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Dwight, North Dakota 7-30-2009Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Climate in Dwight Township · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Dwight Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth

July afternoons average 82°. A year here swings 81° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 87% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 69–82°.

Colder January nights than all but 63 U.S. towns#11 coldest of 25 in ND
More snow than 83% of U.S. towns#14Snowiest  of 22 in ND
All ND rankings →

A year in Dwight Township at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan20°1° 11" snow
Feb25°5° 8" snow
Mar38°19° 7" snow
Apr55°32° 4" snow
May69°45° Last frost ~May 41 day 90°+
Jun78°56° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Jul82°60° 4 days 90°+
Aug81°57° 2 days 90°+
Sep72°48° 1 day 90°+
Oct57°36° First frost ~Oct 3
Nov now39°22° 7" snow
Dec25°8° 11" snow

What stands out about Dwight Township’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dwight Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Dwight Township feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
23° / 5°
15 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
54° / 32°
Last frost around May 4
Summer
80° / 58°
9 days reach 90°
Fall
56° / 35°
First frost around Oct 3
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 152 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Breckenridge 3e, MN, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

Short record. NOAA estimated Breckenridge 3e, MN’s counts from 8 years of data and its neighbors’, not a full 30-year record.
178
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
18th most of 25 in North Dakota
More freezing nights than 98% of U.S. towns
43
nights at or below 0°
6th most of 25 in North Dakota
More nights at or below 0° than all but 60 U.S. towns
9
days that reach 90°
4th fewest of 25 in North Dakota
Fewer 90° days than 78% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
4aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4a

The 2023 USDA map puts Dwight Township’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°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

3.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 50 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Rothsay, MN, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.

24"
Rain + melted snow a year
24th driest of 25 in North Dakota
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns
50"
Snow in a normal winter
14th snowiest of 22 in North Dakota
More snow than 83% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.0"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

11"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Dwight Township

94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

8,813 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 152 U.S. towns
514 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 84% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Breckenridge 3e, MN.

Living here

Living with Dwight Township’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

152 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 3.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 20 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Cold waves are 37% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dwight Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Dwight Township and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Dwight Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Breckenridge: January low 1°, July high 82°Nordick Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Nilsen Township: January low 0°, July high 82°Breckenridge Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Summit Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Mooreton Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Brandrup Township: January low 1°, July high 82°McCauleyville Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Abercrombie: January low 1°, July high 82°Nansen Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Eagle Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Colfax Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Antelope Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Connelly Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Center Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Abercrombie Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Wahpeton: January low 1°, July high 82°Ibsen Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Dwight Township: January low 1°, July high 82°Dwight TownshipConnelly TownshipCenter TownshipAbercrombie TownshipWahpetonIbsen Township
ColderMilder0° to 1°
Connelly Township0.7° about the same
Wahpeton0.8° about the same
Dwight Township0.9°
Abercrombie Township0.9° about the same
Center Township1.1° about the same
Ibsen Township1.1° about the same

Climates most like Dwight 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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Dwight Township, ND1°82°24"50"
Glencoe, MN5°82°30"50"
Madison, SD6°83°27"37"
Kingsford, MI5°80°29"61"
Spirit Lake, IA7°83°31"42"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Dwight Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).

+1.6°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 65% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.0°now 14°, was 11°
Spring+1.2°now 43°, was 42°
Summer+0.8°now 69°, was 68°
Fall+1.5°now 46°, was 44°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Dwight Township compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dwight Township’s place among North Dakota’s.

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns10th coolest of 25 in North Dakota
Winter cold1° January low
Colder January nights than all but 63 U.S. towns11th coldest of 25 in North Dakota
Precipitation24" a year
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns24th driest of 25 in North Dakota
Snow50" a winter
More snow than 83% of U.S. towns14th snowiest of 22 in North Dakota
Hot days9 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 78% of U.S. towns4th fewest of 25 in North Dakota
Freezing nights178 a year
More freezing nights than 98% of U.S. towns18th most of 25 in North Dakota
Growing season152 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 91% of U.S. towns22nd shortest of 25 in North Dakota
Month by month

Dwight Township weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dwight Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rothsay, MN. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January20°1°0.7"11.4"6−5° – 25°
February25°5°0.7"7.7"62° – 27°
March38°19°1.1"7.2"618° – 42°
April55°32°1.9"4.1"733° – 52°
May69°45°3.0"0.0"1052° – 64°
June78°56°4.0"0.0"1262° – 71°
July82°60°3.7"0.0"1064° – 76°
August81°57°2.9"0.0"862° – 73°
September72°48°2.7"0.0"954° – 65°
October57°36°2.3"1.6"938° – 52°
November39°22°0.8"6.9"518° – 42°
December25°8°0.8"10.7"72° – 25°
Year53°32°24.4"49.6"93
Year to year

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 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Dwight 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 Dwight Township’s center.
  • Snow: Rothsay, MN.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Breckenridge 3e, MN, 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 Dwight Township’s climate

What is the weather like in Dwight Township?

A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 63 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Dwight Township in winter?

January nights average 1°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 43 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.

How much snow does Dwight Township get?

About 50 inches in a normal winter at Rothsay, MN, most of it in January and December.

How hot does it get in Dwight Township?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Breckenridge 3e, MN).

When is the first and last frost in Dwight Township?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 152 frost-free days, at Breckenridge 3e, MN.

What growing zone is Dwight Township 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 Dwight Township?

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 Dwight Township getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dwight Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.