Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Medora sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 85° on average. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 93% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Tender plants can go out after about May 19; in half of years the first frost comes by September 20.
A year in Medora at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Medora’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Medora’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Medora feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Medora, ND, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Medora’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. 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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Medora, ND, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Medora
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 Medora, ND.
Living with Medora’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Medora from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Medora and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Medora yet.
Climates most like Medora’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medora, ND | 5° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Rock Springs, WY | 9° | 87° | 9" | 31" |
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 Medora averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.6°).
A smaller 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 Medora compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Medora’s place among North Dakota’s.
Medora weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Medora’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Medora, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 5° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 6 | 7° – 30° |
| February | 32° | 9° | 0.4" | 7.2" | 5 | 0° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 19° | 0.6" | 3.8" | 6 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.3" | 3.4" | 7 | 37° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.5" | 0.4" | 10 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 56° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 62° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 53° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 7 | 52° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 31° | 1.1" | 1.8" | 7 | 35° – 50° |
| November | 42° | 19° | 0.5" | 3.0" | 5 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 31° | 9° | 0.4" | 6.0" | 6 | 8° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 30° | 15.2" | 30.1" | 86 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Medora’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 Medora’s center.
- Snow: Medora, ND (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Medora, ND, 0.3 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 Medora’s climate
What is the weather like in Medora?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Medora in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 34 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 7°.
How much snow does Medora get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Medora, ND, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Medora?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 56°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Medora, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Medora?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 123 frost-free days, at Medora, ND.
What growing zone is Medora in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Medora?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Medora getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Medora.
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.