Columbia Heights, Minnesota Weather
Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Columbia Heights weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJul 4Overcast34%—87°65°—
- SundayJul 5Rain27%0.19″84°67°-3°
- MondayJul 6Overcast——90°67°+6°
- TuesdayJul 7Overcast12%—91°71°+1°
- WednesdayJul 8T-storm w/ Hail55%0.47″80°68°-11°
- ThursdayJul 9Overcast55%—82°61°+2°
- FridayJul 10Light Drizzle——86°66°+4°
AQI 62 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 13.1 µg/m³ (AQI 58) with a 0.83 fine-to-coarse ratio and 5 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
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 43 now. With UV 4.9 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 28 around 1 PM.
- Present
- AQI 43
- UV peak
- 4.9 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 28
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 13.1 µg/m³ (AQI 58) with a 0.83 fine-to-coarse ratio and 5 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.83
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- stagnant smoke
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).








































If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
- Moonrise
- 11:16 PM
- Moonset
- 10:13 AM
- In sign
- ♓︎ Pisces
Cicadas claim the afternoon
Columbia Heights at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 7°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 16 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jul 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
16-Day Forecast — Columbia Heights
- Sat87°65°34%
- Sun84°67°27%
- Mon90°67°9%
- Tue91°71°12%
- Wed80°68°55%
- Thu82°61°55%
- Fri86°66°8%
- Sat77°65°11%
- Sun77°57°16%
- Mon83°62°9%
- Tue83°63°6%
- Wed86°68°14%
- Thu89°64°11%
- Fri93°71°16%
- Sat92°74°26%
- Sun94°76°29%
Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of July 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 — Columbia Heights
SPC has placed Columbia Heights in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.
- TODAYMRGLMarginal Risk
- TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
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.
Microseason · July 1–5
Cicadas claim the afternoon
Millions of periodical and annual cicadas emerge, their droning chorus filling the summer heat; the soundtrack of midsummer settles over prairie and wetland.
Day 185 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72
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
July is Columbia Heights's warmest stretch (~75°F) and January its coldest (~15°F); precipitation crests in June at 4.4 inches and ebbs in January to 1.1 inches.
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15° | 1.1″ | 13 |
| February | 20° | 1.2″ | 11 |
| March | 31° | 2.1″ | 14 |
| April | 47° | 3.2″ | 16 |
| May | 58° | 3.9″ | 17 |
| June | 68° | 4.4″ | 17 |
| July | 75° | 3.4″ | 14 |
| August | 73° | 3.6″ | 14 |
| September | 64° | 3.9″ | 14 |
| October | 50° | 2.4″ | 13 |
| November | 33° | 2.2″ | 14 |
| December | 19° | 1.3″ | 13 |
Regional context
Per NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Columbia Heights runs from a 15°F January mean to 75°F in July, a 60°F seasonal spread, with near 32.7 inches of precipitation across about 168 wet days.
Summer convection drives Columbia Heights's precipitation: June logs 4.4 inches on 16.5 rainy days, against January's 1.1 inches on 13.0 — warm-season storms carry Columbia Heights's moisture. It is a warm-season-wet pattern Columbia Heights shares with places like Hilltop, MN, St. Anthony, MN and New Brighton, MN.
Columbia Heights reaches its last hard frost near late-May; that is the cue for kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Columbia Heights's heat-lovers — tomatoes, peppers, squash — hold off until Columbia Heights's frost risk clears, 10-14 days on. By early-October, frost is back in Columbia Heights — protect or harvest anything tender. A creek-bottom lot in Columbia Heights can lag Columbia Heights's last frost 7-10 days behind a south slope.
Similar climates: Hilltop, MN, St. Anthony, MN, New Brighton, MN, Fridley, MN, Brooklyn Center, MN.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Columbia Heights?
- Columbia Heights's last spring frost lands near mid-May, and in Columbia Heights the first fall frost follows around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Columbia Heights?
- Rainfall in Columbia Heights peaks in June near 4.4 inches, out of about 33 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Columbia Heights?
- On average July tops the year in Columbia Heights at about 75°F.
- What is the coldest month in Columbia Heights?
- The coldest stretch in Columbia Heights falls in January, around 15°F on average.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Columbia Heights?
- In Columbia Heights, sow peas and hardy greens around mid-May; Columbia Heights's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
- How many rainy days does Columbia Heights get?
- Columbia Heights averages about 168 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
- What hardiness zone is Columbia Heights?
- With January around 15°F, Columbia Heights's zone reflects that minimum — the USDA ZIP map confirms Columbia Heights's band.
- What is the 10-day forecast for Columbia Heights?
- Columbia Heights's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
- Will it rain this week in Columbia Heights?
- See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Columbia Heights in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
- What is the weather like right now in Columbia Heights?
- Current conditions for Columbia Heights and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
- How often is the Columbia Heights forecast updated?
- The Columbia Heights forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
- When are sunrise and sunset in Columbia Heights?
- Today's sunrise and sunset times for Columbia Heights are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
- How accurate is the weather forecast for Columbia Heights?
- The next few days in Columbia Heights's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.
Climate
The warm-summer humid continental climate of Columbia Heights, Minnesota carries typical Januarys near 15°F and Julys around 75°F — 60°F of seasonal travel.
Columbia Heights sees close to 33 inches of precipitation annually, falling across some 168 wet days.
From 45.0°N, Columbia Heights sees a 60°F seasonal swing that governs Columbia Heights's planting and frost windows.
ZIP codes in Columbia Heights
- 55421