Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Maxbass
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 91% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 14; in half of years the first frost comes by September 25.
A year in Maxbass at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maxbass’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maxbass’ place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Maxbass feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Westhope, ND, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maxbass’ center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −32°. 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Upham 3 N, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February 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 Maxbass
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 Westhope, ND.
Living with Maxbass’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 14 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 42% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maxbass from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maxbass and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Maxbass in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Maxbass’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxbass, ND | −1° | 81° | 17" | 49" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Maxbass averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
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 Maxbass compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maxbass’ place among North Dakota’s.
Maxbass weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maxbass’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Upham 3 N, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −1° | 0.5" | 8.7" | 7 | 31 | −5° – 26° |
| February | 22° | 3° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 6 | 28 | −6° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 16° | 0.7" | 7.0" | 7 | 24 | 12° – 38° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.0" | 4.4" | 6 | 5 | 28° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.4" | 1.4" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 32° | 1.3" | 2.7" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 17° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 7 | 14 | 14° – 38° |
| December | 22° | 5° | 0.6" | 10.6" | 8 | 28 | 0° – 25° |
| Year | 51° | 29° | 17.4" | 49.4" | 95 | 132 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Maxbass’ 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 Maxbass’ center.
- Snow: Upham 3 N, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Westhope, ND, 14 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 Maxbass’ climate
What is the weather like in Maxbass?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −1°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 36 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maxbass in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 190 nights a year reach 32° or below and 50 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How much snow does Maxbass get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Upham 3 N, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 132 days a year.
How hot does it get in Maxbass?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Westhope, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Maxbass?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 133 frost-free days, at Westhope, ND.
What growing zone is Maxbass in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Maxbass?
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 Maxbass 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 Maxbass.
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.