Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Elliott Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.1° rise. Garden planting can start around May 12; autumn frost returns near September 27.
A year in Elliott Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elliott Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elliott Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Elliott Township 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 12 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lisbon, ND, 8 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elliott Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lisbon, ND, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elliott Township
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lisbon, ND.
Living with Elliott Township’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 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. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elliott Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elliott Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Elliott Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Elliott 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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elliott Township, ND | 1° | 82° | 23" | 47" |
| Little Falls, MN | 2° | 81° | 29" | 53" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Elliott Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
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 Elliott Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elliott Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Elliott Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elliott Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lisbon, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 1° | 0.6" | 9.7" | 5 | −4° – 25° |
| February | 24° | 5° | 0.6" | 7.1" | 5 | −1° – 27° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 1.0" | 7.8" | 5 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 1.6" | 4.5" | 7 | 32° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 59° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 34° | 2.1" | 1.5" | 7 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 38° | 20° | 0.7" | 7.4" | 5 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 8° | 0.7" | 8.7" | 5 | 3° – 24° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 22.6" | 46.7" | 83 |
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 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Elliott 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 Elliott Township’s center.
- Snow: Lisbon, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lisbon, ND, 8 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Elliott Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Elliott Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 67 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elliott Township in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 41 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −4°.
How much snow does Elliott Township get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Lisbon, ND, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Elliott Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Lisbon, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Elliott Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 136 frost-free days, at Lisbon, ND.
What growing zone is Elliott Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elliott 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 Elliott Township 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 Elliott Township.
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.