Valley City Municipal Auditorium · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Valley City
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 89% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Valley City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Valley City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Valley City’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Valley City 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 13 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valley City 3 Nnw, ND, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Valley City’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 22 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Valley City
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 Valley City 3 Nnw, ND.
Living with Valley City’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 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, July, August and September. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Valley City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Valley City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Valley City yet.
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 Valley City averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Valley City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Valley City’s place among North Dakota’s.
Valley City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Valley City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | −1° | 0.5" | −5° – 24° |
| February | 23° | 3° | 0.5" | −2° – 26° |
| March | 36° | 17° | 0.9" | 15° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 1.3" | 32° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 42° | 3.1" | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 3.7" | 59° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 3.4" | 63° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 55° | 2.6" | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.5" | 53° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 33° | 1.9" | 36° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 19° | 0.7" | 15° – 40° |
| December | 24° | 6° | 0.7" | 2° – 24° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 21.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -5° to 24°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Valley City’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 Valley City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valley City 3 Nnw, ND, 2.4 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 Valley City’s climate
What is the weather like in Valley City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to −1°. Colder January nights than all but 36 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Valley City in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 51 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −5°.
How hot does it get in Valley City?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Valley City 3 Nnw, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Valley City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 136 frost-free days, at Valley City 3 Nnw, ND.
What growing zone is Valley City 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 Valley City?
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 Valley City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Valley City.
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.