Moorhead, Minnesota Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Moorhead weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Rain63%0.41″82°63°—
- ThursdayJun 4Drizzle31%0.04″86°64°+4°
- FridayJun 5Rain18%0.04″76°64°-10°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——84°59°+8°
- SundayJun 7Light Drizzle19%—86°63°+2°
- MondayJun 8Light Showers46%0.08″75°64°-11°
- TuesdayJun 9Partly Cloudy24%—88°60°+13°
Ozone at AQI 45 now. AQI up 8 over the last 6 hours (gradual rise). With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 11 by mid-afternoon.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 45 now. With UV 0.2 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 11 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 45
- UV peak
- 0.2 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 11
PM × Wind × Precip
PM scrubbed by 5 hours of recent rain — PM2.5 down to 6.1 µg/m³, PM10 to 7.0 µg/m³.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.87
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 5h in last 6h
- Pattern
- washed out
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
- 5:22 AM
- Moonset
- 2:06 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Moorhead at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 8°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 27 (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 — Moorhead
SPC has placed Moorhead in the Slight Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.
- TODAYSLGTSlight Risk
- TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Scattered severe storms possible. A few tornadoes, hail, and damaging wind gusts possible.
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
Moorhead's warmest month is July (~71°F mean) and its coldest is January (~8°F). Rainfall peaks in June (4.3 inches) and bottoms out in February (0.7 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8° | 0.7″ | 2 |
| February | 12° | 0.7″ | 2 |
| March | 26° | 1.1″ | 4 |
| April | 42° | 1.6″ | 5 |
| May | 56° | 3.1″ | 10 |
| June | 66° | 4.3″ | 14 |
| July | 71° | 3.7″ | 12 |
| August | 69° | 2.7″ | 9 |
| September | 60° | 2.5″ | 8 |
| October | 45° | 2.2″ | 7 |
| November | 29° | 0.9″ | 3 |
| December | 15° | 0.8″ | 3 |
Regional context
Moorhead sits within a warm-summer humid continental climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Minneapolis, MN, St. Paul, MN, Rochester, MN, Duluth, MN, St. Cloud, MN.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Moorhead?
- Moorhead's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Moorhead?
- June is the wettest month with about 4.3 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 24 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Moorhead?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 71°F.
- What is the coldest month in Moorhead?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 8°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Moorhead?
- 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 Moorhead get?
- Moorhead averages about 79 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Moorhead?
- Moorhead'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
Moorhead, Minnesota sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 8°F while July averages 71°F — a 63°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Moorhead receives about 24 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 79 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (46.9°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.