Sibley Butte Township has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 90% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Sibley Butte Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sibley Butte Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sibley Butte Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Sibley Butte Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Steele 4n, ND, 20 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sibley Butte 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 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bismarck, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sibley Butte 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 Steele 4n, ND.
Living with Sibley Butte Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 15 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 28 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 31% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sibley Butte Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sibley Butte Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Sibley Butte Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sibley Butte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sibley Butte Township, ND | 1° | 82° | 18" | 51" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
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 Sibley Butte Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Sibley Butte Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sibley Butte Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Sibley Butte Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sibley Butte Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bismarck, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 1° | 0.5" | 8.9" | 8 | 26 | −2° – 26° |
| February | 25° | 5° | 0.4" | 7.5" | 8 | 21 | −3° – 28° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 0.8" | 8.5" | 8 | 13 | 17° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.3" | 4.6" | 8 | 3 | 33° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.6" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 55° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 32° | 1.4" | 2.5" | 7 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 19° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 7 | 9 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 25° | 7° | 0.6" | 10.1" | 8 | 19 | 5° – 26° |
| Year | 53° | 30° | 18.4" | 50.5" | 100 | 92 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -3° to 28°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Sibley Butte 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 Sibley Butte Township’s center.
- Snow: Bismarck, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Steele 4n, ND, 20 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 Sibley Butte Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Sibley Butte Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 69 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sibley Butte Township in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 187 nights a year reach 32° or below and 41 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How much snow does Sibley Butte Township get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Bismarck, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 92 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sibley Butte Township?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 57°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Steele 4n, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Sibley Butte Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 133 frost-free days, at Steele 4n, ND.
What growing zone is Sibley Butte 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 Sibley Butte 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 Sibley Butte Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sibley Butte 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.