park Rapids?
In a normal year in Park Rapids, 5 days a year reach 90°F, 186 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 103 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 5a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 186a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 97high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 103a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1893) is 107°F, on July 13, 1936; the lowest is −51°F, on February 9, 1899.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1906, with 39.01 in; the snowiest season is 1965–66, with 103.4 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00094967; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00094967. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Park Rapids, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 56°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 58°F; the driest air comes in December (6°F). March is the windiest month (9.6 mph on average), and August has the most clear or nearly clear hours (67%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°F | 75% | 66% | 8.7 mph | – | – |
| February | 10°F | 72% | 59% | 8.8 mph | 53% | 37% |
| March | 23°F | 65% | 48% | 9.6 mph | 55% | 33% |
| April | 32°F | 55% | 38% | 9.6 mph | 58% | 27% |
| May | 47°F | 63% | 45% | 8.7 mph | 55% | 24% |
| June | 57°F | 69% | 51% | 8.5 mph | 60% | 19% |
| July | 58°F | 70% | 49% | 7.5 mph | 67% | 12% |
| August | 55°F | 72% | 50% | 8.7 mph | 67% | 16% |
| September | 41°F | 70% | 50% | 9.1 mph | 63% | 26% |
| October | 29°F | 73% | 57% | 9.2 mph | 48% | 42% |
| November | 15°F | 79% | 69% | 8.9 mph | – | – |
| December | 6°F | 81% | 71% | 8.3 mph | – | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094967. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Park Rapids?
Over a year 73% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Park Rapids, 3.8 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (59%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 72% | 1.6 |
| February | 78% | 2.8 |
| March | 74% | 3.8 |
| April | 72% | 4.9 |
| May | 69% | 5.5 |
| June | 73% | 6.0 |
| July | 80% | 6.3 |
| August | 78% | 5.3 |
| September | 73% | 3.9 |
| October | 66% | 2.5 |
| November | 64% | 1.6 |
| December | 59% | 1.1 |
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 Park Rapids need?
A normal year in Park Rapids brings 9,305 heating degree days, 73% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 367 cooling degree days, 60% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,052 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,778 | 0 |
| February | 1,476 | 0 |
| March | 1,201 | 0 |
| April | 722 | 0 |
| May | 350 | 15 |
| June | 94 | 72 |
| July | 30 | 143 |
| August | 53 | 106 |
| September | 247 | 29 |
| October | 666 | 1 |
| November | 1,115 | 0 |
| December | 1,573 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,305 | 367 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00094967. 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.
Has Park Rapids been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 41.4°F, 1.0°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 40.4°F. 4 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 42.9°F | +2.5°F | 17.90 |
| 2022 | 38.3°F | −2.1°F | 19.78 |
| 2023 | 42.9°F | +2.5°F | 18.20 |
| 2024 | 44.5°F | +4.1°F | 22.97 |
| 2025 | 41.4°F | +1.0°F | 17.42 |
Over 113 complete years from 1893 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 3.3°F per century (+0.18°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00094967; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Park Rapids's climate compare?
Park Rapids is warmer than 34 of the other 128 places with their own NOAA record in Minnesota, and wetter than 5. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 40.4°F is warmer than 6%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Park Rapids is Dwb: continental, dry-winter, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Park Rapids share this climate record?
6 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Menahga, MN1,366 people · 10 mi S
- Nevis, MN385 people · 11 mi NE
- Osage, MN226 people · 9 mi W
- Nimrod, MN82 people · 20 mi SE
- Wolf Lake, MN67 people · 15 mi SW
- Hubbard, MN37 people · 5 mi SE
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Park Rapids's climate
What is the coldest month in Park Rapids?
January, with a normal high of 18°F and a normal low of −3°F. The warmest is July (80°F by day, 57°F at night).
Does it snow in Park Rapids?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Park Rapids's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Itasca University Of Minn (23 miles away), records 52 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Park Rapids?
June, with 4.08 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.40 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Park Rapids in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Park Rapids in zone 3b in ZIP code 56470, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at Park Rapids's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −33°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 3b.
How late can frost come in Park Rapids?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 14; in one year in ten it comes after May 27. Waiting until May 27 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Park Rapids in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Minnesota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Itasca University Of Minn, MN23 miles from this station, 38.7°F a year
- Walker, MN27 miles from this station, 41.6°F a year
- Tamarac Wildlife Re, MN28 miles from this station, 40.9°F a year
- New York Mills, MN30 miles from this station, 39.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made