Black Butte Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Midsummer highs settle at about 84°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 92% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Black Butte Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Black Butte Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Black Butte Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Black Butte Township 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 16 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New England, ND, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Black Butte Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at New England, ND, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Black Butte 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 New England, ND.
Living with Black Butte Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 43 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Black Butte Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 35%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Black Butte Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Black Butte Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Black Butte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Butte Township, ND | 5° | 84° | 16" | 44" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
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 Black Butte Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
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 Black Butte Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Black Butte Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Black Butte Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Black Butte Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New England, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 5° | 0.3" | 6.3" | 3 | 6° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 9° | 0.4" | 7.0" | 3 | −1° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 19° | 0.7" | 7.0" | 4 | 17° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.4" | 6.1" | 6 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 1.3" | 8 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 9 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 55° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.3" | 4.2" | 4 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 41° | 19° | 0.5" | 5.9" | 3 | 17° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 9° | 0.3" | 6.4" | 3 | 7° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 30° | 15.9" | 44.3" | 60 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Black Butte 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 Black Butte Township’s center.
- Snow: New England, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New England, ND, 12 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 Black Butte Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Black Butte Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Black Butte Township in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Black Butte Township get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at New England, ND, most of it in January, February, March and December.
How hot does it get in Black Butte Township?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 55°. About 20 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (New England, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Black Butte Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 128 frost-free days, at New England, ND.
What growing zone is Black Butte Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Black Butte Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Black Butte 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 Black Butte 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.