Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Leal
July afternoons average 81°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 90% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Leal at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Leal’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Leal’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Leal 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 13 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valley City 3 Nnw, ND, 17 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Leal’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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jamestown State Hosp, ND, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Leal
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 Valley City 3 Nnw, ND.
Living with Leal’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 13 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: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 43% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Leal from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Leal and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Leal yet.
Climates most like Leal’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leal, ND | −1° | 81° | 21" | 46" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Alexandria, MN | 1° | 80° | 27" | 46" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Leal averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Leal compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Leal’s place among North Dakota’s.
Leal weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Leal’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jamestown State Hosp, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.5" | 11.4" | 6 | −5° – 24° |
| February | 23° | 3° | 0.5" | 7.4" | 6 | −2° – 25° |
| March | 36° | 16° | 0.8" | 6.5" | 5 | 14° – 40° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.3" | 2.5" | 8 | 31° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 3.1" | 0.4" | 12 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 62° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 45° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 32° | 1.8" | 1.9" | 7 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 37° | 19° | 0.6" | 4.2" | 6 | 15° – 39° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.6" | 11.8" | 6 | 1° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 21.3" | 46.1" | 95 |
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 24°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Leal’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 Leal’s center.
- Snow: Jamestown State Hosp, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valley City 3 Nnw, ND, 17 miles from the town’s center, 250 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 Leal’s climate
What is the weather like in Leal?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 38 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Leal in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 51 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How much snow does Leal get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Jamestown State Hosp, ND, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Leal?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Valley City 3 Nnw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Leal?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 136 frost-free days, at Valley City 3 Nnw, ND.
What growing zone is Leal 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 Leal?
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 Leal getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Leal.
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.