Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Ray Township
Midsummer highs settle at about 81°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 89% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Ray Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ray Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ray Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ray Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Edgeley 3wnw, ND, 5 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ray Township’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 21 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 Ray Township
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 Edgeley 3wnw, ND.
Living with Ray Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 7 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 30 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ray Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ray Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ray Township 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 Ray Township averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller 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 Ray Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ray Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Ray Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ray Township’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 0.5" | −2° – 26° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.6" | −1° – 27° |
| March | 37° | 18° | 1.0" | 17° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 1.6" | 31° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 3.1" | 50° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 3.5" | 59° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.4" | 62° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.4" | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.3" | 52° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 1.8" | 36° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 20° | 0.6" | 16° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 9° | 0.6" | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 52° | 31° | 21.4" |
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 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ray 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 Ray Township’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Edgeley 3wnw, ND, 5 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; 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 Ray Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Ray Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°. Colder January nights than all but 87 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ray Township in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 40 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How hot does it get in Ray Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Edgeley 3wnw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Ray Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 148 frost-free days, at Edgeley 3wnw, ND.
What growing zone is Ray Township in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ray 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 Ray Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ray 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.