Pokegama Dam, Minnesota climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Pokegama Dam's normal year runs from −3°F January nights to 78°F July afternoons, with 27.7 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 4.2°C, January lows of −19°C, July highs of 26°C, 705 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationPokegama Dam
- Station IDUSC00216612
- Location47.25°N 93.59°W
- Elevation1,280 ft (390 m)
On October 22, the normal high in Pokegama Dam is 49°F and the normal low 31°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 34%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Pokegama Dam.
- Jan 18° -3°
- Feb 24° 1°
- Mar 37° 14°
- Apr 50° 29°
- May 65° 41°
- Jun 73° 52°
- Jul 78° 57°
- Aug 76° 55°
- Sep 68° 46°
- Oct 52° 34°
- Nov 36° 20°
- 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 at Pokegama Dam each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 78°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −3°F. The most precipitation falls in June (4.63 in), the least in February (0.73 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18°F | −3°F | 7.5°F | 0.77 | 8 | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 24°F | 1°F | 12.1°F | 0.73 | 7 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 37°F | 14°F | 25.6°F | 1.10 | 7 | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 50°F | 29°F | 39.4°F | 1.80 | 8 | <1 | 21 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 65°F | 41°F | 53.0°F | 3.07 | 12 | <1 | 5 | 15 h |
| June | 73°F | 52°F | 62.4°F | 4.63 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 15 h 50 min |
| July | 78°F | 57°F | 67.4°F | 4.23 | 12 | 1 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 76°F | 55°F | 65.6°F | 3.39 | 10 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 68°F | 46°F | 57.2°F | 3.12 | 11 | <1 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 52°F | 34°F | 42.9°F | 2.55 | 11 | <1 | 13 | 11 h |
| November | 36°F | 20°F | 28.1°F | 1.34 | 9 | <1 | 26 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 23°F | 5°F | 14.0°F | 1.01 | 8 | <1 | 31 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 50°F | 29°F | 39.6°F | 27.74 | 116 | 2 | 185 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −8°C | −19°C | −13.6°C | 20 mm |
| February | −5°C | −17°C | −11.1°C | 19 mm |
| March | 3°C | −10°C | −3.6°C | 28 mm |
| April | 10°C | −2°C | 4.1°C | 46 mm |
| May | 18°C | 5°C | 11.7°C | 78 mm |
| June | 23°C | 11°C | 16.9°C | 118 mm |
| July | 26°C | 14°C | 19.7°C | 107 mm |
| August | 25°C | 13°C | 18.7°C | 86 mm |
| September | 20°C | 8°C | 14.0°C | 79 mm |
| October | 11°C | 1°C | 6.1°C | 65 mm |
| November | 2°C | −7°C | −2.2°C | 34 mm |
| December | −5°C | −15°C | −10.0°C | 26 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Grand Rapids (4 miles away), gets 60 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00216612; 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.
Which months are mildest at Pokegama Dam?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September. Of those, August 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 USC00216612.
When is the last frost at Pokegama Dam?
In Pokegama Dam, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 16 in half of years and after May 31 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 1 in half of years and before September 18 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 161 year in 10 after May 31; 9 in 10 after May 1
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 11 year in 10 before September 18; 9 in 10 before October 12
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 138 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 159 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 3 in half of springs and before October 10 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Pokegama Dam in zone 4a in ZIP code 55744, 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 USC00216612; 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 at Pokegama Dam?
In a normal year in Pokegama Dam, 2 days a year reach 90°F, 185 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 116 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 185a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 100high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 116a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1895) is 103°F, on July 13, 1936; the lowest is −59°F, on February 16, 1903.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1977, with 38.48 in; the snowiest season is 1949–50, with 104.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00216612; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00216612. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is it at Pokegama Dam?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Pokegama Dam, 3.6 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (78%) and December the cloudiest (57%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 66% | 1.4 |
| February | 74% | 2.5 |
| March | 73% | 3.7 |
| April | 69% | 4.7 |
| May | 67% | 5.3 |
| June | 70% | 5.8 |
| July | 78% | 6.1 |
| August | 76% | 5.1 |
| September | 71% | 3.7 |
| October | 63% | 2.3 |
| November | 59% | 1.4 |
| December | 57% | 1.0 |
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 many heating and cooling degree days does Pokegama Dam record?
A normal year at Pokegama Dam brings 9,497 heating degree days, 77% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 275 cooling degree days, 70% 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 1,865 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,784 | 0 |
| February | 1,483 | 0 |
| March | 1,222 | 0 |
| April | 770 | 0 |
| May | 383 | 11 |
| June | 125 | 48 |
| July | 40 | 115 |
| August | 63 | 81 |
| September | 254 | 20 |
| October | 685 | 0 |
| November | 1,107 | 0 |
| December | 1,582 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,497 | 275 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00216612. 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.
Have recent years at Pokegama Dam been warmer than normal?
2024 averaged 43.6°F, 4.0°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 39.6°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 43.6°F | +4.0°F | 21.82 |
Over 90 complete years from 1890 to 2024, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.2°F per century (+0.12°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00216612; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Pokegama Dam's climate compare?
Pokegama Dam is warmer than 22 of the 129 places with their own NOAA record in Minnesota, and wetter than 34. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 39.6°F is warmer than 5%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Pokegama Dam is Dfb: continental, no dry season, 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 Pokegama Dam share this climate record?
4 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.
- Cohasset, MN2,723 people · 4 mi W
- Deer River, MN930 people · 11 mi NW
- Hill City, MN615 people · 18 mi S
- Zemple, MN79 people · 11 mi NW
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 Pokegama Dam's climate
What is the coldest month at Pokegama Dam?
January, with a normal high of 18°F and a normal low of −3°F. The warmest is July (78°F by day, 57°F at night).
Does it snow at Pokegama Dam?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Grand Rapids (4 miles away), records 60 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at Pokegama Dam?
June, with 4.63 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.73 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Pokegama Dam in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Pokegama Dam in zone 4a in ZIP code 55744, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Pokegama Dam?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 16; in one year in ten it comes after May 31. Waiting until May 31 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 Rapids, MN4 miles from this station, 40.1°F a year
- Marcell (5 mi NE), MN27 miles from this station, 38.4°F a year
- Leech Lake, MN30 miles from this station, 40.7°F a year
- Sandy Lake Dam Libby, MN34 miles from this station, 40.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made