Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Martin
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 81°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 91% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 66–81°.
A year in Martin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Martin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Martin’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Martin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Harvey 4ne, ND, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Martin’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 18 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Martin
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 Harvey 4ne, ND.
Living with Martin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Martin from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (26%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Martin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Martin 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 Martin averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Martin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Martin’s place among North Dakota’s.
Martin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Martin’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | 0° | 0.4" | −6° – 27° |
| February | 22° | 4° | 0.4" | −3° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 16° | 0.6" | 13° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.1" | 28° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.7" | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.6" | 58° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 2.8" | 62° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 54° | 2.1" | 60° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 44° | 1.8" | 52° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 1.4" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 36° | 18° | 0.6" | 12° – 39° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.6" | 2° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 29° | 18.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Martin’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 Martin’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Harvey 4ne, ND, 11 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 Martin’s climate
What is the weather like in Martin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 0°. Colder January nights than all but 41 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Martin in winter?
January nights average 0°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 46 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How hot does it get in Martin?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Harvey 4ne, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Martin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 135 frost-free days, at Harvey 4ne, ND.
What growing zone is Martin 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 Martin?
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 Martin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Martin.
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.