Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Hughes Township
Expect July afternoons of about 86°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 92% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.1° higher. Garden planting can start around May 16; autumn frost returns near September 26.
A year in Hughes Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hughes Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hughes Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Hughes Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baker Muni Airport, 18 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hughes Township’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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marmarth, ND, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; June is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 54 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hughes Township
95% 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 Baker Muni Airport.
Living with Hughes Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 and September. 28 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 53% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hughes Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hughes Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Hughes Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hughes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes Township, ND | 6° | 86° | 16" | 39" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Huron, SD | 6° | 86° | 23" | 44" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
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 Hughes Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Hughes Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hughes Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Hughes Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hughes Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marmarth, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 6° | 0.5" | 6.2" | 2 | 7° – 30° |
| February | 33° | 9° | 0.5" | 4.8" | 3 | 0° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 19° | 0.7" | 7.2" | 4 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.6" | 4.9" | 5 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 1.5" | 7 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 86° | 56° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 61° – 77° |
| August | 85° | 53° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 30° | 1.3" | 2.6" | 4 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 43° | 18° | 0.5" | 5.5" | 3 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 9° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 3 | 8° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 30° | 15.8" | 39.1" | 54 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Hughes 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 Hughes Township’s center.
- Snow: Marmarth, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baker Muni Airport, 18 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Hughes Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Hughes Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hughes Township in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Hughes Township get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Marmarth, ND, most of it in March.
How hot does it get in Hughes Township?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 56°. About 29 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Baker Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Hughes Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 132 frost-free days, at Baker Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Hughes Township 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 Hughes Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hughes Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hughes 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.