Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than White Earth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 81° on average. June is the wettest month here, with about 7.8 times the rain of February. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 92% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in White Earth at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White Earth’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with White Earth’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in White Earth 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 11 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tioga 1e, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts White Earth’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. 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 Tioga 1e, ND, falls mostly in 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 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in White Earth
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 Tioga 1e, ND.
Living with White Earth’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 11 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: June, July, August and September. 2.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in White Earth from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →White Earth and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of White Earth in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like White Earth’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Earth, ND | 1° | 81° | 16" | 44" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
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 White Earth averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 White Earth compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with White Earth’s place among North Dakota’s.
White Earth weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at White Earth’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tioga 1e, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | 1° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 5 | 29 | −2° – 26° |
| February | 24° | 5° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 4 | 24 | −6° – 29° |
| March | 37° | 16° | 0.6" | 6.1" | 5 | 19 | 14° – 39° |
| April | 54° | 28° | 1.1" | 3.6" | 7 | 4 | 30° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 53° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 30° | 1.1" | 3.6" | 7 | 2 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 36° | 17° | 0.6" | 7.5" | 5 | 14 | 15° – 39° |
| December | 23° | 6° | 0.6" | 10.4" | 7 | 26 | 3° – 25° |
| Year | 52° | 28° | 16.4" | 43.7" | 87 | 119 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -6° to 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where White Earth’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 White Earth’s center.
- Snow: Tioga 1e, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tioga 1e, ND, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 White Earth’s climate
What is the weather like in White Earth?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 56 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in White Earth in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 49 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −2°.
How much snow does White Earth get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Tioga 1e, ND, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 119 days a year.
How hot does it get in White Earth?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Tioga 1e, ND).
When is the first and last frost in White Earth?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 136 frost-free days, at Tioga 1e, ND.
What growing zone is White Earth in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit White Earth?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is White Earth getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White Earth.
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.