Rochester weather in August

In August, Rochester sees average daytime highs of 78°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 3.8 in of rain across 10 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 78°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in August, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 30 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Rochester's 3rd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rochester's year-round climate.

Daytime high
78°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
60°
11th coldest
Rainfall
3.8 in
10 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:19 AM – 7:09 PM
Cloud cover
52%
3rd clearest
Wind
7 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Rochester is seat of Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States of America.

Density
792/km²
people per km²
Founded
1854

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 78°F through the month.

A typical August day in Rochester reaches about 78°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 70°F and 85°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°F cooler than July and about 7°F warmer than September.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17962
27962
37961
47961
57961
67861
77861
87861
97860
107860
117860
127860
137860
147860
157860
167860
177760
187760
197760
207760
217760
227759
237759
247759
257759
267759
277759
287758
297658
307658
317658

How August really feels in Rochester

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Rochester weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 1.16.76.69.10.0
Feb28° / 13°1.25.75.310.20.0
Mar41° / 24°2.38.84.411.60.5
Apr55° / 37°3.611.42.313.23.3
May67° / 49°4.5130.114.55.7
Jun76° / 59°5.212.3015.26.4
Jul80° / 63°3.810.40156.6
Aug78° / 60°3.810013.86.9
Sep71° / 52°3.39.3012.36.7
Oct57° / 39°2.790.710.84.1
Nov41° / 27°1.96.93.59.40.6
Dec28° / 15°1.57.16.28.80.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 43%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
26040
35941
45743
55743
65644
75644
85545
95446
105347
115347
125347
135347
145446
155545
165545
175545
185644
195644
205743
215842
225842
235842
246040
256040
266040
276139
286238
296337
306238
316238

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Rochester gets around 3.8 in of rain over 10 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 32% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
330
430
531
631
732
832
933
1033
1134
1234
1334
1434
1534
1634
1733
1833
1933
2033
2133
2232
2332
2431
2531
2630
2730
2830
2929
3029
3129

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the humid band about 27% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 24% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
11826291981
21826291971
31826291971
41827291971
51827291961
61827291961
71927291961
81928291951
92028281951
102028281950
112028281940
122128281940
132128281940
142228271940
152227272030
162227282030
172326282030
182326282030
192326282130
202325282130
212425282030
222425272030
232524272030
242624272030
252724271940
262823261940
272923261840
283023251840
293223251740
303323241640
313523231540

Wind in August

Winds average 7 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 30 min at the start of August to 13 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:02 AM to 5:36 AM, and sunset from 7:30 PM to 6:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.55:027:30
214.45:037:29
314.45:047:28
414.45:057:26
514.35:067:25
614.35:077:24
714.25:087:22
814.25:107:21
914.15:117:20
1014.15:127:18
1114.15:137:17
1214.05:147:15
1314.05:157:14
1413.95:167:12
1513.95:187:11
1613.85:197:09
1713.85:207:08
1813.75:217:06
1913.75:227:04
2013.75:237:03
2113.65:257:01
2213.65:266:59
2313.55:276:58
2413.55:286:56
2513.45:296:54
2613.45:316:52
2713.35:326:51
2813.35:336:49
2913.25:346:47
3013.25:356:45
3113.15:366:43

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.46 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.51 kWh/m² to a high of 6.31 kWh/m² in July across the year — August's 5.46 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.4Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Rochester?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.9
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Rochester for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Rochester in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Rochester sees daytime highs around 78°F and nights near 60°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Rochester in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rochester peaks around June 14 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 14UV 9Jan 12UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Rochester?

Rochester sits at 44.0°N, 92.5°W, 1,024 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Austin, 35 mi away.

Topography around Rochester

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Rochester.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rochester has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 305 ft around an average of 1,047 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 436 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 797 ft.

The land around Rochester is covered by trees (43%) and artificial surfaces (38%) within 2 miles, cropland (46%) and trees (28%) within 10 miles, and cropland (66%) and trees (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
305 ft
10 miles
436 ft
50 miles
797 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
August weather nearby: Austin 35 mi · Red Wing 37 mi · Owatonna 38 mi · Winona 41 mi · Faribault 44 mi · Northfield 45 mi · Albert Lea 52 mi · Hastings 53 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Rochester (44.0216°, -92.4699°, elevation 1,024 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).