Rutland sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in February. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Rutland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rutland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rutland’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Rutland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Forman 5 Sse, ND, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rutland’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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Britton, SD, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rutland
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Forman 5 Sse, ND.
Living with Rutland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 7 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rutland from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rutland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rutland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rutland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutland, ND | 2° | 82° | 24" | 45" |
| Litchfield, MN | 4° | 82° | 28" | 41" |
| Brandon, SD | 7° | 84° | 28" | 49" |
| Spirit Lake, IA | 7° | 83° | 31" | 42" |
| 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 Rutland averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Rutland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rutland’s place among North Dakota’s.
Rutland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rutland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Britton, SD. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 0.6" | 8.3" | 5 | −3° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.6" | 9.8" | 5 | 0° – 28° |
| March | 38° | 19° | 1.0" | 6.1" | 5 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 1.8" | 5.1" | 7 | 32° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 35° | 2.2" | 1.2" | 7 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 39° | 21° | 0.8" | 5.1" | 5 | 18° – 41° |
| December | 25° | 9° | 0.7" | 9.8" | 5 | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 32° | 23.7" | 45.4" | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rutland’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 Rutland’s center.
- Snow: Britton, SD.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Forman 5 Sse, ND, 4 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 Rutland’s climate
What is the weather like in Rutland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 79 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rutland in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 42 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −3°.
How much snow does Rutland get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Britton, SD, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Rutland?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Forman 5 Sse, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Rutland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 146 frost-free days, at Forman 5 Sse, ND.
What growing zone is Rutland 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 Rutland?
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 Rutland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rutland.
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.