Thief River Falls 2, Minnesota climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Thief River Falls 2's normal year runs from −3°F January nights to 80°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 4.4°C, January lows of −19°C, July highs of 27°C.
- NOAA stationThief River Falls 2
- Station IDUSC00218247
- Location48.13°N 96.18°W
- Elevation1,128 ft (344 m)
On October 24, the normal high in Thief River Falls 2 is 48°F and the normal low 31°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Thief River Falls 2.
- Jan 14° -3°
- Feb 20° 2°
- Mar 35° 16°
- Apr 53° 30°
- May 68° 42°
- Jun 76° 53°
- Jul 80° 57°
- Aug 79° 55°
- Sep 69° 47°
- Oct 53° 35°
- Nov 34° 19°
- Dec 20° 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 Thief River Falls 2 each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 80°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −3°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14°F | −3°F | 5.3°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 20°F | 2°F | 11.0°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 35°F | 16°F | 25.3°F | – | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 53°F | 30°F | 41.6°F | – | <1 | 19 | 13 h 40 min |
| May | 68°F | 42°F | 55.0°F | – | <1 | 5 | 15 h 10 min |
| June | 76°F | 53°F | 64.6°F | – | 1 | <1 | 16 h |
| July | 80°F | 57°F | 68.2°F | – | 2 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 79°F | 55°F | 67.2°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 69°F | 47°F | 57.9°F | – | 1 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 53°F | 35°F | 43.8°F | – | <1 | 14 | 11 h |
| November | 34°F | 19°F | 26.8°F | – | <1 | 26 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 20°F | 5°F | 12.4°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 20 min |
| Year (annual) | 50°F | 30°F | 39.9°F | – | 6 | 182 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −10°C | −19°C | −14.8°C |
| February | −6°C | −17°C | −11.7°C |
| March | 2°C | −9°C | −3.7°C |
| April | 12°C | −1°C | 5.3°C |
| May | 20°C | 6°C | 12.8°C |
| June | 24°C | 12°C | 18.1°C |
| July | 27°C | 14°C | 20.1°C |
| August | 26°C | 13°C | 19.6°C |
| September | 21°C | 8°C | 14.4°C |
| October | 12°C | 1°C | 6.6°C |
| November | 1°C | −7°C | −2.9°C |
| December | −7°C | −15°C | −10.9°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Red Lake Falls (18 miles away), gets 50 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00218247; 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 Thief River Falls 2?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September.
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 USC00218247.
When is the last frost at Thief River Falls 2?
In Thief River Falls 2, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 14 in half of years and after May 29 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 28 in half of years and before September 14 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 29; 9 in 10 after May 2
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 281 year in 10 before September 14; 9 in 10 before October 11
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 135 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 155 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 5 in half of springs and before October 8 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Thief River Falls 2 in zone 4a in ZIP code 56701, 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 USC00218247; 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 Thief River Falls 2?
In a normal year in Thief River Falls 2, 6 days a year reach 90°F and 182 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 6a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 182a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 103high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00218247.
How sunny is it at Thief River Falls 2?
Over a year 75% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Thief River Falls 2, 3.8 kWh per square metre a day. February is the sunniest month (87%) and November the cloudiest (64%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 80% | 1.6 |
| February | 87% | 2.9 |
| March | 80% | 4.0 |
| April | 73% | 4.8 |
| May | 71% | 5.6 |
| June | 73% | 6.0 |
| July | 81% | 6.3 |
| August | 80% | 5.3 |
| September | 75% | 3.8 |
| October | 67% | 2.4 |
| November | 64% | 1.4 |
| December | 65% | 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Thief River Falls 2 record?
A normal year at Thief River Falls 2 brings 9,473 heating degree days, 76% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 382 cooling degree days, 58% 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 2,107 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,850 | 0 |
| February | 1,511 | 0 |
| March | 1,231 | 0 |
| April | 701 | 1 |
| May | 329 | 20 |
| June | 88 | 76 |
| July | 33 | 132 |
| August | 51 | 119 |
| September | 244 | 32 |
| October | 660 | 3 |
| November | 1,146 | 0 |
| December | 1,630 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,473 | 382 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00218247. 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 Thief River Falls 2's climate compare?
Thief River Falls 2 is warmer than 26 of the 129 places with their own NOAA record in Minnesota. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 39.9°F is warmer than 5%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Thief River Falls 2 share this climate record?
3 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.
- Thief River Falls, MN8,779 people · 1 mi S
- St. Hilaire, MN256 people · 8 mi S
- Viking, MN78 people · 12 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 Thief River Falls 2's climate
What is the coldest month at Thief River Falls 2?
January, with a normal high of 14°F and a normal low of −3°F. The warmest is July (80°F by day, 57°F at night).
Does it snow at Thief River Falls 2?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Red Lake Falls (18 miles away), records 50 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Thief River Falls 2 in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Thief River Falls 2 in zone 4a in ZIP code 56701, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Thief River Falls 2?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 14; in one year in ten it comes after May 29. Waiting until May 29 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Minnesota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Agassiz Refuge, MN15 miles from this station, 40.7°F a year
- Red Lake Falls, MN18 miles from this station, 39.8°F a year
- Goodridge (12 mi NNW), MN19 miles from this station, 37.7°F a year
- Warren, MN28 miles from this station, 39.1°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made