Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Auburn
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 81° on average. A year here swings 83° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 67–81°.
A year in Auburn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Auburn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Auburn’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Auburn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grafton, ND, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Auburn’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 21 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Auburn
94% 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 Grafton, ND.
Living with Auburn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Auburn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Auburn and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Auburn 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 Auburn averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Auburn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Auburn’s place among North Dakota’s.
Auburn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Auburn’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14° | −3° | 0.6" | −8° – 22° |
| February | 20° | 2° | 0.5" | −1° – 25° |
| March | 33° | 16° | 0.8" | 14° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 30° | 1.1" | 30° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 2.9" | 48° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 3.8" | 61° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.4" | 62° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.5" | 60° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 47° | 2.3" | 52° – 65° |
| October | 53° | 34° | 1.7" | 34° – 49° |
| November | 34° | 19° | 0.9" | 13° – 40° |
| December | 20° | 5° | 0.7" | −3° – 25° |
| Year | 50° | 30° | 21.1" |
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 10°.
Where Auburn’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 Auburn’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grafton, ND, 6 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 Auburn’s climate
What is the weather like in Auburn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −3°. Colder January nights than all but 20 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Auburn in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 46 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −8°.
How hot does it get in Auburn?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Grafton, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Auburn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 156 frost-free days, at Grafton, ND.
What growing zone is Auburn in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Auburn?
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 Auburn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Auburn.
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.