Our Savior's Scandinavian Lutheran Church · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Spencer Township sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 80°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in January. Plan time outside from June to September, when highs sit at 69–80°.
A year in Spencer Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spencer Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spencer Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Spencer Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 129 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kenmare 1 Wsw, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spencer Township’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 18 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 Spencer 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 Kenmare 1 Wsw, ND.
Living with Spencer Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 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 23.
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 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spencer Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spencer Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Spencer Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Spencer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Township, ND | 1° | 80° | 18" | 47" |
| Crookston, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| 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 Spencer Township averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Spencer Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spencer Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Spencer Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spencer Township’s 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 | 18° | 1° | 0.5" | 7.6" | 9 | 29 | −4° – 27° |
| February | 22° | 4° | 0.5" | 7.1" | 8 | 25 | −6° – 27° |
| March | 35° | 16° | 0.7" | 7.5" | 8 | 21 | 12° – 39° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.1" | 4.6" | 9 | 6 | 28° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.5" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 73° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 53° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| September | 69° | 43° | 1.8" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 52° | 31° | 1.3" | 3.8" | 9 | 3 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 34° | 17° | 0.7" | 5.1" | 8 | 13 | 14° – 37° |
| December | 22° | 6° | 0.6" | 10.2" | 9 | 27 | 2° – 25° |
| Year | 50° | 28° | 17.9" | 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 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Spencer 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 Spencer Township’s center.
- Snow: Stanley 3 Nnw, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kenmare 1 Wsw, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, 410 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 Spencer Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Spencer Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 65 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spencer Township in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 193 nights a year reach 32° or below and 48 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −4°.
How much snow does Spencer Township 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 Spencer Township?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 55°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Kenmare 1 Wsw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Spencer Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 129 frost-free days, at Kenmare 1 Wsw, ND.
What growing zone is Spencer Township in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Spencer 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 Spencer Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spencer 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.