Photo: In memoriam afiler · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Turtle Lake
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 80°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 91% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 14 to September 26.
A year in Turtle Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Turtle Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Turtle Lake’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Turtle Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Turtle Lake, ND, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Turtle Lake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Turtle Lake, ND, falls mostly in January. 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 65 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Turtle Lake
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 Turtle Lake, ND.
Living with Turtle Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 14 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, July, August and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 33% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Turtle Lake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Turtle Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Turtle Lake yet.
Climates most like Turtle Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turtle Lake, ND | 2° | 82° | 18" | 44" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Sidney, MT | 4° | 85° | 15" | 30" |
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 Turtle Lake averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Turtle Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Turtle Lake’s place among North Dakota’s.
Turtle Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Turtle Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Turtle Lake, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 2° | 0.5" | 10.5" | 3 | −1° – 27° |
| February | 25° | 5° | 0.4" | 6.5" | 3 | −3° – 29° |
| March | 37° | 17° | 0.7" | 5.7" | 4 | 16° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.2" | 2.3" | 5 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 2.5" | 0.6" | 9 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 55° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 62° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 32° | 1.3" | 1.7" | 5 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 19° | 0.6" | 8.9" | 3 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 8° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 3 | 3° – 27° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 17.7" | 44.1" | 65 |
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 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Turtle Lake’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 Turtle Lake’s center.
- Snow: Turtle Lake, ND (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Turtle Lake, ND, 0.1 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 Turtle Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Turtle Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 79 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Turtle Lake in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 46 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Turtle Lake get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Turtle Lake, ND, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Turtle Lake?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 57°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Turtle Lake, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Turtle Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 136 frost-free days, at Turtle Lake, ND.
What growing zone is Turtle Lake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Turtle Lake?
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 Turtle Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Turtle Lake.
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.