Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Arnegard
High summer brings afternoon highs near 83°. Rain follows the seasons: June brings about 8.2 times as much as February. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 93% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 9; in half of years the first frost comes by September 27.
A year in Arnegard at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Arnegard’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Arnegard’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Arnegard feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Watford City, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Arnegard’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Watford City, ND, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Arnegard
95% 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 Watford City, ND.
Living with Arnegard’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 40% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Arnegard from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Arnegard and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Arnegard yet.
Climates most like Arnegard’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnegard, ND | 4° | 83° | 16" | 50" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Moorhead, MN | 0° | 82° | 25" | 51" |
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 Arnegard averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.2°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Arnegard compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Arnegard’s place among North Dakota’s.
Arnegard weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Arnegard’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Watford City, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 4° | 0.4" | 9.5" | 7 | 28 | 3° – 29° |
| February | 28° | 8° | 0.4" | 8.2" | 6 | 20 | −3° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 18° | 0.6" | 7.3" | 7 | 15 | 15° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.1" | 4.2" | 8 | 3 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.4" | 1.4" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 83° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 44° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.1" | 2.9" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 19° | 0.5" | 6.8" | 6 | 10 | 17° – 39° |
| December | 27° | 9° | 0.5" | 10.1" | 7 | 20 | 6° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 30° | 15.6" | 50.4" | 95 | 99 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -3° to 31°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Arnegard’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 Arnegard’s center.
- Snow: Watford City, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Watford City, ND, 7 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 Arnegard’s climate
What is the weather like in Arnegard?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 160 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Arnegard in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Arnegard get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Watford City, ND, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 99 days a year.
How hot does it get in Arnegard?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 55°. About 22 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Watford City, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Arnegard?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 139 frost-free days, at Watford City, ND.
What growing zone is Arnegard in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Arnegard?
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 Arnegard getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Arnegard.
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.