Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Trenton
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 94% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.9° higher. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 69–77°, belongs to May, June and September.
A year in Trenton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Trenton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Trenton’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Trenton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Williston Exp Farm, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Trenton’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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Williston Exp Farm, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Trenton
94% 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 Williston Exp Farm, ND.
Living with Trenton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 36% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Trenton from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Trenton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Trenton yet.
Climates most like Trenton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton, ND | 2° | 85° | 14" | 39" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Green River, WY | 9° | 87° | 9" | 39" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Trenton averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 Trenton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Trenton’s place among North Dakota’s.
Trenton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Trenton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Williston Exp Farm, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 2° | 0.4" | 7.9" | 6 | 25 | 2° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 7° | 0.3" | 6.3" | 4 | 20 | −4° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 18° | 0.5" | 4.4" | 5 | 12 | 15° – 44° |
| April | 58° | 30° | 1.0" | 2.9" | 7 | 2 | 36° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 41° | 2.3" | 0.9" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 85° | 56° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 85° | 54° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 31° | 0.9" | 2.6" | 6 | 2 | 35° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 18° | 0.5" | 5.3" | 5 | 8 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 27° | 7° | 0.4" | 9.0" | 6 | 21 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 30° | 14.2" | 39.3" | 85 | 91 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Trenton’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 Trenton’s center.
- Snow: Williston Exp Farm, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Williston Exp Farm, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Trenton’s climate
What is the weather like in Trenton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 87 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Trenton in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 34 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Trenton get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Williston Exp Farm, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 91 days a year.
How hot does it get in Trenton?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 56°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Williston Exp Farm, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Trenton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 135 frost-free days, at Williston Exp Farm, ND.
What growing zone is Trenton 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 Trenton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Trenton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Trenton.
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.