Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Big Bend Township
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. Winter and summer sit 81° apart. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 91% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Big Bend Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Bend Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Bend Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Big Bend Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Keene 3s, ND, 16 miles from the town’s center, 460 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Bend Township’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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Keene 3s, ND, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Bend Township
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 Keene 3s, ND.
Living with Big Bend Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 20 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 38 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Bend Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Bend Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Big Bend Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Big Bend 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bend Township, ND | 2° | 83° | 17" | 35" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
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 Big Bend Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
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 Big Bend Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Bend Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Big Bend Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Bend Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Keene 3s, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 2° | 0.5" | 7.6" | 4 | 1° – 27° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 0.4" | 6.1" | 4 | −4° – 29° |
| March | 40° | 18° | 0.7" | 6.1" | 4 | 14° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.2" | 2.7" | 6 | 34° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.7" | 9 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 83° | 56° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 54° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 44° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.2" | 2.0" | 6 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 18° | 0.6" | 3.1" | 4 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 26° | 7° | 0.5" | 6.5" | 5 | 4° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 30° | 17.1" | 34.8" | 74 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Big Bend 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 Big Bend Township’s center.
- Snow: Keene 3s, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Keene 3s, ND, 16 miles from the town’s center, 460 ft higher; 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 Big Bend Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Bend Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 81 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Bend Township in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 185 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Big Bend Township get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Keene 3s, ND, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Big Bend Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 56°. About 20 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Keene 3s, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Big Bend Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 121 frost-free days, at Keene 3s, ND.
What growing zone is Big Bend Township 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 Big Bend 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 Big Bend Township 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 Big Bend 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.