Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Pettibone has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 90% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.9°, most of all in January. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Pettibone at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pettibone’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pettibone’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Pettibone feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tuttle 12nne, ND, 23 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pettibone’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 19 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pettibone
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 Tuttle 12nne, ND.
Living with Pettibone’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 41% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pettibone from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pettibone and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pettibone yet.
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 Pettibone averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Pettibone compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pettibone’s place among North Dakota’s.
Pettibone weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pettibone’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.5" | −5° – 25° |
| February | 23° | 4° | 0.5" | −4° – 26° |
| March | 36° | 16° | 0.7" | 14° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 1.2" | 30° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.8" | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.3" | 58° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 3.2" | 62° – 74° |
| August | 80° | 54° | 2.3" | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 45° | 1.9" | 52° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 32° | 1.5" | 35° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 18° | 0.6" | 14° – 38° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.7" | 2° – 23° |
| Year | 51° | 29° | 19.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Pettibone’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 Pettibone’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tuttle 12nne, ND, 23 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft higher; 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 Pettibone’s climate
What is the weather like in Pettibone?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −1°. Colder January nights than all but 40 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pettibone in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 45 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How hot does it get in Pettibone?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Tuttle 12nne, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Pettibone?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 139 frost-free days, at Tuttle 12nne, ND.
What growing zone is Pettibone in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pettibone?
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 Pettibone getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pettibone.
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.