Photo: Ua747sp · CC BY-SA 3.0Washburn’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Washburn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Washburn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Washburn’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Washburn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Washburn, ND, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Washburn’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Washburn, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Washburn
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 Washburn, ND.
Living with Washburn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 38% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Washburn from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Washburn and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Washburn yet.
Climates most like Washburn’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn, ND | 3° | 82° | 18" | 43" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Moorhead, MN | 0° | 82° | 25" | 51" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
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 Washburn averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Washburn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Washburn’s place among North Dakota’s.
Washburn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Washburn’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Washburn, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 3° | 0.5" | 7.2" | 4 | −1° – 28° |
| February | 25° | 7° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 5 | −2° – 30° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 0.7" | 6.9" | 5 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 1.2" | 4.1" | 5 | 33° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 2.6" | 0.9" | 10 | 49° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 82° | 55° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 55° | 33° | 1.3" | 2.4" | 5 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 20° | 0.6" | 6.6" | 4 | 17° – 41° |
| December | 26° | 9° | 0.6" | 8.6" | 5 | 5° – 28° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 17.8" | 43.1" | 74 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -2° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Washburn’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 Washburn’s center.
- Snow: Washburn, ND (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Washburn, ND, 0.3 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 Washburn’s climate
What is the weather like in Washburn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 123 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Washburn in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Washburn get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Washburn, ND, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Washburn?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 57°. About 17 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Washburn, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Washburn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 140 frost-free days, at Washburn, ND.
What growing zone is Washburn in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Washburn?
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 Washburn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Washburn.
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.