Grainfield Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 79°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 83°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Grainfield Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grainfield Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grainfield Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Grainfield Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rolla 1ne, ND, 17 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grainfield Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −31°. 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 38 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hansboro 4 Nne, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Grainfield Township
99% 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 Rolla 1ne, ND.
Living with Grainfield Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 20 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 21 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 62% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Grainfield Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grainfield Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Grainfield Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Grainfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grainfield Township, ND | −4° | 79° | 19" | 38" |
| Thief River Falls, MN | −4° | 79° | 22" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Grainfield Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Grainfield Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grainfield Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Grainfield Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grainfield Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hansboro 4 Nne, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15° | −4° | 0.4" | 5.7" | 4 | −9° – 22° |
| February | 20° | 0° | 0.4" | 5.0" | 3 | −5° – 24° |
| March | 32° | 13° | 0.7" | 5.7" | 4 | 10° – 36° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 1.0" | 2.7" | 4 | 25° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.6" | 0.5" | 10 | 45° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 58° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 43° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 52° | 30° | 1.4" | 2.2" | 6 | 31° – 46° |
| November | 34° | 15° | 0.7" | 6.6" | 4 | 12° – 38° |
| December | 20° | 2° | 0.5" | 9.2" | 4 | −4° – 22° |
| Year | 49° | 27° | 18.7" | 37.6" | 78 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -9° to 22°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Grainfield 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 Grainfield Township’s center.
- Snow: Hansboro 4 Nne, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rolla 1ne, ND, 17 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Grainfield Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Grainfield Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −4°, and about 38 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 14 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grainfield Township in winter?
January nights average −4°. About 194 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 −9°.
How much snow does Grainfield Township get?
About 38 inches in a normal winter at Hansboro 4 Nne, ND, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Grainfield Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Rolla 1ne, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Grainfield Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 128 frost-free days, at Rolla 1ne, ND.
What growing zone is Grainfield Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Grainfield Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Grainfield Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grainfield 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.