Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Lignite
High summer brings afternoon highs near 80°. Temperatures cover 81° across the year, low to high. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 92% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 20, with the first autumn frost due around September 19.
A year in Lignite at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lignite’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lignite’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Lignite feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Northgate 5 Ese, ND, 19 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lignite’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. 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 18 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lignite
98% 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 Northgate 5 Ese, ND.
Living with Lignite’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 20 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lignite from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lignite and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lignite 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 Lignite averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Lignite compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lignite’s place among North Dakota’s.
Lignite weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lignite’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −2° | 0.5" | −5° – 25° |
| February | 22° | 2° | 0.5" | −7° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 15° | 0.7" | 12° – 37° |
| April | 53° | 28° | 1.1" | 29° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.5" | 47° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 3.6" | 58° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 54° | 2.8" | 60° – 72° |
| August | 80° | 52° | 1.9" | 59° – 71° |
| September | 69° | 42° | 1.7" | 50° – 62° |
| October | 53° | 30° | 1.2" | 33° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 16° | 0.7" | 13° – 37° |
| December | 21° | 4° | 0.5" | 0° – 24° |
| Year | 50° | 27° | 17.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lignite’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 Lignite’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Northgate 5 Ese, ND, 19 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Lignite’s climate
What is the weather like in Lignite?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −2°. Colder January nights than all but 33 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lignite in winter?
January nights average −2°. About 202 nights a year reach 32° or below and 55 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How hot does it get in Lignite?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 54°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Northgate 5 Ese, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Lignite?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 121 frost-free days, at Northgate 5 Ese, ND.
What growing zone is Lignite in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lignite?
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 Lignite getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lignite.
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.