Grassy Butte Post Office · Photo: Jack Boucher · Public domainFew U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Killdeer
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 91% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in January. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Killdeer at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Killdeer’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Killdeer’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Killdeer feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 124 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Killdeer, ND, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Killdeer’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 Killdeer, ND, falls mostly in January, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 98 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Killdeer
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 Killdeer, ND.
Living with Killdeer’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
124 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 21 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Killdeer from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (26%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Killdeer and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Killdeer yet.
Climates most like Killdeer’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killdeer, ND | 4° | 83° | 18" | 39" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Moorhead, MN | 0° | 82° | 25" | 51" |
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 Killdeer averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Killdeer compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Killdeer’s place among North Dakota’s.
Killdeer weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Killdeer’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Killdeer, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 4° | 0.4" | 6.7" | 7 | 27 | 3° – 28° |
| February | 28° | 8° | 0.4" | 5.8" | 6 | 21 | −3° – 30° |
| March | 41° | 18° | 0.7" | 6.7" | 7 | 16 | 15° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.3" | 4.9" | 8 | 4 | 34° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.8" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 83° | 55° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 43° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.4" | 1.8" | 8 | 2 | 34° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 19° | 0.6" | 4.8" | 5 | 7 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 28° | 8° | 0.5" | 7.2" | 7 | 17 | 5° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 30° | 17.5" | 39.2" | 98 | 94 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -3° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Killdeer’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 Killdeer’s center.
- Snow: Killdeer, ND (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Killdeer, ND, 0.7 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 Killdeer’s climate
What is the weather like in Killdeer?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 142 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Killdeer in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 34 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Killdeer get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Killdeer, ND, most of it in January, March and December, with snow on the ground about 94 days a year.
How hot does it get in Killdeer?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 55°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Killdeer, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Killdeer?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 124 frost-free days, at Killdeer, ND.
What growing zone is Killdeer in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Killdeer?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Killdeer getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Killdeer.
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.