Mouse River Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
July afternoons average 81°. A year here swings 83° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 91% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Mouse River Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mouse River Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mouse River Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Mouse River Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Upham 3 N, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mouse River Township’s 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 18 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 Mouse River Township
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 Upham 3 N, ND.
Living with Mouse River Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 15 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. 44 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mouse River Township from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (26%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mouse River Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Mouse River Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Mouse River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse River Township, ND | −3° | 81° | 18" | 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 Mouse River Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Mouse River Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mouse River Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Mouse River Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mouse River Township’s 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° | −3° | 0.5" | 8.7" | 7 | 31 | −6° – 25° |
| February | 22° | 2° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 6 | 28 | −6° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 15° | 0.7" | 7.0" | 7 | 24 | 12° – 38° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.0" | 4.4" | 6 | 5 | 28° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.4" | 1.4" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 53° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 1.4" | 2.7" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 17° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 7 | 14 | 13° – 39° |
| December | 22° | 4° | 0.6" | 10.6" | 8 | 28 | 0° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 28° | 18.0" | 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 Mouse River 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 Mouse River Township’s center.
- Snow: Upham 3 N, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Upham 3 N, ND, 7 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 Mouse River Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Mouse River Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −3°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 20 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mouse River Township in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 199 nights a year reach 32° or below and 56 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How much snow does Mouse River Township 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 Mouse River Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Upham 3 N, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Mouse River Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 132 frost-free days, at Upham 3 N, ND.
What growing zone is Mouse River Township 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 Mouse River 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 Mouse River Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mouse River 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.