Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Ostby Township
July afternoons average 80°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 21, with the first autumn frost due around September 20.
A year in Ostby Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ostby Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ostby Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ostby Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Willow City, ND, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ostby Township’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −33°. 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 Ostby Township
98% 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 Willow City, ND.
Living with Ostby Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 21 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, July, August and September. 33 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 38% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ostby Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ostby Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ostby Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ostby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ostby Township, ND | −3° | 80° | 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 Ostby Township averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Ostby Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ostby Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Ostby Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ostby 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° | 1° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 6 | 28 | −6° – 26° |
| March | 34° | 14° | 0.7" | 7.0" | 7 | 24 | 12° – 38° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.0" | 4.4" | 6 | 5 | 27° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.5" | 1.4" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 51° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 80° | 53° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 30° | 1.4" | 2.7" | 7 | 2 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 35° | 16° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 7 | 14 | 13° – 38° |
| December | 22° | 3° | 0.6" | 10.6" | 8 | 28 | −1° – 24° |
| Year | 51° | 28° | 18.1" | 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 Ostby 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 Ostby Township’s center.
- Snow: Upham 3 N, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Willow City, ND, 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 Ostby Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ostby Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to −3°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 18 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ostby Township in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 206 nights a year reach 32° or below and 61 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −6°.
How much snow does Ostby 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 Ostby Township?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Willow City, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Ostby Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 119 frost-free days, at Willow City, ND.
What growing zone is Ostby Township in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −33°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ostby 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 Ostby Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ostby 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.