Crystal, Minnesota Weather
Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Crystal weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJul 4Overcast27%—88°66°—
- SundayJul 5Light Drizzle15%0.02″87°66°-1°
- MondayJul 6Overcast——90°68°+3°
- TuesdayJul 7Overcast33%—89°71°-1°
- WednesdayJul 8Heavy Showers52%0.54″79°68°-10°
- ThursdayJul 9Overcast52%—82°62°+3°
- FridayJul 10Light Drizzle17%—85°65°+3°
AQI 63 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 13.6 µg/m³ (AQI 59) with a 0.89 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
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 13.6 µg/m³ (AQI 59) with a 0.89 fine-to-coarse ratio and 5 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.89
- 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
Crystal at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 69°F — typical for the season
- 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 — Crystal
- Sat88°66°27%
- Sun87°66°15%
- Mon90°68°3%
- Tue89°71°33%
- Wed79°68°52%
- Thu82°62°52%
- Fri85°65°17%
- Sat76°64°17%
- Sun77°57°12%
- Mon83°62°14%
- Tue81°64°9%
- Wed86°68°16%
- Thu87°63°10%
- Fri91°70°22%
- Sat91°73°28%
- Sun94°75°30%
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 — Crystal
SPC has placed Crystal 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
The year in Crystal tops out in July (~75°F) and dips lowest in January (~15°F), with June wettest at 4.4 inches and January driest at 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
Crystal swings from 15°F in January to 75°F in July (60°F) per NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals; precipitation in Crystal runs about 32.7 inches on roughly 168 measurable days.
Precipitation in Crystal runs summer-dominant: June averages 4.4 inches across 16.5 days of warm-season storms, while January drops to 1.1 inches over 13.0 rainy days of drier cool air. That puts Crystal in a summer-convective cohort with places like New Hope, MN, Robbinsdale, MN and Brooklyn Center, MN.
Around late-May, Crystal sheds its freezing nights — kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips go into Crystal's beds. Heat-demanding starts go out a fortnight on in Crystal, after the soil warms and cold snaps clear. The season ends by early-October in Crystal, once hard frosts set back in. Crystal's low ground holds frost later into spring than Crystal's benches, which run 3-5 days ahead.
Similar climates: New Hope, MN, Robbinsdale, MN, Brooklyn Center, MN, Golden Valley, MN, Medicine Lake, MN.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Crystal?
- Frost typically leaves Crystal by mid-May and returns to Crystal near mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Crystal?
- Rainfall in Crystal peaks in June near 4.4 inches, out of about 33 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Crystal?
- On average July tops the year in Crystal at about 75°F.
- What is the coldest month in Crystal?
- The coldest stretch in Crystal falls in January, around 15°F on average.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Crystal?
- Hardy spring crops go in near mid-May in Crystal; tender peppers and squash wait 10–14 days.
- How many rainy days does Crystal get?
- Crystal averages about 168 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
- What hardiness zone is Crystal?
- Because Crystal bottoms near 15°F in January, that winter low sets Crystal's USDA zone — verify by ZIP.
- What is the 10-day forecast for Crystal?
- Crystal'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 Crystal?
- See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Crystal in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
- What is the weather like right now in Crystal?
- Current conditions for Crystal and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
- How often is the Crystal forecast updated?
- The Crystal forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
- When are sunrise and sunset in Crystal?
- Today's sunrise and sunset times for Crystal 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 Crystal?
- The next few days in Crystal'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 Crystal, Minnesota carries typical Januarys near 15°F and Julys around 75°F — 60°F of seasonal travel.
Yearly precipitation in Crystal totals around 33 inches, spread over about 168 days of rain or snow.
From 45.0°N, Crystal sees a 60°F seasonal swing that governs Crystal's planting and frost windows.
ZIP codes in Crystal
- 55422
- 55427
- 55429
- 55428