Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Smoky Butte Township
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 81° on average. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 93% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.6° rise. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Smoky Butte Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smoky Butte Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smoky Butte Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Smoky Butte Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fortuna 1 W, ND, 19 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smoky Butte Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Crosby, ND, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Smoky Butte Township
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 Fortuna 1 W, ND.
Living with Smoky Butte Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 31 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 34% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smoky Butte Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smoky Butte Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Smoky 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 Smoky 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Butte Township, ND | 0° | 81° | 15" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
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 Smoky Butte Township averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger 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 Smoky Butte Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smoky Butte Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Smoky Butte Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smoky Butte Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Crosby, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 0° | 0.5" | 8.8" | 6 | 27 | −2° – 26° |
| February | 24° | 4° | 0.4" | 4.6" | 4 | 23 | −6° – 28° |
| March | 37° | 16° | 0.6" | 5.2" | 6 | 19 | 13° – 39° |
| April | 54° | 28° | 1.1" | 3.3" | 6 | 3 | 30° – 47° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.2" | 1.1" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 52° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| September | 71° | 42° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 29° | 1.0" | 3.1" | 6 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 36° | 16° | 0.5" | 5.6" | 5 | 10 | 13° – 38° |
| December | 24° | 5° | 0.6" | 9.0" | 6 | 24 | 2° – 25° |
| Year | 52° | 28° | 15.3" | 40.7" | 81 | 108 |
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 Smoky 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 Smoky Butte Township’s center.
- Snow: Crosby, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fortuna 1 W, ND, 19 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Smoky Butte Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Smoky Butte Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 0°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 47 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smoky Butte Township in winter?
January nights average 0°. About 204 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 Smoky Butte Township get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Crosby, ND, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 108 days a year.
How hot does it get in Smoky Butte Township?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Fortuna 1 W, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Smoky Butte Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 121 frost-free days, at Fortuna 1 W, ND.
What growing zone is Smoky Butte Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Smoky Butte Township?
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 Smoky Butte Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Smoky 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.