Meadow Lake Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 81°. Only 81° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 89% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Meadow Lake Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Meadow Lake Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Meadow Lake Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Meadow Lake Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jamestown State Hosp, ND, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Meadow Lake Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Litchville 2nw, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Meadow Lake Township
95% 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 Jamestown State Hosp, ND.
Living with Meadow Lake Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 8 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. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 43% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Meadow Lake Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Meadow Lake Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Meadow Lake Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Meadow Lake Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow Lake Township, ND | 0° | 81° | 21" | 47" |
| Alexandria, MN | 1° | 80° | 27" | 46" |
| Brookings, SD | 5° | 82° | 27" | 36" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Meadow Lake Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
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 Meadow Lake Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Meadow Lake Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Meadow Lake Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Meadow Lake Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Litchville 2nw, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 0° | 0.5" | 9.4" | 5 | 28 | −4° – 25° |
| February | 24° | 4° | 0.5" | 8.2" | 5 | 25 | −2° – 26° |
| March | 37° | 17° | 0.9" | 7.6" | 5 | 20 | 15° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 1.4" | 3.7" | 6 | 5 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 33° | 1.9" | 1.1" | 5 | 0 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 19° | 0.6" | 5.9" | 5 | 9 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 24° | 7° | 0.6" | 11.2" | 5 | 21 | 2° – 24° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 21.4" | 47.2" | 72 | 108 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Meadow Lake Township’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 Meadow Lake Township’s center.
- Snow: Litchville 2nw, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jamestown State Hosp, ND, 18 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 Meadow Lake Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Meadow Lake Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 0°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 52 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Meadow Lake Township in winter?
January nights average 0°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 41 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −4°.
How much snow does Meadow Lake Township get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Litchville 2nw, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 108 days a year.
How hot does it get in Meadow Lake Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Jamestown State Hosp, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Meadow Lake Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 143 frost-free days, at Jamestown State Hosp, ND.
What growing zone is Meadow Lake Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Meadow Lake Township?
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 Meadow Lake Township 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 Meadow Lake Township.
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.