Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Elgin
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 91% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.4°, most of all in January. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 66–83°.
A year in Elgin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elgin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elgin’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Elgin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Heart Butte Dam, ND, 13 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elgin’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 57 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elgin, ND, falls mostly in March. 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 67 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elgin
95% 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 Heart Butte Dam, ND.
Living with Elgin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 52% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elgin from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elgin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elgin yet.
Climates most like Elgin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin, ND | 5° | 83° | 18" | 57" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Moorhead, MN | 0° | 82° | 25" | 51" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
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 Elgin averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Elgin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elgin’s place among North Dakota’s.
Elgin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elgin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elgin, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 5° | 0.4" | 8.4" | 4 | 4° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 8° | 0.6" | 8.9" | 4 | −1° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 19° | 0.8" | 12.4" | 5 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.6" | 5.4" | 6 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 8 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 83° | 56° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 62° – 76° |
| August | 82° | 54° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 32° | 1.5" | 4.1" | 5 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 40° | 19° | 0.7" | 8.3" | 4 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 28° | 9° | 0.5" | 8.9" | 5 | 7° – 27° |
| Year | 54° | 31° | 18.2" | 56.7" | 67 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Elgin’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 Elgin’s center.
- Snow: Elgin, ND (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Heart Butte Dam, ND, 13 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower; 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 Elgin’s climate
What is the weather like in Elgin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 57 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elgin in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Elgin get?
About 57 inches in a normal winter at Elgin, ND, most of it in March.
How hot does it get in Elgin?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 56°. About 20 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Heart Butte Dam, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Elgin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 136 frost-free days, at Heart Butte Dam, ND.
What growing zone is Elgin 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 Elgin?
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 Elgin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elgin.
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.