Station by station
When does the ground freeze in Minnesota?
Each bar runs from the typical first freeze to the typical last thaw at that depth, the median over the station's complete winters on record, with the typical number of frozen days after it. Frost reaches the deeper probes later in the winter. A depth that froze in fewer than half of its winters has no typical dates. Stations: 4 typically freeze.
Crescent Lake #1
SCANTypically freezes to 20 inches, not to 40.
2 in2 inches: typically frozen from Dec 21 to Mar 29, a median of 74 frozen days.74 days
4 in4 inches: typically frozen from Dec 21 to Mar 29, a median of 85 frozen days.85 days
8 in8 inches: typically frozen from Jan 10 to Apr 4, a median of 83 frozen days.83 days
20 in20 inches: typically frozen from Jan 26 to Feb 25, a median of 30 frozen days.30 days
40 inFroze in 0 of 5 winters, no typical dates
Nov 3, 2026: Not frozen
Glacial Ridge
SCANTypically freezes to 20 inches, not to 40.
2 in2 inches: typically frozen from Dec 1 to Mar 20, a median of 98 frozen days.98 days
4 in4 inches: typically frozen from Dec 3 to Mar 25, a median of 97 frozen days.97 days
8 in8 inches: typically frozen from Dec 19 to Apr 9, a median of 90 frozen days.90 days
20 in20 inches: typically frozen from Jan 24 to Feb 25, a median of 22 frozen days.22 days
40 inFroze in 1 of 5 winters, no typical dates
Nov 3, 2026: Not frozen
Goodridge 12 NNW
USCRNTypically freezes to 8 inches, not to 20.
2 in2 inches: typically frozen from Dec 4 to Apr 21, a median of 136 frozen days.136 days
4 in4 inches: typically frozen from Jan 8 to Apr 23, a median of 104 frozen days.104 days
8 in8 inches: typically frozen from Jan 5 to May 4, a median of 118 frozen days.118 days
20 inFroze in 2 of 5 winters, no typical dates
40 inFroze in 0 of 5 winters, no typical dates
No current reading
Sandstone 6 W
USCRNTypically freezes to 8 inches, not to 20.
2 in2 inches: typically frozen from Dec 4 to Apr 6, a median of 105 frozen days.105 days
4 in4 inches: typically frozen from Jan 18 to Apr 3, a median of 76 frozen days.76 days
8 in8 inches: typically frozen from Jan 23 to Apr 5, a median of 69 frozen days.69 days
20 inFroze in 2 of 5 winters, no typical dates
40 inFroze in 1 of 5 winters, no typical dates
Nov 3, 2026: Not frozen
A winter runs July to June. Our station readings come from one grass-covered site per station at five fixed depths, and often show shallower frost than regional figures.
