Photo: U.S. Geologicial Survey · Public domainFort Totten has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 80°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in January. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Fort Totten at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Totten’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Totten’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Fort Totten feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Devils Lake, ND, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Totten’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 19 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Totten
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 Devils Lake, ND.
Living with Fort Totten’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 6.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 48% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Totten from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Totten and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fort Totten yet.
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 Fort Totten averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Fort Totten compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Totten’s place among North Dakota’s.
Fort Totten weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Totten’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −2° | 0.4" | −6° – 24° |
| February | 21° | 2° | 0.4" | −4° – 26° |
| March | 34° | 16° | 0.7" | 13° – 39° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 1.0" | 28° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 2.6" | 49° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 3.7" | 59° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 3.4" | 61° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 2.5" | 60° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 46° | 1.9" | 52° – 64° |
| October | 53° | 32° | 1.5" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 18° | 0.6" | 13° – 40° |
| December | 22° | 5° | 0.6" | 0° – 24° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 19.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 24°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Fort Totten’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 Fort Totten’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Devils Lake, ND, 11 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 Fort Totten’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Totten?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −2°. Colder January nights than all but 29 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Totten in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 52 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How hot does it get in Fort Totten?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Devils Lake, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Totten?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 141 frost-free days, at Devils Lake, ND.
What growing zone is Fort Totten 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 Fort Totten?
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 Fort Totten getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Totten.
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.