Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Galesburg
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.0° higher. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Galesburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Galesburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Galesburg’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Galesburg 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 10 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Colgate, ND, 12 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Galesburg’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Colgate, ND, falls mostly in January and November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Galesburg
96% 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 Colgate, ND.
Living with Galesburg’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 10 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 24.
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 Galesburg from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Galesburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Galesburg yet.
Climates most like Galesburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galesburg, ND | −1° | 81° | 22" | 35" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Baxter, MN | 1° | 80° | 29" | 48" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Galesburg averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Galesburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Galesburg’s place among North Dakota’s.
Galesburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Galesburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Colgate, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −1° | 0.6" | 8.4" | 4 | −6° – 23° |
| February | 22° | 3° | 0.5" | 5.0" | 3 | −2° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 17° | 1.0" | 4.5" | 4 | 16° – 39° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 1.3" | 1.6" | 4 | 31° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 2.0" | 0.8" | 5 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 37° | 19° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 4 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.7" | 6.4" | 4 | 1° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 22.4" | 34.7" | 64 |
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 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Galesburg’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 Galesburg’s center.
- Snow: Colgate, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Colgate, ND, 12 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher; 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 Galesburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Galesburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 36 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Galesburg in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 48 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How much snow does Galesburg get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Colgate, ND, most of it in January and November.
How hot does it get in Galesburg?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Colgate, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Galesburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 136 frost-free days, at Colgate, ND.
What growing zone is Galesburg in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Galesburg?
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 Galesburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Galesburg.
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.