Photo: In memoriam afiler · CC BY-SA 2.0Maddock has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 80°. Only 83° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Maddock at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maddock’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maddock’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Maddock feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Minnewaukan, ND, 15 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maddock’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fessenden, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 52 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Maddock
97% 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 Minnewaukan, ND.
Living with Maddock’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 55% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maddock from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maddock and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Maddock yet.
Climates most like Maddock’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maddock, ND | −3° | 80° | 19" | 34" |
| Thief River Falls, MN | −4° | 79° | 22" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Sidney, MT | 4° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
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 Maddock averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Maddock compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maddock’s place among North Dakota’s.
Maddock weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maddock’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fessenden, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −3° | 0.4" | 7.5" | 4 | −7° – 25° |
| February | 21° | 2° | 0.4" | 5.2" | 4 | −5° – 25° |
| March | 34° | 15° | 0.6" | 4.6" | 3 | 12° – 39° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.1" | 1.8" | 4 | 27° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.1" | 7 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 80° | 53° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 59° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 44° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 1.4" | 0.6" | 3 | 33° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 17° | 0.6" | 4.5" | 2 | 11° – 39° |
| December | 22° | 4° | 0.5" | 9.2" | 3 | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 51° | 28° | 18.6" | 33.5" | 52 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Maddock’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 Maddock’s center.
- Snow: Fessenden, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Minnewaukan, ND, 15 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Maddock’s climate
What is the weather like in Maddock?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −3°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 20 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maddock in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 54 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −7°.
How much snow does Maddock get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Fessenden, ND, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Maddock?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Minnewaukan, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Maddock?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 138 frost-free days, at Minnewaukan, ND.
What growing zone is Maddock in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Maddock?
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 Maddock getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Maddock.
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.