Fort Dilts · Photo: Karebear575 · CC BY-SA 4.0Crawford Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 84° on average. Temperatures cover 76° across the year, low to high. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 92% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 16 to September 25.
A year in Crawford Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crawford Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crawford Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Crawford Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bowman, ND, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crawford Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marmarth, ND, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 54 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Crawford Township
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 Bowman, ND.
Living with Crawford Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 55 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 53% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crawford Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crawford Township and its neighbors
Hughes Township has the coldest January nights next door (6°, 2° colder) and Hughes Township the hottest July afternoons (86°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Crawford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford Township, ND | 8° | 84° | 17" | 39" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
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 Crawford Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A smaller 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 Crawford Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crawford Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Crawford Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crawford Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marmarth, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 8° | 0.5" | 6.2" | 2 | 8° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 10° | 0.5" | 4.8" | 3 | 0° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 20° | 0.7" | 7.2" | 4 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.6" | 4.9" | 5 | 35° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 2.7" | 1.5" | 7 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 55° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 60° – 76° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.4" | 2.6" | 4 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 42° | 20° | 0.6" | 5.5" | 3 | 19° – 41° |
| December | 31° | 11° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 3 | 9° – 30° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 16.5" | 39.1" | 54 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Crawford 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 Crawford Township’s center.
- Snow: Marmarth, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bowman, ND, 19 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 Crawford Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Crawford Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crawford Township in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Crawford Township get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Marmarth, ND, most of it in March.
How hot does it get in Crawford Township?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 55°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Bowman, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Crawford Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 132 frost-free days, at Bowman, ND.
What growing zone is Crawford Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Crawford 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 Crawford Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crawford 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.