Buffalo River State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Riverton Township
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 68–82°.
A year in Riverton Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Riverton Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Riverton Township’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in Riverton Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Moorhead, MN, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Riverton Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Moorhead, MN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Riverton Township
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Moorhead, MN.
Living with Riverton Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 32 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Riverton Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Riverton Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Riverton Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Riverton Township’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverton Township, MN | −1° | 82° | 25" | 53" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Riverton Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Riverton Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Riverton Township’s place among Minnesota’s.
Riverton Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Riverton Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Moorhead, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.7" | 12.2" | 9 | 29 | −6° – 23° |
| February | 23° | 3° | 0.6" | 7.7" | 7 | 26 | 1° – 27° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 1.1" | 9.3" | 8 | 18 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 1.6" | 4.0" | 8 | 3 | 33° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 2.4" | 0.7" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 51° |
| November | 38° | 21° | 0.9" | 8.0" | 8 | 10 | 17° – 41° |
| December | 24° | 7° | 0.8" | 10.8" | 9 | 23 | 0° – 24° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 25.2" | 52.7" | 109 | 110 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Riverton Township’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 Riverton Township’s center.
- Snow: Moorhead, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moorhead, MN, 14 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 Riverton Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Riverton Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 40 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Riverton Township in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 44 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How much snow does Riverton Township get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Moorhead, MN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 110 days a year.
How hot does it get in Riverton Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Moorhead, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Riverton Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 150 frost-free days, at Moorhead, MN.
What growing zone is Riverton Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Riverton Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Riverton Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Riverton Township.
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.