Adams has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 78°. Only 81° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 96% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 65–78°.
A year in Adams at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Adams’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Adams’ place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Adams feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Edmore 4nw, ND, 20 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Adams’ center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −31°. 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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Adams 7 Ssw, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Adams
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Edmore 4nw, ND.
Living with Adams’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 26% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Adams from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Adams and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Adams yet.
Climates most like Adams’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams, ND | −3° | 78° | 22" | 35" |
| Bemidji, MN | −3° | 79° | 26" | 49" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Antigo, WI | 5° | 79° | 32" | 54" |
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 Adams averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Adams compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Adams’ place among North Dakota’s.
Adams weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Adams’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Adams 7 Ssw, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13° | −3° | 0.6" | 5.7" | 5 | 29 | −8° – 22° |
| February | 19° | 1° | 0.5" | 4.5" | 5 | 21 | −4° – 25° |
| March | 31° | 14° | 0.8" | 4.5" | 5 | 18 | 12° – 36° |
| April | 49° | 28° | 1.1" | 2.7" | 5 | 6 | 26° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.5" | 9 | 1 | 46° – 60° |
| June | 74° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 78° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 45° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 51° | 32° | 1.6" | 1.7" | 7 | 1 | 32° – 47° |
| November | 33° | 17° | 0.8" | 6.0" | 5 | 11 | 10° – 39° |
| December | 19° | 4° | 0.7" | 8.9" | 5 | 26 | −3° – 23° |
| Year | 48° | 28° | 21.5" | 34.5" | 85 | 113 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -8° to 22°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Adams’ 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 Adams’ center.
- Snow: Adams 7 Ssw, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Edmore 4nw, ND, 20 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 Adams’ climate
What is the weather like in Adams?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −3°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 18 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Adams in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 197 nights a year reach 32° or below and 62 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −8°.
How much snow does Adams get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Adams 7 Ssw, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 113 days a year.
How hot does it get in Adams?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 56°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Edmore 4nw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Adams?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 128 frost-free days, at Edmore 4nw, ND.
What growing zone is Adams in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Adams?
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 Adams getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Adams.
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.