Your nature year
Owatonna, Minnesotathrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Owatonna?
For a day trip, Minnesota Valley Refuge is 51 miles off; its wildflowers is Jun 1–Aug 31 (local timing). Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul (57 mi) is the pick for fall foliage, usually Sep 24–Oct 7. Owatonna sits at about 1,134 feet. Frost usually lets go around May 5 and comes back around Oct 6, according to NOAA's Owatonna station, 0.4 miles away: roughly 154 days without it. About 4 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here. Spring green-up reaches town around Apr 16, with first blooms around May 13. We follow 3 places within 150 miles of Owatonna; the nearest lies 51 miles to the north. Statewide, Minnesota's fall color is usually well under way by mid-October.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Best this weekend nearby
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 57 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Sep 24–Oct 7
Sat Oct 3: Mostly Sunny, 65°F · Sun Oct 4: Sunny, 61°F
No report yet
Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service.
Owatonna's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~May 5 to ~Oct 6
- First leaf ~Apr 16
- First bloom ~May 13
- Fall color under way ~Oct 11 (MN)
- Today
Near Owatonna right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by mid-October in MinnesotaStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~13 days
- First fall frost usually around Oct 6 · last spring frost around May 5NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Owatonna (0.4 mi, 50% dates)~8 days
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 57 mi · usually Sep 24–Oct 7Fall foliage · in its window now
- Wildflowers · Minnesota Valley Refuge · 51 miLocal timing: Jun 1–Aug 31~8 months
Owatonna's nature year
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostMay
- Wildflowers · Minnesota Valley RefugeJun–Aug
- Fall color (MN)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 57 miusually Sep 24–Oct 7
- Saint Croix Riverway · 97 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~7 days
Wildflowers
- Minnesota Valley Refuge · 51 miLocal timing: Jun 1–Aug 31~8 months
Snow in Owatonna
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 29 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Owatonna (0.4 mi away): 44 inches of snow in an average year, about 15.2 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
May 5
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 6
About 154 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 16
First bloom around May 13
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Owatonna (0.4 mi from Owatonna), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Owatonna?
On average around Oct 6, and the last spring frost around May 5: about 154 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Owatonna, 0.4 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Owatonna?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 16 and first bloom around May 13, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Owatonna?
Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul, 57 miles (usually Sep 24–Oct 7); Saint Croix Riverway, 97 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Owatonna?
Minnesota Valley Refuge, 51 miles (local timing: Jun 1–Aug 31). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Owatonna?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 29: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Owatonna. An average year brings 44 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)