Rochester climate
Rochester (Minnesota, United States) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 7 °C45 °F, and about 886 mm35 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Rochester climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −524 | −147 | −915 | 210.8 | 31 |
| Feb | −327 | −139 | −818 | 301.2 | 28 |
| Mar | 542 | −523 | 032 | 481.9 | 26 |
| Apr | 1356 | 134 | 745 | 873.4 | 13 |
| May | 2068 | 847 | 1457 | 1164.6 | 1 |
| Jun | 2577 | 1458 | 2068 | 1385.4 | 0 |
| Jul | 2882 | 1763 | 2373 | 963.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 2780 | 1660 | 2170 | 1064.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 2373 | 1152 | 1762 | 1003.9 | 0 |
| Oct | 1457 | 338 | 847 | 692.7 | 9 |
| Nov | 642 | −326 | 134 | 381.5 | 22 |
| Dec | −228 | −1014 | −621 | 371.5 | 30 |
| Year | 2882 | −147 | 745 | 88635 | 160 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88% | 63% | 1.8 | 9:14 |
| Feb | 87% | 61% | 2.9 | 10:24 |
| Mar | 80% | 64% | 3.8 | 11:47 |
| Apr | 75% | 63% | 4.7 | 13:23 |
| May | 75% | 64% | 5.4 | 14:44 |
| Jun | 77% | 58% | 6.0 | 15:28 |
| Jul | 74% | 47% | 6.3 | 15:10 |
| Aug | 73% | 49% | 5.3 | 13:00 |
| Sep | 74% | 49% | 4.1 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 76% | 60% | 2.7 | 10:54 |
| Nov | 81% | 65% | 1.7 | 9:34 |
| Dec | 88% | 71% | 1.3 | 8:54 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Rochester is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 17 °C63 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −5 °C24 °F and lows −14 °C7 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 31.8 °C57.3 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 886 mm35 in. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 39% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (138 mm5.4 in), the driest is January (21 mm0.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 73% in August to 88% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 47%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in August to 15 km/h (10 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 8.9 hours in December to 15.5 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in February, about 18 cm).
Best time to visit Rochester
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are July–September: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 96 mm3.8 in to 106 mm4.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −5 °C24 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Rochester
- Winter (December–February) — highs −524 to −2 °C28 °F, lows −147 to −10 °C14 °F, about 29 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 542 to 20 °C68 °F, lows −523 to 8 °C47 °F, about 84 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2577 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1458 to 17 °C63 °F, about 113 mm4.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 642 to 23 °C73 °F, lows −326 to 11 °C52 °F, about 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Rochester compares
Compared with Minneapolis, about 124 km to the northwest, Rochester is on average 0.3 °C0.6 °F warmer and receives 6% more precipitation (886 mm35 in vs 839 mm33 in). The difference is largest in January (1.2 °C2.1 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Rochester is the 219th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 131st wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Belgorod (Russia, Dfa), Staryy Oskol (Russia, Dfb) and Kursk (Russia, Dfb).
Nearby places
- Minneapolis 124 km · 7 °C45 °F · 839 mm33 in
- Cedar Rapids 234 km · 9 °C49 °F · 922 mm36 in
- Madison 269 km · 8 °C47 °F · 970 mm38 in
- Des Moines 285 km · 10 °C51 °F · 884 mm35 in
- Davenport 318 km · 10 °C51 °F · 924 mm36 in
- Rockford 336 km · 9 °C48 °F · 967 mm38 in
- Sioux Falls 346 km · 9 °C47 °F · 669 mm26 in
- Green Bay 359 km · 8 °C46 °F · 878 mm35 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Rochester?
July is the warmest month in Rochester, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (63 °F).
What is the coldest month in Rochester?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -5 °C (24 °F) and an average low of -14 °C (7 °F).
When does it rain the most in Rochester?
June is the wettest month with about 138 mm (5.4 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 21 mm (0.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Rochester?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are July–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.