Ray Opera House · Photo: Andrew Filer (afiler) · CC BY-SA 2.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Ray
July afternoons average 82°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 80°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 92% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 11; autumn frost returns near September 26.
A year in Ray at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ray’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ray’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ray feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tioga 1e, ND, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ray’s center in zone 4a: 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tioga 1e, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ray
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 Tioga 1e, ND.
Living with Ray’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ray from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ray and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ray yet.
Climates most like Ray’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray, ND | 2° | 82° | 16" | 44" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
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 Ray averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ray’s place among North Dakota’s.
Ray weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ray’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tioga 1e, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 5 | 29 | 0° – 27° |
| February | 25° | 5° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 4 | 24 | −5° – 29° |
| March | 38° | 17° | 0.6" | 6.1" | 5 | 19 | 14° – 39° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.1" | 3.6" | 7 | 4 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 55° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 53° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| September | 71° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 30° | 1.0" | 3.6" | 7 | 2 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 37° | 18° | 0.6" | 7.5" | 5 | 14 | 15° – 38° |
| December | 24° | 7° | 0.6" | 10.4" | 7 | 26 | 4° – 26° |
| Year | 52° | 29° | 15.8" | 43.7" | 87 | 119 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Ray’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’s center.
- Snow: Tioga 1e, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tioga 1e, ND, 12 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 Ray’s climate
What is the weather like in Ray?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 78 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ray in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 49 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Ray get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Tioga 1e, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 119 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ray?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 55°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Tioga 1e, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Ray?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 136 frost-free days, at Tioga 1e, ND.
What growing zone is Ray in?
Zone 4a 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 Ray?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ray getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ray.
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.