Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Twelve Mile Township
Midsummer highs settle at about 83°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 93% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.8° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about May 21; in half of years the first frost comes by September 21.
A year in Twelve Mile Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Twelve Mile Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Twelve Mile Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Twelve Mile Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Williston Sloulin International Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Twelve Mile 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Williston Sloulin International Airport, 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 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Twelve Mile Township
95% 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 Sloulin International Airport.
Living with Twelve Mile Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 21 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 64 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Twelve Mile Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Twelve Mile Township and its neighbors
Pherrin Township has the coldest January nights next door (2°, 2° colder) and Stony Creek Township the hottest July afternoons (84°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Twelve Mile 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twelve Mile Township, ND | 4° | 83° | 15" | 48" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Moorhead, MN | 0° | 82° | 25" | 51" |
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 Twelve Mile Township averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Twelve Mile Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Twelve Mile Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Twelve Mile Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Twelve Mile Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Williston Sloulin International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 4° | 0.5" | 11.2" | 8 | 28 | 2° – 28° |
| February | 27° | 7° | 0.4" | 6.7" | 7 | 21 | −4° – 31° |
| March | 40° | 18° | 0.6" | 6.4" | 7 | 15 | 14° – 42° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.1" | 3.7" | 8 | 2 | 34° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.2" | 0.9" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| July | 83° | 56° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 54° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 44° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 32° | 1.0" | 2.6" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 19° | 0.6" | 6.3" | 7 | 10 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 26° | 8° | 0.5" | 10.4" | 9 | 20 | 6° – 26° |
| Year | 53° | 30° | 15.4" | 48.2" | 100 | 97 |
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°. May is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Twelve Mile 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 Twelve Mile Township’s center.
- Snow: Williston Sloulin International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Williston Sloulin International Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Twelve Mile Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Twelve Mile Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 142 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Twelve Mile Township in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 42 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 2°.
How much snow does Twelve Mile Township get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Williston Sloulin International Airport, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 97 days a year.
How hot does it get in Twelve Mile Township?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 56°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Williston Sloulin International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Twelve Mile Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 123 frost-free days, at Williston Sloulin International Airport.
What growing zone is Twelve Mile 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 Twelve Mile 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 Twelve Mile Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Twelve Mile 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.