Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Williston Township
Expect July afternoons of about 84°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 93% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Garden planting can start around May 21; autumn frost returns near September 21.
A year in Williston Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Williston Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Williston Township’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Williston 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, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Williston Township’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 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 Williston 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 Williston 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. 7.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Williston Township from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Williston Township and its neighbors
Trenton Township the hottest July afternoons (85°, 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 Williston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williston Township, ND | 2° | 84° | 15" | 48" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| 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 Williston Township averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Williston Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Williston Township’s place among North Dakota’s.
Williston Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Williston 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° | 2° | 0.5" | 11.2" | 8 | 28 | 1° – 28° |
| February | 27° | 6° | 0.4" | 6.7" | 7 | 21 | −4° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 18° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 7 | 15 | 14° – 42° |
| April | 56° | 29° | 1.1" | 3.7" | 8 | 2 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 2.2" | 0.9" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 56° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 0.9" | 2.6" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 18° | 0.5" | 6.3" | 7 | 10 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 26° | 7° | 0.5" | 10.4" | 9 | 20 | 5° – 26° |
| Year | 54° | 30° | 14.7" | 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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Williston 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 Williston Township’s center.
- Snow: Williston Sloulin International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Williston Sloulin International Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Williston Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Williston Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 85 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Williston Township in winter?
January nights average 2°. 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 1°.
How much snow does Williston 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 Williston Township?
July, with a typical high of 84° 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 Williston 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 Williston Township 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 Williston 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 Williston Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Williston 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.