Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Hazelton sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 80°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 90% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 12; autumn frost returns near September 27.
A year in Hazelton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hazelton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hazelton’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Hazelton 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 12 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hazelton 4nw, ND, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hazelton’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hazelton 4nw, ND, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hazelton
96% 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 Hazelton 4nw, ND.
Living with Hazelton’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 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 31% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hazelton from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hazelton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hazelton yet.
Climates most like Hazelton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazelton, ND | 3° | 82° | 19" | 45" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Moorhead, MN | 0° | 82° | 25" | 51" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
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 Hazelton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Hazelton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hazelton’s place among North Dakota’s.
Hazelton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hazelton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hazelton 4nw, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 0.4" | 8.9" | 5 | 27 | −1° – 26° |
| February | 26° | 6° | 0.5" | 6.8" | 5 | 24 | −2° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 18° | 0.8" | 6.5" | 5 | 19 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 1.4" | 4.3" | 7 | 6 | 33° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 81° | 55° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 33° | 1.6" | 2.6" | 7 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 19° | 0.6" | 6.9" | 5 | 12 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 26° | 9° | 0.5" | 8.5" | 5 | 20 | 4° – 26° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 18.7" | 44.7" | 83 | 110 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Hazelton’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 Hazelton’s center.
- Snow: Hazelton 4nw, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hazelton 4nw, ND, 4 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 Hazelton’s climate
What is the weather like in Hazelton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 88 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hazelton in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 40 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Hazelton get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Hazelton 4nw, ND, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 110 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hazelton?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Hazelton 4nw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Hazelton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 136 frost-free days, at Hazelton 4nw, ND.
What growing zone is Hazelton in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hazelton?
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 Hazelton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hazelton.
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.