Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 3.0July in Fargo runs hotter than in 91% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 40°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 89% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly February 19 to December 5.
A year in Fargo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fargo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fargo’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Fargo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 294 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 19 and the first by December 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fargo 17 Ne, GA, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fargo’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 22°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 51 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and November the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fargo
31% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Fargo 17 Ne, GA.
Living with Fargo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
294 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fargo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fargo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fargo yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Fargo averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 73% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Fargo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fargo’s place among Georgia’s.
Fargo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fargo’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 40° | 4.0" | 46° – 59° |
| February | 68° | 43° | 3.5" | 48° – 65° |
| March | 75° | 48° | 3.9" | 55° – 68° |
| April | 81° | 54° | 3.5" | 62° – 72° |
| May | 87° | 61° | 2.8" | 71° – 77° |
| June | 91° | 69° | 6.8" | 77° – 84° |
| July | 93° | 71° | 6.4" | 80° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 71° | 6.4" | 79° – 84° |
| September | 88° | 67° | 5.1" | 75° – 81° |
| October | 81° | 58° | 3.2" | 66° – 75° |
| November | 73° | 47° | 2.0" | 54° – 67° |
| December | 67° | 43° | 3.0" | 45° – 65° |
| Year | 80° | 56° | 50.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 65°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Fargo’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Fargo’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fargo 17 Ne, GA, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Fargo’s climate
What is the weather like in Fargo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 40°. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fargo in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 22 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How hot does it get in Fargo?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 71°. About 103 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Fargo 17 Ne, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Fargo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 19 and the first fall frost by December 5, about 294 frost-free days, at Fargo 17 Ne, GA.
What growing zone is Fargo in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fargo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fargo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fargo.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.