Mendota, Minnesota Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Mendota weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Overcast——85°65°—
- ThursdayJun 4Light Drizzle26%—84°69°-1°
- FridayJun 5Drizzle50%—84°66°0°
- SaturdayJun 6Mostly Clear35%—86°63°+2°
- SundayJun 7Overcast19%—87°64°+1°
- MondayJun 8Light Showers52%0.10″73°68°-14°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast36%—87°67°+14°
Ozone at AQI 68. AQI up 39 in the last 6 hours — air quality is degrading. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~73%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
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 68. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~73%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 68
- UV peak
- 0.1 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 8
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 5.2 µg/m³, PM10 at 5.6 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.93
- 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
- 1:59 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Mendota at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 9°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 15 (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 — Mendota
SPC has placed Mendota in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms tomorrow.
- TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- 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
Mendota's warmest month is July (~74°F mean) and its coldest is January (~15°F). Rainfall peaks in June (4.8 inches) and bottoms out in February (0.9 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15° | 0.9″ | 3 |
| February | 19° | 0.9″ | 3 |
| March | 32° | 1.6″ | 5 |
| April | 46° | 3.3″ | 7 |
| May | 59° | 4.3″ | 8 |
| June | 69° | 4.8″ | 8 |
| July | 74° | 4.6″ | 7 |
| August | 71° | 4.5″ | 6 |
| September | 63° | 3.4″ | 6 |
| October | 48° | 3.0″ | 6 |
| November | 33° | 1.7″ | 4 |
| December | 21° | 1.3″ | 4 |
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Mendota?
- Mendota's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Mendota?
- June is the wettest month with about 4.8 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 34 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Mendota?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 74°F.
- What is the coldest month in Mendota?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 15°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Mendota?
- 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 Mendota get?
- Mendota averages about 66 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Mendota?
- Mendota'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
Mendota, Minnesota sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 15°F while July averages 74°F — a 59°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Mendota receives about 34 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 66 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (44.9°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.