Photo: In memoriam afiler · CC BY-SA 2.0Dunseith has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 79°. Seasons differ by 83°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to September, with highs of 68–79°.
A year in Dunseith at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dunseith’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dunseith’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Dunseith feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Belcourt Keya Radio, ND, 14 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dunseith’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −32°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bottineau, ND, falls mostly in January, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dunseith
97% 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 Belcourt Keya Radio, ND.
Living with Dunseith’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 19 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dunseith from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 44%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dunseith and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dunseith yet.
Climates most like Dunseith’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunseith, ND | −4° | 79° | 18" | 50" |
| Thief River Falls, MN | −4° | 79° | 22" | 50" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| 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 Dunseith averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger 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 Dunseith compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dunseith’s place among North Dakota’s.
Dunseith weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dunseith’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bottineau, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −4° | 0.5" | 9.1" | 7 | 31 | −8° – 23° |
| February | 21° | 0° | 0.5" | 6.9" | 5 | 28 | −6° – 24° |
| March | 33° | 13° | 0.6" | 7.3" | 6 | 25 | 11° – 37° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 0.9" | 4.0" | 7 | 3 | 26° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.5" | 1.1" | 10 | 1 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 54° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| September | 68° | 42° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 52° | 30° | 1.3" | 4.1" | 7 | 1 | 32° – 46° |
| November | 34° | 15° | 0.6" | 8.2" | 7 | 14 | 12° – 37° |
| December | 21° | 2° | 0.6" | 9.0" | 7 | 28 | −3° – 23° |
| Year | 49° | 27° | 18.1" | 49.8" | 92 | 131 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -8° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Dunseith’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 Dunseith’s center.
- Snow: Bottineau, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Belcourt Keya Radio, ND, 14 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Dunseith’s climate
What is the weather like in Dunseith?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −4°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 13 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dunseith in winter?
January nights average −4°. About 209 nights a year reach 32° or below and 64 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −8°.
How much snow does Dunseith get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Bottineau, ND, most of it in January, November and December, with snow on the ground about 131 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dunseith?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 54°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Belcourt Keya Radio, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Dunseith?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 126 frost-free days, at Belcourt Keya Radio, ND.
What growing zone is Dunseith in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dunseith?
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 Dunseith getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dunseith.
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.