Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Crary
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. Winter and summer sit 82° apart. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 94% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 66–79°.
A year in Crary at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crary’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crary’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Crary feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Devils Lake Kdlr, ND, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crary’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 20 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 Crary
96% 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 Devils Lake Kdlr, ND.
Living with Crary’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 43% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crary from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crary and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Crary 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 Crary averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Crary compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crary’s place among North Dakota’s.
Crary weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crary’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −3° | 0.5" | −7° – 23° |
| February | 21° | 2° | 0.4" | −4° – 25° |
| March | 33° | 15° | 0.7" | 13° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 1.1" | 28° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 2.8" | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 3.6" | 59° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 3.5" | 61° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 2.6" | 59° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 45° | 2.0" | 51° – 64° |
| October | 53° | 32° | 1.5" | 33° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 18° | 0.7" | 12° – 39° |
| December | 21° | 4° | 0.6" | −1° – 24° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 20.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Crary’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 Crary’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Devils Lake Kdlr, ND, 11 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 Crary’s climate
What is the weather like in Crary?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −3°. Colder January nights than all but 19 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crary in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 182 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 −7°.
How hot does it get in Crary?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Devils Lake Kdlr, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Crary?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 152 frost-free days, at Devils Lake Kdlr, ND.
What growing zone is Crary 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 Crary?
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 Crary getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crary.
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.