Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Epping sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
July afternoons average 83°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 81°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 93% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 21 to September 21.
A year in Epping at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Epping’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Epping’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Epping feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Williston Sloulin International Airport, 15 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Epping’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Williston Sloulin International Airport, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Epping
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 Williston Sloulin International Airport.
Living with Epping’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 21 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Epping from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Epping and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Epping in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Epping’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epping, ND | 2° | 83° | 15" | 48" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
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 Epping averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Epping compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Epping’s place among North Dakota’s.
Epping weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Epping’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Williston Sloulin International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 2° | 0.5" | 11.2" | 8 | 28 | 1° – 27° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 0.4" | 6.7" | 7 | 21 | −5° – 30° |
| March | 39° | 17° | 0.6" | 6.4" | 7 | 15 | 14° – 41° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.1" | 3.7" | 8 | 2 | 33° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.0" | 0.9" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| July | 83° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 31° | 0.9" | 2.6" | 7 | 2 | 33° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 18° | 0.5" | 6.3" | 7 | 10 | 15° – 38° |
| December | 25° | 7° | 0.6" | 10.4" | 9 | 20 | 5° – 26° |
| Year | 53° | 29° | 15.1" | 48.2" | 100 | 97 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 30°. May is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Epping’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 Epping’s center.
- Snow: Williston Sloulin International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Williston Sloulin International Airport, 15 miles from the town’s center, 330 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 Epping’s climate
What is the weather like in Epping?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 80 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Epping in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 42 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 1°.
How much snow does Epping get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Williston Sloulin International Airport, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 97 days a year.
How hot does it get in Epping?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 55°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Williston Sloulin International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Epping?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 123 frost-free days, at Williston Sloulin International Airport.
What growing zone is Epping in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Epping?
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 Epping getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Epping.
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.