Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Ross sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Sunny July days climb to about 81°. Only 80° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 91% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Ross at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ross’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ross’ place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Ross feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stanley 3 Nnw, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ross’ center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stanley 3 Nnw, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ross
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 Stanley 3 Nnw, ND.
Living with Ross’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 17 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ross from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ross and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ross yet.
Climates most like Ross’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross, ND | 1° | 81° | 17" | 47" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| 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 Ross averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Ross compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ross’ place among North Dakota’s.
Ross weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ross’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stanley 3 Nnw, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 1° | 0.5" | 7.6" | 9 | 29 | −2° – 26° |
| February | 24° | 4° | 0.4" | 7.1" | 8 | 25 | −6° – 28° |
| March | 36° | 16° | 0.6" | 7.5" | 8 | 21 | 13° – 39° |
| April | 53° | 28° | 1.1" | 4.6" | 9 | 6 | 30° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.3" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 52° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 53° | 30° | 1.1" | 3.8" | 9 | 3 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 36° | 17° | 0.6" | 5.1" | 8 | 13 | 14° – 39° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.6" | 10.2" | 9 | 27 | 3° – 25° |
| Year | 51° | 28° | 17.0" | 47.4" | 114 | 125 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Ross’ 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 Ross’ center.
- Snow: Stanley 3 Nnw, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stanley 3 Nnw, ND, 7 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 Ross’ climate
What is the weather like in Ross?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 60 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ross in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 202 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 −2°.
How much snow does Ross get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Stanley 3 Nnw, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 125 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ross?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Stanley 3 Nnw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Ross?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 127 frost-free days, at Stanley 3 Nnw, ND.
What growing zone is Ross in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ross?
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 Ross getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ross.
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.