Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Lake Elmo, Minnesota Weather

Cicadas claim the afternoon. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Lake Elmo weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Lake Elmo, MN
Saturday, July 4 at 2:56 PM
83
°
Clear
Feels like
92°
Humidity
61%
Wind
4 mph
Sunrise
12:30 AM
Sunset
4:01 PM
Lake Elmo, MN
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastLake Elmo, MN: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 67 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit with a 23% chance of precipitation at 6 PM.
L 67°H 84°
Lake Elmo, MN
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Heavy Rain
    23%
    2.1″
    84°66°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    16%
    —
    83°67°-1°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Overcast
    —
    —
    86°65°+3°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    T-storm w/ Hail
    10%
    0.54″
    90°67°+4°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Heavy Showers
    55%
    0.76″
    71°62°-19°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Overcast
    55%
    —
    80°59°+9°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Light Drizzle
    —
    —
    74°58°-6°
Lake Elmo, MN
Next 24 hours · Warm now
62°75°88°12p6p12a6anow 82°high 84°low 67°PRECIP %
Lake Elmo, MN
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
E
079° · backing 160°
Direction
E
079°
Sustained
4
mph
Gust
5
mph
Peak 24h
14
avg 4
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 4 · pk 14 @ 10:00p
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 175SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Lake Elmo, MN
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
982.8
-1.0 mb in 3h · falling · 29.02 inHg
Now
982.8
mb
3h
-1.0
mb
12h
+0.4
mb
24h
+0.9
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 980–983
975980985990-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW983.3980.1982.3
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Deep low still deepening — rough seas, strong wind, persistent rain.
Lake Elmo, MN
Air quality
51
AQI
Moderate
→+4 in 6h

AQI 51 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±4 points). PM2.5 at 13.9 µg/m³ (AQI 60) with a 0.74 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 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.

PM 2.5DRIVERModerate
13.9μg/m³
PM 10Good
19μg/m³
NO₂Good
1μg/m³
OzoneUnhealthy SG
106μg/m³
UV IndexHigh
6.5

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 50 now. With UV 6.5 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 43 around 1 PM.

Present
AQI 50
UV peak
6.5 at 1 PM
Sky at peak
clear
Projected peak
AQI 43

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 13.9 µg/m³ (AQI 60) with a 0.74 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.

PM2.5/PM10
0.74
Wind
calm
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).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SATSUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³310
Lake Elmo, MN
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
6%
CLEAR
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
64.4mi
UNLIMITED
66 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
19:56 UTC · Lake Elmo, MN · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
19:56 UTC · Lake Elmo, MN · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Lake Elmo, MN
Satellite · infrared · animated
Lake Elmo, MN
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Lake Elmo, MN
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
4:54 AM
Sunrise
12:30 AM
Daylight
15h 31m
Sunset
4:01 PM
Civil dusk
9:39 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Lake Elmo, MN
The moon
Waning Gibbous
79% illuminated
Moonrise
11:14 PM
Moonset
10:12 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Lake Elmo, MN
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Cicadas claim the afternoon

bird
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Lake Elmo at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 16°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.

ZIP code: 55042

16-Day Forecast — Lake Elmo

  1. Sat84°66°23%
  2. Sun83°67°16%
  3. Mon86°65°8%
  4. Tue90°67°10%
  5. Wed71°62°55%
  6. Thu80°59°55%
  7. Fri74°58°8%
  8. Sat78°55°11%
  9. Sun79°58°16%
  10. Mon81°58°8%
  11. Tue86°63°5%
  12. Wed85°69°16%
  13. Thu85°68°11%
  14. Fri78°62°23%
  15. Sat69°60°19%
  16. Sun81°58°16%

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 — Lake Elmo

SPC includes Lake Elmo in the general thunderstorm area today — no severe risk, but storms are possible.

  • TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
  • DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.

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.

January 1–5: Winter settles deep on the plains.January 6–10: Arctic cold grips the heartland.January 11–15: Sunlight returns to the sloped terrain.January 16–20: Ring-necked pheasants call from cover.January 21–25: Deepest cold locks the prairie.January 26–31: Deep winter's pivot point.February 1–5: February's first breath.February 6–10: Subtle shifts in the light.February 11–15: Bald eagles concentrate on open water.February 16–20: Cold rebound before the final thaw.February 21–25: First killdeer return to thawed fields.February 26–28: Winter's veil grows thin.March 1–5: Ice withdraws from the land.March 6–10: Hibernators wake to open air.March 11–15: Spring arrives with fury and grace.March 16–20: Sandhill Cranes Rise from the Platte.March 21–25: Equinox — Night and Day Hold Balance.March 26–31: First Green Breaks Through Brown Earth.April 1–5: Thunder Voices Wake the Prairie.April 6–10: Cliff Swallows Return to Mud Nests.April 11–15: Wild Geese Wing North in Massive Flocks.April 16–20: Rainbows Follow Afternoon Storms.April 21–25: Prairie Sedges Push Through Wet Soil.April 26–30: Last Frost Retreats North.May 1–5: Wildflowers Erupt Across the Prairie.May 6–10: Grain Rains Feed the Growing Fields.May 11–15: Seedlings Rise From Frost-Free Soil.May 16–20: Roses Bloom Along the Shelter Rows.May 21–25: Summer Arrives Early in Wind and Heat.May 26–31: Frogs Begin Their Nightly Chorus.June 1–5: Prairie lightning bugs rise.June 6–10: Earthworms surface after rain.June 11–15: Toward the solstice glow.June 16–20: Lesser ripening, greater heat.June 21–25: Solstice—sun at zenith.June 26–30: Fireflies in the darkening oak.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the afternoon.July 6–10: Warm wind sweeps the tallgrass.July 11–15: Thunder builds every afternoon.July 16–20: Corn tassels and reaches peak.July 21–25: Dog days settle in haze.July 26–31: Katydid chorus erupts at dusk.August 1–5: Great rains sometimes fall.August 6–10: Autumn's edge approaches.August 11–15: Cool wind rises from the north.August 16–20: Late summer wind through tallgrass.August 21–25: Dew settles on the tallgrass.August 26–31: Monarchs gather on prairie.September 1–5: Corn tassels and heavy skies.September 6–10: Purple asters rise on the prairie.September 11–15: Hawks ride thermal currents south.September 16–20: Equinox brings balance to day.September 21–25: Thunder stills across the plains.September 26–30: Snow geese wheel through the flyway.October 1–5: Prairie enters dormancy slowly.October 6–10: Geese gather on autumn waters.October 11–15: First widespread freeze arrives.October 16–20: Oaks turn bronze and russet.October 21–25: Frost deepens through the night.October 26–31: Light rains fall on frozen ground.November 1–5: Tallgrass turns gold.November 6–10: North wind strips the oak.November 11–15: Frost locks the prairie.November 16–20: Open sky grows cold.November 21–25: First snow falls soft.November 26–30: Blizzard drives the herds.December 1–5: Deep winter takes hold.December 6–10: Sky closes cold, winter reigns.December 11–15: Darkness deepens, life retreats.December 16–20: Rivers turn to stone.December 21–25: Solstice — sun begins return.December 26–31: The year turns in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

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

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

In Lake Elmo, July runs warmest near 74°F and January coldest around 14°F, while June is the wettest month (4.4 inches) and January the driest (1.1 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January14°1.1″14
February19°1.2″11
March31°2.1″14
April46°3.3″17
May57°3.9″18
June68°4.4″17
July74°3.5″14
August72°3.6″14
September64°3.9″14
October50°2.4″13
November32°2.2″14
December18°1.4″14

Regional context

Per NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Lake Elmo runs from a 14°F January mean to 74°F in July, a 59°F seasonal spread, with near 33.1 inches of precipitation across about 173 wet days.

Summer convection drives Lake Elmo's precipitation: June logs 4.4 inches on 16.8 rainy days, against January's 1.1 inches on 13.5 — warm-season storms carry Lake Elmo's moisture. It is a warm-season-wet pattern Lake Elmo shares with places like Oakdale, MN, Pine Springs, MN and Landfall, MN.

Lake Elmo reaches its last hard frost near late-May; that is the cue for kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Heat-demanding starts go out a fortnight on in Lake Elmo, after the soil warms and cold snaps clear. By early-October, frost is back in Lake Elmo — protect or harvest anything tender. A creek-bottom lot in Lake Elmo can lag Lake Elmo's last frost 7-10 days behind a south slope.

Similar climates: Oakdale, MN, Pine Springs, MN, Landfall, MN, Willernie, MN, North St. Paul, MN.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Lake Elmo?
In Lake Elmo, expect the last spring frost near mid-May; Lake Elmo's first autumn frost comes around mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Lake Elmo?
Lake Elmo sees its heaviest rain in June (around 4.4 inches), part of roughly 33 inches a year.
What is the warmest month in Lake Elmo?
Lake Elmo peaks in July, when the mean runs near 74°F.
What is the coldest month in Lake Elmo?
January is Lake Elmo's coldest month, averaging about 14°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Lake Elmo?
In Lake Elmo, sow peas and hardy greens around mid-May; Lake Elmo's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
How many rainy days does Lake Elmo get?
Lake Elmo records around 173 days of measurable precipitation annually.
What hardiness zone is Lake Elmo?
With January around 14°F, Lake Elmo's zone reflects that minimum — the USDA ZIP map confirms Lake Elmo's band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Lake Elmo?
Lake Elmo'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 Lake Elmo?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Lake Elmo in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Lake Elmo?
Current conditions for Lake Elmo and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Lake Elmo forecast updated?
The Lake Elmo forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Lake Elmo?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Lake Elmo 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 Lake Elmo?
The next few days in Lake Elmo's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Set in a warm-summer humid continental zone, Lake Elmo, Minnesota swings from 14°F in the heart of winter to 74°F at midsummer — a 60°F arc.

Lake Elmo sees close to 33 inches of precipitation annually, falling across some 173 wet days.

Lake Elmo's 60°F range, set by its 45.0°N position, drives frost timing and what thrives in Lake Elmo.

All cities in Minnesota →

Woodbury, MN weather →

ZIP codes in Lake Elmo

  • 55042

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.