Lonsdale, Minnesota Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Lonsdale weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Overcast25%—84°63°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast37%—82°63°-2°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast31%—82°61°0°
- SundayJun 7Light Drizzle32%—85°61°+3°
- MondayJun 8Showers58%0.06″77°65°-8°
- TuesdayJun 9Light Drizzle34%—77°67°0°
- WednesdayJun 10Thunderstorm21%—93°67°+16°
Ozone at AQI 45. AQI down 15 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 45. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 45
- UV peak
- 3.3 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 10
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
- 4:58 AM
- Moonset
- 2:02 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Lonsdale at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 5°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 13 (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 — Lonsdale
SPC has placed Lonsdale 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
Lonsdale's warmest month is July (~71°F mean) and its coldest is January (~14°F). Rainfall peaks in June (5.6 inches) and bottoms out in January (1.0 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14° | 1.0″ | 3 |
| February | 18° | 1.0″ | 3 |
| March | 30° | 1.9″ | 4 |
| April | 44° | 3.1″ | 7 |
| May | 57° | 4.4″ | 8 |
| June | 68° | 5.6″ | 9 |
| July | 71° | 4.6″ | 7 |
| August | 69° | 4.7″ | 7 |
| September | 61° | 3.7″ | 5 |
| October | 47° | 2.6″ | 5 |
| November | 33° | 1.7″ | 4 |
| December | 21° | 1.2″ | 4 |
Regional context
Lonsdale's climate, per the NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals from the nearest reporting station, runs cold-winter and warm-summer. January means hover near 14°F while July climbs to 71°F — a 57°F seasonal swing typical of northern-tier latitudes. Annual precipitation totals about 35.5 inches spread across roughly 66 days with measurable rain or snow.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: June averages 5.6 inches across 8.8 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while January drops to just 1.0 inches across 2.8 rainy days under drier cool-season air. That summer-storm-driven distribution puts Lonsdale in a cohort with places like Elko New Market, MN, Montgomery, MN and New Prague, MN, all of which depend on warm-season convective activity for the bulk of their annual moisture.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around late-May, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Warm-soil crops — tomatoes, peppers, eggplant — wait until soil temperatures reach the mid-50s°F, usually two weeks past the last-frost date. The window closes around early-October, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. These are 30-year central tendencies; year-to-year frost dates can move by up to two weeks. Local features matter: a south-facing slope inside Lonsdale typically runs 3-5 days ahead of the regional last-frost date, while a low-lying lot along a creek or drainage can lag the same date by a week or more on calm clear nights.
Similar climates: Elko New Market, MN, Montgomery, MN, New Prague, MN, Heidelberg, MN, Dundas, MN.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Lonsdale?
- Lonsdale's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Lonsdale?
- June is the wettest month with about 5.6 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 35 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Lonsdale?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 71°F.
- What is the coldest month in Lonsdale?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 14°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Lonsdale?
- 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 Lonsdale get?
- Lonsdale averages about 66 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Lonsdale?
- Lonsdale'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
Lonsdale, Minnesota sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 14°F while July averages 71°F — a 57°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Lonsdale receives about 35 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 66 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (44.5°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.