Alta Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Sunny July days climb to about 81°. Winter and summer sit 82° apart. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 13; in half of years the first frost comes by September 26.
A year in Alta Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alta Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alta Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Alta Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valley City 3 Nnw, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alta 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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Colgate, ND, falls mostly in January and November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alta Township
96% 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 Valley City 3 Nnw, ND.
Living with Alta Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 40% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alta Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alta Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Alta Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Alta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Township, ND | −1° | 81° | 22" | 35" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
| Baxter, MN | 1° | 80° | 29" | 48" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Alta Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Alta Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alta Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Alta Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alta Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Colgate, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.5" | 8.4" | 4 | −5° – 24° |
| February | 23° | 3° | 0.6" | 5.0" | 3 | −1° – 26° |
| March | 36° | 17° | 0.9" | 4.5" | 4 | 15° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 1.3" | 1.6" | 4 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 1.9" | 0.8" | 5 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 37° | 19° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 4 | 15° – 40° |
| December | 23° | 7° | 0.7" | 6.4" | 4 | 1° – 24° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 22.1" | 34.7" | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 24°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Alta 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 Alta Township’s center.
- Snow: Colgate, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valley City 3 Nnw, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower; 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 Alta Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Alta Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 40 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alta Township in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 51 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How much snow does Alta Township get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Colgate, ND, most of it in January and November.
How hot does it get in Alta Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Valley City 3 Nnw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Alta Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 136 frost-free days, at Valley City 3 Nnw, ND.
What growing zone is Alta 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 Alta 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 Alta Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alta 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.