Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Drake has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 81°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 81°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Drake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Drake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Drake’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Drake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Drake 9 Ne, ND, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Drake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 18 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 Drake
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 Drake 9 Ne, ND.
Living with Drake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Drake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Drake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Drake 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 Drake averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Drake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Drake’s place among North Dakota’s.
Drake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Drake’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | 0° | 0.5" | −5° – 27° |
| February | 23° | 4° | 0.4" | −4° – 27° |
| March | 35° | 16° | 0.7" | 13° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.1" | 28° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.6" | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.6" | 59° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 2.7" | 62° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 2.1" | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 44° | 1.7" | 52° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 32° | 1.4" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 36° | 18° | 0.7" | 13° – 39° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.6" | 2° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 29° | 18.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Drake’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 Drake’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Drake 9 Ne, ND, 9 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 Drake’s climate
What is the weather like in Drake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 0°. Colder January nights than all but 41 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Drake in winter?
January nights average 0°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 51 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How hot does it get in Drake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Drake 9 Ne, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Drake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 137 frost-free days, at Drake 9 Ne, ND.
What growing zone is Drake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Drake?
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 Drake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Drake.
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.