Olivia, Minnesota Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Olivia weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Overcast16%—84°66°—
- ThursdayJun 4Rain70%0.35″81°64°-3°
- FridayJun 5Light Drizzle70%0.01″80°62°-1°
- SaturdayJun 6Partly Cloudy10%—81°60°+1°
- SundayJun 7Drizzle25%—86°64°+5°
- MondayJun 8Overcast43%—80°69°-6°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast27%—84°67°+4°
Ozone at AQI 46. 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.
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
- 7.4 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 23
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).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 4:33 AM
- Moonset
- 1:01 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Olivia at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 12°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 3, 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 — Olivia
SPC has placed Olivia 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
Olivia's warmest month is July (~71°F mean) and its coldest is January (~12°F). Rainfall peaks in June (4.9 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.6 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12° | 0.6″ | 2 |
| February | 16° | 0.8″ | 2 |
| March | 29° | 1.4″ | 3 |
| April | 44° | 2.5″ | 6 |
| May | 57° | 3.3″ | 7 |
| June | 67° | 4.9″ | 8 |
| July | 71° | 3.3″ | 6 |
| August | 68° | 3.7″ | 6 |
| September | 60° | 2.9″ | 5 |
| October | 46° | 2.2″ | 5 |
| November | 31° | 1.3″ | 2 |
| December | 18° | 1.0″ | 2 |
Regional context
Olivia's climate, per the NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals from the nearest reporting station, runs cold-winter and warm-summer. January means hover near 12°F while July climbs to 71°F — a 59°F seasonal swing typical of northern-tier latitudes. Annual precipitation totals about 27.9 inches spread across roughly 54 days with measurable rain or snow.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: June averages 4.9 inches across 8.3 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while January drops to just 0.6 inches across 1.9 rainy days under drier cool-season air. The warm-season-wet rhythm lines Olivia up with places like Bird Island, MN, Danube, MN and Renville, MN, where the May-September stretch delivers the bulk of the year's precipitation.
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. Heat-loving transplants like tomatoes, peppers, and squash generally hold off for another 10-14 days to clear the last spring frost risk window. 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 Olivia 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: Bird Island, MN, Danube, MN, Renville, MN, Blomkest, MN, Lake Lillian, MN.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Olivia?
- Olivia's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Olivia?
- June is the wettest month with about 4.9 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 28 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Olivia?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 71°F.
- What is the coldest month in Olivia?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 12°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Olivia?
- 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 Olivia get?
- Olivia averages about 54 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Olivia?
- Olivia'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
Olivia, Minnesota sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate zone. January means hover near 12°F while July averages 71°F — a 59°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Olivia receives about 28 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 54 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (44.8°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.