Detroit Lakes, MN Climate

Detroit Lakes, MN is located in the north-central region of the US and has a humid continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. Average annual temperatures range from 20 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit with average winter lows of -15 degrees Fahrenheit and summer highs of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The area receives an average of 32 inches of precipitation annually, including 15 inches of snowfall per year. Additionally, Detroit Lakes experiences an average of 200 sunny days per year, making it an ideal outdoor destination for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors in any season!

Detroit Lakes, Minnesota gets 27 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Detroit Lakes averages 47 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 194 sunny days per year in Detroit Lakes. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Detroit Lakes gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 101 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 81 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is -3
Rain: averages 27 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 47 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Detroit Lakes is 6.3 (10=best), which means it is less comfortable than most places in Minnesota.

9.2 Summer - 3.4 Winter

July, August and June are the most pleasant months in Detroit Lakes, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Detroit Lakes, Minnesota	United States
	26.7 in.	38.1 in.
	47.0 in.	27.8 in.
	100.7 days	106.2 days
	194 days	205 days
	80.5°	85.8°
	-3.3°	21.7°
	6.3	7
	2.9	4.3
	1371 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Detroit Lakes with an average high temperature of 80.5°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Minnesota. In Detroit Lakes, there are 3 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Detroit Lakes are August, June and July.

In Detroit Lakes, there are 5.4 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Minnesota.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Detroit Lakes with an average of -3.3°. This is colder than most places in Minnesota.

In Detroit Lakes, there are 178.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Minnesota.

In Detroit Lakes, there are 48.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Minnesota.

Humidity in Detroit Lakes is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are July, August and June.

June is the wettest month in Detroit Lakes with 4.4 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 43% of yearly precipitation and 7% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 26.7 inches in Detroit Lakes means that it is drier than most places in Minnesota.

June is the rainiest month in Detroit Lakes with 12.2 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 6.0 rainy days. There are 100.7 rainy days annually in Detroit Lakes, which is about average compared to other places in Minnesota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 31% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 19% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 47.0 inches in Detroit Lakes means that it is snowier than most places in Minnesota. January is the snowiest month in Detroit Lakes with 10.0 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.