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Short answer: NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals put the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport’s January high at 24°F and low at 9°F, and Ely’s January low at -7°F. Minneapolis has about 8 h 46 min of sun on December 21 against 15 h 37 min on June 21, per the U.S. Naval Observatory.
- 24°FMinneapolis normal January high
- -7°FEly normal January low
- 16.8 inDuluth normal January snow
- 8 h 46 minMinneapolis daylight, Dec 21
How we checked: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (monthly) for eight stations, listed below with their elevations, and the U.S. Naval Observatory’s sunrise and sunset service for four points, on the 15th of each month from November 2026 to October 2027. All read on November 3, 2026. Hours, prices, rules and closures change, so check the named agency or business before you rely on them. Anything we could not read is marked Not confirmed where it appears. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. The Duluth airport sits on the hill, well above Lake Superior; Two Harbors and Grand Marais are on the shore. General guidance on this page is labelled as general guidance. This is not safety, medical or legal advice; where a safety or legal rule appears, the quoted words are the official source’s own.
Normal High / Low (°F) by Month
| Month | Minneapolis-St. Paul (872 ft) | Duluth (airport) (1,428 ft) | Two Harbors (625 ft) | Grand Marais (612 ft) | Ely (1,382 ft) | International Falls (1,183 ft) | St. Cloud (1,018 ft) | Rochester (1,304 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24 / 9 | 20 / 2 | 24 / 7 | 21 / 6 | 15 / -7 | 16 / -6 | 21 / 3 | 22 / 7 |
| February | 28 / 13 | 25 / 6 | 28 / 10 | 25 / 8 | 23 / -5 | 22 / -3 | 26 / 6 | 27 / 11 |
| March | 42 / 25 | 36 / 18 | 37 / 20 | 33 / 18 | 36 / 10 | 35 / 12 | 38 / 20 | 40 / 23 |
| April | 57 / 38 | 49 / 30 | 48 / 31 | 44 / 29 | 51 / 25 | 50 / 26 | 54 / 32 | 55 / 35 |
| May | 69 / 50 | 63 / 41 | 58 / 39 | 53 / 37 | 65 / 38 | 64 / 38 | 68 / 45 | 68 / 47 |
| June | 79 / 60 | 72 / 50 | 67 / 46 | 61 / 44 | 75 / 49 | 74 / 48 | 77 / 55 | 78 / 58 |
| July | 83 / 65 | 78 / 56 | 75 / 54 | 69 / 52 | 79 / 53 | 78 / 52 | 82 / 59 | 80 / 61 |
| August | 81 / 63 | 76 / 55 | 74 / 56 | 70 / 54 | 78 / 52 | 76 / 50 | 79 / 56 | 78 / 58 |
| September | 73 / 54 | 67 / 47 | 67 / 49 | 62 / 47 | 68 / 44 | 66 / 42 | 71 / 48 | 72 / 50 |
| October | 58 / 41 | 53 / 36 | 54 / 38 | 50 / 36 | 52 / 32 | 51 / 31 | 56 / 36 | 58 / 38 |
| November | 42 / 28 | 37 / 22 | 40 / 26 | 37 / 24 | 34 / 19 | 34 / 18 | 39 / 23 | 42 / 26 |
| December | 29 / 15 | 25 / 10 | 28 / 14 | 26 / 13 | 21 / 3 | 21 / 3 | 26 / 10 | 28 / 14 |
Normal Rain and Melted Snow (Inches) by Month
| Month | Minneapolis-St. Paul (872 ft) | Duluth (airport) (1,428 ft) | Two Harbors (625 ft) | Grand Marais (612 ft) | Ely (1,382 ft) | International Falls (1,183 ft) | St. Cloud (1,018 ft) | Rochester (1,304 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.89 | 0.95 | 1.04 | 0.99 | 1.06 | 0.79 | 0.67 | 0.99 |
| February | 0.87 | 1.01 | 1.16 | 0.72 | 0.79 | 0.69 | 0.76 | 1.02 |
| March | 1.68 | 1.46 | 1.51 | 0.95 | 1.34 | 1.02 | 1.57 | 2.02 |
| April | 2.91 | 2.53 | 2.65 | 1.84 | 2.27 | 1.64 | 2.61 | 3.52 |
| May | 3.91 | 3.37 | 3.30 | 2.61 | 2.99 | 3.06 | 3.66 | 4.35 |
| June | 4.58 | 4.39 | 4.23 | 3.55 | 4.23 | 3.78 | 3.75 | 5.35 |
| July | 4.06 | 3.92 | 4.05 | 3.39 | 4.50 | 3.97 | 3.60 | 4.19 |
| August | 4.34 | 3.73 | 3.48 | 2.56 | 3.41 | 2.82 | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| September | 3.02 | 3.48 | 3.53 | 2.83 | 4.82 | 3.00 | 3.01 | 3.60 |
| October | 2.58 | 2.91 | 3.03 | 3.04 | 2.87 | 2.22 | 2.61 | 2.43 |
| November | 1.61 | 1.96 | 2.18 | 1.81 | 1.70 | 1.39 | 1.37 | 1.80 |
| December | 1.17 | 1.47 | 1.56 | 1.46 | 1.32 | 0.99 | 0.88 | 1.28 |
Normal Snow (Inches) by Month
| Month | Minneapolis-St. Paul (872 ft) | Duluth (airport) (1,428 ft) | Two Harbors (625 ft) | Grand Marais (612 ft) | Ely (1,382 ft) | International Falls (1,183 ft) | St. Cloud (1,018 ft) | Rochester (1,304 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.0 | 16.8 | 12.4 | 15.6 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 8.8 | 12.2 |
| February | 9.5 | 15.1 | 13.6 | 8.7 | 9.3 | 12.6 | 8.9 | 10.7 |
| March | 8.2 | 12.8 | 9.1 | 6.0 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.6 |
| April | 3.5 | 9.1 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 4.7 | 3.3 |
| May | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| June | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| July | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| August | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| September | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.8 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| November | 6.8 | 14.1 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 9.8 | 12.1 | 6.9 | 4.5 |
| December | 11.4 | 18.7 | 15.5 | 13.4 | 13.2 | 15.8 | 9.3 | 12.4 |
Sunrise / Sunset and Daylight by Month, Central Time
| Date (15th) | Minneapolis | Duluth | Grand Marais | Ely | Minneapolis daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | 07:11 / 16:44 | 07:11 / 16:34 | 07:07 / 16:24 | 07:14 / 16:30 | 9 h 33 min |
| December 2026 | 07:44 / 16:32 | 07:47 / 16:21 | 07:44 / 16:10 | 07:50 / 16:15 | 8 h 48 min |
| January 2027 | 07:48 / 16:58 | 07:49 / 16:47 | 07:45 / 16:36 | 07:52 / 16:42 | 9 h 10 min |
| February 2027 | 07:14 / 17:41 | 07:13 / 17:33 | 07:07 / 17:24 | 07:14 / 17:30 | 10 h 27 min |
| March 2027 | 07:26 / 19:19 | 07:21 / 19:14 | 07:15 / 19:07 | 07:21 / 19:13 | 11 h 53 min |
| April 2027 | 06:29 / 19:58 | 06:21 / 19:57 | 06:13 / 19:51 | 06:18 / 19:58 | 13 h 29 min |
| May 2027 | 05:44 / 20:35 | 05:34 / 20:36 | 05:24 / 20:33 | 05:29 / 20:39 | 14 h 51 min |
| June 2027 | 05:26 / 21:01 | 05:14 / 21:04 | 05:02 / 21:01 | 05:08 / 21:08 | 15 h 35 min |
| July 2027 | 05:41 / 20:57 | 05:29 / 20:59 | 05:18 / 20:56 | 05:24 / 21:02 | 15 h 16 min |
| August 2027 | 06:15 / 20:20 | 06:06 / 20:19 | 05:57 / 20:14 | 06:02 / 20:21 | 14 h 05 min |
| September 2027 | 06:52 / 19:24 | 06:46 / 19:20 | 06:38 / 19:14 | 06:44 / 19:20 | 12 h 32 min |
| October 2027 | 07:29 / 18:28 | 07:26 / 18:22 | 07:20 / 18:13 | 07:26 / 18:19 | 10 h 59 min |
Stations: Minneapolis-St. Paul = Minneapolis/St Paul Ap (USW00014922); Duluth (airport) = Duluth (USW00014913); Two Harbors = Two Harbors (USC00218419); Grand Marais = Grand Marais (USC00213282); Ely = Ely (USC00212543); International Falls = Intl Falls Intl Ap (USW00014918); St. Cloud = St Cloud Rgnl Ap (USW00014926); Rochester = Rochester Intl Ap (USW00014925). Elevations are NOAA’s, converted from metres to feet. Sun times: the Naval Observatory service for Minneapolis (44.98 N, 93.26 W), Duluth (46.79 N, 92.10 W), Grand Marais (47.75 N, 90.33 W) and Ely (47.90 N, 91.87 W); daylight saving applies from March 14, 2027 and ends November 7, 2027.
Layers: General Guidance
General guidance, ours and not an official forecast: January normals run from 24°F high in the Twin Cities to a normal low of -6°F at International Falls, so winter trips call for insulated outer layers, a hat and gloves, and for a day outdoors a warm layer you can add on the shore, where wind off the lake can make it feel colder. For the wind chill formula and what the National Weather Service says about exposed skin, read below.
What The National Weather Service Says About Cold
Official Wording
- Wind chill“If the temperature is 0°F and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is -19°F. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.” (NWS, Understanding Wind Chill)
- Cold exposure“People exposed to extreme cold are susceptible to frostbite and can succumb to hypothermia in a matter of minutes.” (NWS, Cold Weather Safety)
- Winter storms“Blizzards occur when strong wind causes blowing snow and whiteout conditions, making roads impassable.” (NWS, Winter Safety)
- TodayForecasts and warnings: NWS Twin Cities and NWS Duluth. Roads: 511mn.org.
What The DNR Says About Ice
Safety notice: we do not say any ice is safe, and nothing on this site can tell you that. These are the Minnesota DNR’s own words, read on November 3, 2026. Ice conditions change by the hour and by the spot.
Official Wording
- No safe ice“There is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice. The DNR does not measure ice thickness on Minnesota lakes. Your safety is your responsibility.”
- Thickness varies“Ice is seldom the same thickness over a single body of water; it can be two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away.”
- DNR guidelineFor new, clear ice only: under 4 inches, stay off; 4 inches, ice fishing or other activities on foot; 5 to 7 inches, snowmobile or small ATV. The DNR says many other factors affect strength and that white ice is about half as strong.
- Read moreDNR ice safety and our ice answer.
What The Park Service Says About Insects
Official Wording, Grand Portage Only
- Spring and summer“Mosquitoes, gnats, black flies are plentiful during the spring and summer months especially inland along the 8 1/2 mile Grand Portage footpath.” (NPS, Grand Portage National Monument weather page.) We read no statewide official statement on bug seasons.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Today’s forecast and any warningSee weather.gov. Not confirmed
- Lake ice conditions on any lake and date; the DNR measures none. Not confirmed
- Mosquito, tick and biting-fly timing anywhere but Grand Portage. Not confirmed
- Fall color dates, snow cover dates and first-freeze dates. Not confirmed
- Stations not listedA lakeshore or town can differ from the nearest station. Not confirmed
Sources Read
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, monthly, read November 3, 2026 (stations listed above)
- U.S. Naval Observatory, Sun and Moon Data, one day, read November 3, 2026 (API)
- NWS, Understanding Wind Chill, read November 3, 2026
- NWS, Cold Weather Safety, read November 3, 2026
- NWS, Winter Safety, read November 3, 2026
- Minnesota DNR, Ice safety, read November 3, 2026
- Minnesota DNR, General ice thickness guidelines, read November 3, 2026
- NPS, Grand Portage National Monument: Weather, read November 3, 2026
Keep Planning
Cite this page: It's Minnesota, “Minnesota Weather by Month: NOAA Normals, Winter Layers and Daylight”, itsminnesota.com/data/minnesota-weather-by-month/ (updated ). By the It's Minnesota editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.