Gem Lake, Minnesota Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Gem Lake weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Drizzle25%0.03″84°64°—
- FridayJun 5Light Drizzle52%—84°63°0°
- SaturdayJun 6Clear28%—81°60°-3°
- SundayJun 7Overcast15%—85°61°+4°
- MondayJun 8Heavy Showers60%0.56″77°64°-8°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast37%—77°67°0°
- WednesdayJun 10Overcast21%—91°66°+14°
Ozone at AQI 46. AQI down 22 over the last 6 hours — air quality is improving sharply. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion during the projected peak around 7 AM.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 46. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 46
- UV peak
- 3.3 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 10
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 5.5 µg/m³, PM10 at 5.7 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.96
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- background
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 4:59 AM
- Moonset
- 1:58 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Gem Lake at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 4°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 16 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Gem Lake
SPC has placed Gem Lake in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.
- TODAYMRGLMarginal Risk
- TOMORROWMRGLMarginal Risk
- DAY 3MRGLMarginal Risk
Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | — | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | — | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Gem Lake's warmest month is July (~73°F mean) and its coldest is January (~16°F). Rainfall peaks in June (4.6 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.5 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | 0.5″ | 1 |
| February | 21° | 0.5″ | 1 |
| March | 33° | 1.4″ | 4 |
| April | 47° | 2.6″ | 6 |
| May | 59° | 4.0″ | 8 |
| June | 69° | 4.6″ | 8 |
| July | 73° | 4.0″ | 6 |
| August | 71° | 4.1″ | 6 |
| September | 63° | 3.1″ | 5 |
| October | 49° | 2.5″ | 5 |
| November | 35° | 1.3″ | 3 |
| December | 22° | 0.7″ | 2 |
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Gem Lake?
- Gem Lake's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Gem Lake?
- June is the wettest month with about 4.6 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 29 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Gem Lake?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 73°F.
- What is the coldest month in Gem Lake?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 16°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Gem Lake?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-May); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Gem Lake get?
- Gem Lake averages about 54 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Gem Lake?
- Gem Lake's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Gem Lake, Minnesota sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 16°F while July averages 73°F — a 57°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Gem Lake receives about 29 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 54 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (45.1°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.