Photo: In memoriam afiler · CC BY-SA 2.0Mott sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Expect July afternoons of about 84°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 92% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Mott at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mott’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mott’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Mott feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 129 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mott, ND, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mott’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 17 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 Mott
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 Mott, ND.
Living with Mott’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 16 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: June, August and September. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mott from natural hazards, river flooding 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 →Mott and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Mott in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Mott averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Mott compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mott’s place among North Dakota’s.
Mott weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mott’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 5° | 0.4" | 6° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 8° | 0.4" | −1° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 19° | 0.7" | 18° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.4" | 35° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.5" | 48° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 3.1" | 59° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 56° | 2.6" | 61° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 1.8" | 63° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 44° | 1.4" | 52° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 31° | 1.4" | 37° – 49° |
| November | 41° | 19° | 0.6" | 17° – 39° |
| December | 29° | 9° | 0.4" | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 30° | 16.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Mott’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 Mott’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mott, ND, 0.1 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 Mott’s climate
What is the weather like in Mott?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 5°. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mott in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 196 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 6°.
How hot does it get in Mott?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 56°. About 30 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Mott, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Mott?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 129 frost-free days, at Mott, ND.
What growing zone is Mott in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mott?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mott getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mott.
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.