Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Robinson has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 81°. Winter and summer sit 82° apart. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Robinson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Robinson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Robinson’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Robinson 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, 13 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Robinson’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 Robinson
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 Robinson’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 Robinson from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Robinson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Robinson 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 Robinson averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
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 Robinson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Robinson’s place among North Dakota’s.
Robinson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Robinson’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.5" | −4° – 24° |
| February | 23° | 4° | 0.4" | −4° – 26° |
| March | 36° | 16° | 0.7" | 15° – 40° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.2" | 31° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.7" | 48° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 3.3" | 58° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 57° | 3.1" | 62° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 2.3" | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 45° | 1.8" | 52° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 32° | 1.4" | 35° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 18° | 0.6" | 15° – 38° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.6" | 3° – 23° |
| Year | 52° | 29° | 18.5" |
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 Robinson’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 Robinson’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tuttle 12nne, ND, 13 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Robinson’s climate
What is the weather like in Robinson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to −1°. Colder January nights than all but 38 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Robinson 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 −4°.
How hot does it get in Robinson?
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 Robinson?
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 Robinson 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 Robinson?
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 Robinson 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 Robinson.
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.