Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Devils Lake’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 80°
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −2°.
A year in Devils Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Devils Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Devils Lake’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Devils Lake 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, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Devils Lake’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 Devils Lake
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 Devils Lake’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. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 38% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Devils Lake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Devils Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Devils Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Devils Lake averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Devils Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Devils Lake’s place among North Dakota’s.
Devils Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Devils Lake’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −2° | 0.4" | −6° – 23° |
| February | 21° | 2° | 0.4" | −4° – 26° |
| March | 34° | 15° | 0.7" | 13° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 1.0" | 28° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 2.7" | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 3.6" | 59° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 3.5" | 61° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 2.5" | 60° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 46° | 1.9" | 52° – 64° |
| October | 53° | 33° | 1.5" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 18° | 0.7" | 12° – 39° |
| December | 21° | 5° | 0.6" | −1° – 24° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 19.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Devils Lake’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 Devils Lake’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Devils Lake Kdlr, 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 Devils Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Devils Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −2°. Colder January nights than all but 24 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Devils Lake in winter?
January nights average −2°. 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 −6°.
How hot does it get in Devils Lake?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Devils Lake Kdlr, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Devils Lake?
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 Devils Lake 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 Devils Lake?
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 Devils Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Devils Lake.
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.