Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Watford City
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 84°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 92% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Watford City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Watford City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Watford City’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Watford City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Watford City, ND, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Watford City’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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Watford City, ND, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Watford City
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 Watford City, ND.
Living with Watford City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
139 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 5.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Watford City from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Watford City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Watford City yet.
Climates most like Watford City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watford City, ND | 4° | 84° | 16" | 50" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Moorhead, MN | 0° | 82° | 25" | 51" |
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 Watford City averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.3°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Watford City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Watford City’s place among North Dakota’s.
Watford City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Watford City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Watford City, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 4° | 0.4" | 9.5" | 7 | 28 | 3° – 29° |
| February | 28° | 7° | 0.4" | 8.2" | 6 | 20 | −3° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 18° | 0.6" | 7.3" | 7 | 15 | 15° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 29° | 1.0" | 4.2" | 8 | 3 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.4" | 1.4" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 56° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 53° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.1" | 2.9" | 7 | 2 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 19° | 0.6" | 6.8" | 6 | 10 | 17° – 39° |
| December | 27° | 8° | 0.5" | 10.1" | 7 | 20 | 6° – 26° |
| Year | 55° | 30° | 15.8" | 50.4" | 95 | 99 |
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 31°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Watford 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 Watford City’s center.
- Snow: Watford City, ND (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Watford City, ND, 1.1 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 Watford City’s climate
What is the weather like in Watford City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 137 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Watford City in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Watford City get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Watford City, ND, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 99 days a year.
How hot does it get in Watford City?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 56°. About 22 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Watford City, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Watford City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 139 frost-free days, at Watford City, ND.
What growing zone is Watford City 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 Watford City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Watford City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Watford 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.