Photo: Billybob2002 · CC BY 4.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Bottineau
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. Temperatures cover 82° across the year, low to high. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Bottineau at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bottineau’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bottineau’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Bottineau feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bottineau, ND, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bottineau’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −32°. 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 Bottineau, ND, falls mostly in January, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bottineau
97% 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 Bottineau, ND.
Living with Bottineau’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 15 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 54% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bottineau from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bottineau and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bottineau in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bottineau’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottineau, ND | −3° | 79° | 18" | 50" |
| Thief River Falls, MN | −4° | 79° | 22" | 50" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
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 Bottineau averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Bottineau compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bottineau’s place among North Dakota’s.
Bottineau weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bottineau’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bottineau, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −3° | 0.5" | 9.1" | 7 | 31 | −6° – 25° |
| February | 21° | 1° | 0.5" | 6.9" | 5 | 28 | −7° – 25° |
| March | 33° | 14° | 0.7" | 7.3" | 6 | 25 | 12° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 0.9" | 4.0" | 7 | 3 | 28° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 2.3" | 1.1" | 10 | 1 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 53° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 69° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 53° | 31° | 1.4" | 4.1" | 7 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 34° | 16° | 0.7" | 8.2" | 7 | 14 | 13° – 38° |
| December | 21° | 3° | 0.7" | 9.0" | 7 | 28 | −1° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 28° | 18.1" | 49.8" | 92 | 131 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bottineau’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 Bottineau’s center.
- Snow: Bottineau, ND (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bottineau, ND, 0.5 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 Bottineau’s climate
What is the weather like in Bottineau?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −3°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 18 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bottineau in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 55 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How much snow does Bottineau get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Bottineau, ND, most of it in January, November and December, with snow on the ground about 131 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bottineau?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Bottineau, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Bottineau?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 133 frost-free days, at Bottineau, ND.
What growing zone is Bottineau in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bottineau?
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 Bottineau getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bottineau.
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.