In Prior Lake, the summers are long, warm, and wet; the winters are freezing, snowy, and windy; and it is partly cloudy year-round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 8°F to 83°F and is rarely below -12°F or above 91°F.
Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Prior Lake for warm-weather activities is from mid-June to early September.
The warm season lasts for 4.0 months, from May 21 to September 19, with an average daily high temperature above 71°F. The hottest day of the year is July 19, with an average high of 83°F and low of 64°F.
The cold season lasts for 3.3 months, from November 27 to March 4, with an average daily high temperature below 35°F. The coldest day of the year is January 22, with an average low of 8°F and high of 24°F.
In Prior Lake, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year in Prior Lake begins around June 9 and lasts for 4.2 months, ending around October 17. On July 28, the clearest day of the year, the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 73% of the time, and overcast or mostly cloudy 27% of the time.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 17 and lasts for 7.8 months, ending around June 9. On February 6, the cloudiest day of the year, the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 60% of the time, and clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 40% of the time.
A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Prior Lake varies significantly throughout the year.
The wetter season lasts 5.8 months, from April 7 to October 1, with a greater than 25% chance of a given day being a wet day. The chance of a wet day peaks at 42% on June 14.
The drier season lasts 6.2 months, from October 1 to April 7. The smallest chance of a wet day is 8% on February 2.
Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation in Prior Lake changes throughout the year.
Rain alone is the most common for 8.8 months, from March 3 to November 27. The highest chance of a day with rain alone is 42% on June 14.
Snow alone is the most common for 3.2 months, from November 27 to March 3. The highest chance of a day with snow alone is 8% on December 29.
Prior Lake experiences extreme seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.
The rainy period of the year lasts for 9.0 months, from March 3 to December 3, with a sliding 31-day rainfall of at least 0.5 inches. The most rain falls during the 31 days centered around June 18, with an average total accumulation of 4.2 inches.
The rainless period of the year lasts for 3.0 months, from December 3 to March 3. The least rain falls around January 25, with an average total accumulation of 0.1 inches.
We report snowfall in liquid-equivalent terms. The actual depth of new snowfall is typically between 5 and 10 times the liquid-equivalent amount, assuming the ground is frozen. Colder, drier snow tends to be on the higher end of that range and warmer, wetter snow on the lower end.
Prior Lake also experiences some seasonal variation in monthly liquid-equivalent snowfall.
The snowy period of the year lasts for 5.8 months, from October 27 to April 20, with a sliding 31-day liquid-equivalent snowfall of at least 0.1 inches. The most snow falls during the 31 days centered around December 10, with an average total liquid-equivalent accumulation of 0.5 inches.
The snowless period of the year lasts for 6.2 months, from April 20 to October 27. The least snow falls around July 22, with an average total liquid-equivalent accumulation of 0.0 inches.