Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Dawson
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. June is the wettest month, February the driest. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Dawson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dawson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dawson’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Dawson 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 Steele 4n, ND, 9 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dawson’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Streeter 5 Nw, ND, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dawson
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 Steele 4n, ND.
Living with Dawson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 4a. 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.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dawson from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dawson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dawson yet.
Climates most like Dawson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson, ND | 0° | 82° | 19" | 49" |
| Crookston, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
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 Dawson averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Dawson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dawson’s place among North Dakota’s.
Dawson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dawson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Streeter 5 Nw, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 0° | 0.5" | 9.9" | 6 | 30 | −3° – 25° |
| February | 24° | 5° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 5 | 26 | −3° – 27° |
| March | 37° | 17° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 5 | 22 | 16° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.3" | 3.5" | 6 | 5 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.8" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 57° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 55° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 32° | 1.6" | 1.9" | 7 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 18° | 0.6" | 5.9" | 5 | 11 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 24° | 7° | 0.7" | 10.8" | 6 | 24 | 4° – 24° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 19.4" | 48.9" | 81 | 119 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -3° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Dawson’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 Dawson’s center.
- Snow: Streeter 5 Nw, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Steele 4n, ND, 9 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Dawson’s climate
What is the weather like in Dawson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 0°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 48 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dawson in winter?
January nights average 0°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 41 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −3°.
How much snow does Dawson get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Streeter 5 Nw, ND, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 119 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dawson?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 57°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Steele 4n, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Dawson?
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 Steele 4n, ND.
What growing zone is Dawson in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dawson?
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 Dawson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dawson.
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.