Fairmont, Minnesota Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Fairmont weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Light Drizzle33%0.02″83°64°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast17%—87°62°+4°
- SaturdayJun 6Light Drizzle16%—87°63°0°
- SundayJun 7Showers35%0.13″84°69°-3°
- MondayJun 8Thunderstorm51%—85°68°+1°
- TuesdayJun 9Thunderstorm34%—87°69°+2°
- WednesdayJun 10Thunderstorm15%—89°74°+2°
PM2.5 at 9.8 µg/m³, PM10 at 10.7 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±4 points).
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 42. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 42
- UV peak
- 3.6 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 10
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 9.8 µg/m³, PM10 at 10.7 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.92
- Wind
- breezy
- 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
- 2:08 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Fairmont at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 5°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 8 (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 — Fairmont
SPC has placed Fairmont in the Slight Risk category for severe thunderstorms tomorrow.
- TODAYMRGLMarginal Risk
- TOMORROWSLGTSlight Risk
- 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
Fairmont's warmest month is July (~73°F mean) and its coldest is January (~15°F). Rainfall peaks in June (5.0 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.8 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15° | 0.8″ | 3 |
| February | 19° | 1.2″ | 3 |
| March | 32° | 1.9″ | 4 |
| April | 46° | 3.5″ | 7 |
| May | 59° | 4.6″ | 8 |
| June | 70° | 5.0″ | 8 |
| July | 73° | 3.9″ | 6 |
| August | 71° | 3.8″ | 6 |
| September | 63° | 3.4″ | 5 |
| October | 50° | 2.3″ | 4 |
| November | 34° | 1.6″ | 4 |
| December | 21° | 1.4″ | 4 |
Regional context
Fairmont's climate, per the NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals from the nearest reporting station, runs cold-winter and warm-summer. January means hover near 15°F while July climbs to 73°F — a 58°F seasonal swing typical of northern-tier latitudes. Annual precipitation totals about 33.5 inches spread across roughly 61 days with measurable rain or snow.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: June averages 5.0 inches across 7.8 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while January drops to just 0.8 inches across 3.1 rainy days under drier cool-season air. That wet-warm-summer pattern groups Fairmont with places like Northrop, MN, Granada, MN and Welcome, MN — a regional cohort where summer thunderstorm season carries more than half the 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-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, and basil — typically wait two weeks past that date to avoid late spring cold snaps. The window closes around early-October, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. The dates above are 1991-2020 normals; in a given year either bookend can move 1-2 weeks either direction. Within Fairmont, low-lying parcels along drainage features typically lose 4-7°F of overnight low temperature versus the bench positions on calm clear nights, which shifts the working last-frost date by a week or more.
Similar climates: Northrop, MN, Granada, MN, Welcome, MN, Ceylon, MN, Truman, MN.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Fairmont?
- Fairmont's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Fairmont?
- June is the wettest month with about 5.0 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 33 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Fairmont?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 73°F.
- What is the coldest month in Fairmont?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 15°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Fairmont?
- 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 Fairmont get?
- Fairmont averages about 61 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Fairmont?
- Fairmont'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
Fairmont, Minnesota sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 15°F while July averages 73°F — a 58°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Fairmont receives about 33 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 61 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (43.6°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.