Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Loraine has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 80°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 81°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 92% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Loraine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Loraine’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Loraine’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Loraine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mohall, ND, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Loraine’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 17 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 Loraine
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 Mohall, ND.
Living with Loraine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 17 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: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 57% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Loraine from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Loraine and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Loraine 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 Loraine averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Loraine compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Loraine’s place among North Dakota’s.
Loraine weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Loraine’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −1° | 0.5" | −5° – 26° |
| February | 22° | 3° | 0.4" | −7° – 26° |
| March | 34° | 15° | 0.7" | 11° – 37° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.0" | 28° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.3" | 47° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.7" | 59° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 2.5" | 61° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 53° | 1.9" | 60° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 44° | 1.6" | 51° – 63° |
| October | 53° | 31° | 1.2" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 17° | 0.6" | 13° – 37° |
| December | 21° | 5° | 0.6" | 1° – 25° |
| Year | 51° | 29° | 16.9" |
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 Loraine’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 Loraine’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mohall, ND, 8 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 Loraine’s climate
What is the weather like in Loraine?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −1°. Colder January nights than all but 38 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Loraine in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 197 nights a year reach 32° or below and 53 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How hot does it get in Loraine?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Mohall, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Loraine?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 127 frost-free days, at Mohall, ND.
What growing zone is Loraine 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 Loraine?
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 Loraine getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Loraine.
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.