Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Rugh Township
Expect July afternoons of about 79°. June is the wettest month, February the driest. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 95% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Rugh Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rugh Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rugh Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Rugh Township 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 11 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Larimore 4sw, ND, 12 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rugh Township’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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Petersburg 2 N, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 71 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rugh Township
96% 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 Larimore 4sw, ND.
Living with Rugh Township’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 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 28.
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 31% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rugh Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rugh Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rugh Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rugh 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rugh Township, ND | −3° | 79° | 21" | 43" |
| Alexandria, MN | 1° | 80° | 27" | 46" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
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 Rugh Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Rugh Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rugh Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Rugh Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rugh Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Petersburg 2 N, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15° | −3° | 0.5" | 6.3" | 4 | −9° – 22° |
| February | 20° | 1° | 0.5" | 7.7" | 4 | −3° – 25° |
| March | 33° | 15° | 0.8" | 7.7" | 3 | 14° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 1.2" | 2.2" | 5 | 29° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.6" | 9 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 79° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 73° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 59° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 45° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 52° | 32° | 1.7" | 2.2" | 7 | 33° – 48° |
| November | 34° | 18° | 0.8" | 4.9" | 4 | 13° – 39° |
| December | 20° | 5° | 0.6" | 10.9" | 4 | −2° – 23° |
| Year | 49° | 29° | 21.4" | 42.5" | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -9° to 22°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rugh 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 Rugh Township’s center.
- Snow: Petersburg 2 N, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Larimore 4sw, ND, 12 miles from the town’s center, 350 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 Rugh Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Rugh Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −3°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 20 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rugh Township in winter?
January nights average −3°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 50 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −9°.
How much snow does Rugh Township get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Petersburg 2 N, ND, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Rugh Township?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 57°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Larimore 4sw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Rugh Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 139 frost-free days, at Larimore 4sw, ND.
What growing zone is Rugh Township 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 Rugh 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 Rugh Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rugh 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.