Red Lake Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
July afternoons average 81°. June is the wettest month, January the driest. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 89% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 13; in half of years the first frost comes by September 28.
A year in Red Lake Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Red Lake Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Red Lake Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Red Lake Township 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 13 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Napoleon, ND, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Red Lake Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Napoleon, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January 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 Red Lake 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 Napoleon, ND.
Living with Red Lake Township’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 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 22 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 54% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Red Lake Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Red Lake Township and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Red Lake Township yet.
Climates most like Red Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lake Township, ND | 2° | 81° | 20" | 53" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
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 Red Lake Township averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Red Lake Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Red Lake Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Red Lake Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Red Lake Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Napoleon, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 0.5" | 9.6" | 7 | 30 | −1° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 6 | 26 | −2° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 17° | 0.8" | 9.2" | 6 | 20 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.5" | 5.7" | 7 | 5 | 31° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 54° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 45° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 32° | 1.7" | 2.5" | 7 | 2 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 19° | 0.6" | 6.6" | 5 | 11 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 8° | 0.6" | 11.0" | 6 | 25 | 4° – 24° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 20.4" | 53.2" | 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 -2° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Red Lake 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 Red Lake Township’s center.
- Snow: Napoleon, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Napoleon, ND, 10 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 Red Lake Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Red Lake Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 74 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Red Lake Township in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 43 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Red Lake Township get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Napoleon, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 119 days a year.
How hot does it get in Red Lake Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 57°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Napoleon, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Red Lake Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 136 frost-free days, at Napoleon, ND.
What growing zone is Red Lake Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Red Lake 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 Red Lake Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Red Lake 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.