Winona, Minnesota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Winona's normal year runs from 11°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.3°C, January lows of −12°C, July highs of 29°C.
- NOAA stationWinona
- Station IDUSC00219067
- Location44.04°N 91.64°W
- Elevation652 ft (199 m)
- Population26,173
On October 22, the normal high in Winona is 59°F and the normal low 40°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Winona.
- Jan 27° 11°
- Feb 32° 15°
- Mar 45° 26°
- Apr 59° 39°
- May 72° 51°
- Jun 80° 61°
- Jul 85° 65°
- Aug 82° 63°
- Sep 75° 55°
- Oct 61° 42°
- Nov 45° 30°
- Dec 32° 18°
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 Winona each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 11°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | 11°F | 18.9°F | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 32°F | 15°F | 23.6°F | – | <1 | 26 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 45°F | 26°F | 35.4°F | – | <1 | 23 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 59°F | 39°F | 49.2°F | – | <1 | 8 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | 61.3°F | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 80°F | 61°F | 70.4°F | – | 3 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 85°F | 65°F | 74.8°F | – | 5 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 82°F | 63°F | 72.6°F | – | 3 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 75°F | 55°F | 65.0°F | – | 1 | <1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 61°F | 42°F | 51.9°F | – | <1 | 5 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 45°F | 30°F | 37.3°F | – | <1 | 20 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 32°F | 18°F | 25.0°F | – | <1 | 28 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 58°F | 40°F | 48.8°F | – | 14 | 139 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3°C | −12°C | −7.3°C |
| February | 0°C | −9°C | −4.7°C |
| March | 7°C | −3°C | 1.9°C |
| April | 15°C | 4°C | 9.6°C |
| May | 22°C | 10°C | 16.3°C |
| June | 27°C | 16°C | 21.3°C |
| July | 29°C | 18°C | 23.8°C |
| August | 28°C | 17°C | 22.6°C |
| September | 24°C | 13°C | 18.3°C |
| October | 16°C | 6°C | 11.1°C |
| November | 7°C | −1°C | 2.9°C |
| December | 0°C | −8°C | −3.9°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. Winona's own co-op station Winona Dam 5 A does: 38 inches of snow in a normal year (see the other stations below).
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00219067; 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 Winona?
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 USC00219067.
When is the last frost in Winona?
In Winona, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 21 in half of years and after May 4 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 19 in half of years and before October 4 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
- April 211 year in 10 after May 4; 9 in 10 after April 7
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 191 year in 10 before October 4; 9 in 10 before November 1
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 180 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 200 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 9 in half of springs and before October 29 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Winona in zone 5a in ZIP code 55987.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Minnesota · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00219067; 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 Winona?
In a normal year in Winona, 14 days a year reach 90°F and 139 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 14a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 139a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 56high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1893) is 108°F, on July 12, 1936; the lowest is −35°F, on January 12, 1912.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1938, with 47.89 in; the snowiest season is 1961–62, with 90.2 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00219067; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00219067. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Winona?
Over a year 73% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Winona, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (62%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 72% | 1.8 |
| February | 77% | 2.9 |
| March | 74% | 4.0 |
| April | 68% | 4.6 |
| May | 69% | 5.5 |
| June | 74% | 6.0 |
| July | 80% | 6.3 |
| August | 78% | 5.3 |
| September | 75% | 4.1 |
| October | 67% | 2.7 |
| November | 65% | 1.7 |
| December | 62% | 1.3 |
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 Winona need?
A normal year in Winona brings 6,780 heating degree days, 26% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 910 cooling degree days, 0% more than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,185 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,427 | 0 |
| February | 1,159 | 0 |
| March | 920 | 1 |
| April | 480 | 7 |
| May | 170 | 55 |
| June | 26 | 188 |
| July | 2 | 306 |
| August | 7 | 242 |
| September | 101 | 99 |
| October | 420 | 12 |
| November | 831 | 0 |
| December | 1,238 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,780 | 910 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00219067. 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 Winona's climate compare?
Winona is warmer than 128 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 48.8°F is warmer than 35%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Winona 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.
- Arcadia, WI3,821 people · 16 mi NE
- Galesville, WI1,663 people · 14 mi E
- Fountain City, WI785 people · 6 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.
What do Winona's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Winona. This page uses Winona; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winona Dam 5 A USC00219072 | 4 mi NW | 663 ft | 46.7°F | 8°F | 83°F | 34.4 | 38 | April 23 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Winona's climate
What is the coldest month in Winona?
January, with a normal high of 27°F and a normal low of 11°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 65°F at night).
Does it snow in Winona?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Winona's NOAA station; Winona's own co-op station Winona Dam 5 A records 38 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Winona in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Winona in zone 5a in ZIP code 55987.
How late can frost come in Winona?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 21; in one year in ten it comes after May 4. Waiting until May 4 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Minnesota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Dodge, WI7 miles from this station, 46.8°F a year
- Trempealeau, WI11 miles from this station, 46.6°F a year
- Minnesota City, MN12 miles from this station, 46.3°F a year
- Rushford, MN17 miles from this station, 44.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made