Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Jud
July afternoons average 81°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 89% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Jud at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jud’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jud’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Jud feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Edgeley 3wnw, ND, 12 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jud’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. 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 21 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Jud
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 Edgeley 3wnw, ND.
Living with Jud’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jud from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jud and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Jud yet.
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 Jud averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Jud compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jud’s place among North Dakota’s.
Jud weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jud’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 0.5" | −2° – 26° |
| February | 24° | 6° | 0.6" | −1° – 27° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 0.9" | 16° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 1.5" | 31° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.1" | 49° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 3.4" | 59° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.4" | 62° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.4" | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.3" | 52° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 33° | 1.8" | 35° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 20° | 0.6" | 16° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 8° | 0.6" | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 21.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Jud’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 Jud’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Edgeley 3wnw, ND, 12 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; 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 Jud’s climate
What is the weather like in Jud?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°. Colder January nights than all but 83 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jud in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 177 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 −2°.
How hot does it get in Jud?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Edgeley 3wnw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Jud?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 148 frost-free days, at Edgeley 3wnw, ND.
What growing zone is Jud in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jud?
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 Jud getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jud.
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.