Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0Grandin has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 68–82°.
A year in Grandin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grandin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grandin’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Grandin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hillsboro 3 N, ND, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grandin’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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Georgetown 1 E, MN, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Grandin
94% 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 Hillsboro 3 N, ND.
Living with Grandin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 9.
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 Grandin from natural hazards, strong wind is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grandin and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Grandin in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Grandin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grandin, ND | −1° | 82° | 23" | 41" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Litchfield, MN | 4° | 82° | 28" | 41" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
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 Grandin averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Grandin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grandin’s place among North Dakota’s.
Grandin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grandin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Georgetown 1 E, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −1° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 5 | −5° – 23° |
| February | 22° | 3° | 0.6" | 7.5" | 6 | −1° – 27° |
| March | 36° | 18° | 1.0" | 5.7" | 5 | 17° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 1.4" | 4.7" | 5 | 33° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 82° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 62° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 47° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 55° | 35° | 2.1" | 1.4" | 6 | 37° – 51° |
| November | 37° | 20° | 0.8" | 3.5" | 5 | 17° – 41° |
| December | 23° | 7° | 0.7" | 10.2" | 7 | 1° – 24° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 23.0" | 40.9" | 76 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Grandin’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 Grandin’s center.
- Snow: Georgetown 1 E, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hillsboro 3 N, ND, 14 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 Grandin’s climate
What is the weather like in Grandin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 40 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grandin in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 44 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How much snow does Grandin get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Georgetown 1 E, MN, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Grandin?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Hillsboro 3 N, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Grandin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 158 frost-free days, at Hillsboro 3 N, ND.
What growing zone is Grandin 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 Grandin?
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 Grandin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grandin.
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.