Photo: Brenda Riskey · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Grand Forks
Expect July afternoons of about 81°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Grand Forks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grand Forks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grand Forks’ place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Grand Forks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND, 0.5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grand Forks’ 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND, falls mostly in December. 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 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Grand Forks
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 Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND.
Living with Grand Forks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 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 Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 24 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Grand Forks from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grand Forks and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Grand Forks in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Grand Forks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Morris, MN | 2° | 82° | 26" | 45" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
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 Grand Forks averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Grand Forks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grand Forks’ place among North Dakota’s.
Grand Forks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grand Forks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −2° | 0.5" | 9.5" | 7 | 29 | −7° – 22° |
| February | 21° | 2° | 0.5" | 8.2" | 7 | 25 | −1° – 25° |
| March | 35° | 16° | 0.9" | 7.8" | 7 | 18 | 15° – 39° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 1.3" | 3.0" | 7 | 3 | 33° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 54° | 34° | 1.9" | 1.5" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 50° |
| November | 36° | 19° | 0.9" | 5.1" | 6 | 10 | 15° – 41° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 0.7" | 13.5" | 8 | 23 | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 22.3" | 48.7" | 100 | 108 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 22°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Grand Forks’ 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 Grand Forks’ center.
- Snow: Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND, 0.5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Grand Forks’ climate
What is the weather like in Grand Forks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −2°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 28 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grand Forks in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 47 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How much snow does Grand Forks get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 108 days a year.
How hot does it get in Grand Forks?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND).
When is the first and last frost in Grand Forks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 144 frost-free days, at Grand Forks Univ (nws), ND.
What growing zone is Grand Forks 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 Grand Forks?
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 Grand Forks getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grand Forks.
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.