Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Ness Township
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 80° on average. Only 83° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 91% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Ness Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ness Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ness Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ness Township 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 17 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rugby, ND, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ness Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rugby, ND, falls mostly in January, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ness Township
97% 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 Rugby, ND.
Living with Ness Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 17 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 23 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 56% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ness Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ness Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ness Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ness 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ness Township, ND | −3° | 80° | 19" | 43" |
| Thief River Falls, MN | −4° | 79° | 22" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| 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 Ness Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Ness Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ness Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Ness Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ness Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rugby, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | −3° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 4 | −6° – 25° |
| February | 22° | 1° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 4 | −5° – 26° |
| March | 34° | 14° | 0.7" | 6.5" | 3 | 12° – 38° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.0" | 2.9" | 5 | 26° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.9" | 10 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 53° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 1.4" | 3.3" | 6 | 33° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 17° | 0.7" | 7.4" | 3 | 12° – 39° |
| December | 22° | 4° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 4 | 0° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 28° | 18.6" | 43.4" | 76 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ness 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 Ness Township’s center.
- Snow: Rugby, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rugby, ND, 9 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 Ness Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ness Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −3°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 18 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ness Township in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 53 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How much snow does Ness Township get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Rugby, ND, most of it in January, November and December.
How hot does it get in Ness Township?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Rugby, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Ness Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 129 frost-free days, at Rugby, ND.
What growing zone is Ness Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ness 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 Ness Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ness 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.