Wolford has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 79°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 83°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 94% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Wolford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wolford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wolford’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Wolford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rolette 3se, ND, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wolford’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −32°. 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 Rugby, ND, falls mostly in January, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wolford
98% 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 Rolette 3se, ND.
Living with Wolford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 22 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 52% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wolford from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wolford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wolford yet.
Climates most like Wolford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolford, ND | −4° | 79° | 19" | 43" |
| Thief River Falls, MN | −4° | 79° | 22" | 50" |
| Watertown, SD | 2° | 81° | 25" | 41" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
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 Wolford averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Wolford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wolford’s place among North Dakota’s.
Wolford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wolford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rugby, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | −4° | 0.4" | 8.0" | 4 | −8° – 23° |
| February | 21° | 0° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 4 | −5° – 24° |
| March | 33° | 13° | 0.6" | 6.5" | 3 | 11° – 37° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 1.0" | 2.9" | 5 | 26° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.6" | 0.9" | 10 | 46° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 58° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 43° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 53° | 30° | 1.4" | 3.3" | 6 | 32° – 47° |
| November | 34° | 16° | 0.6" | 7.4" | 3 | 11° – 38° |
| December | 21° | 3° | 0.6" | 8.0" | 4 | −3° – 23° |
| Year | 49° | 27° | 18.6" | 43.4" | 76 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -8° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Wolford’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 Wolford’s center.
- Snow: Rugby, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rolette 3se, ND, 10 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 Wolford’s climate
What is the weather like in Wolford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to −4°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 14 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wolford in winter?
January nights average −4°. About 206 nights a year reach 32° or below and 62 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −8°.
How much snow does Wolford get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Rugby, ND, most of it in January, November and December.
How hot does it get in Wolford?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Rolette 3se, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Wolford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 120 frost-free days, at Rolette 3se, ND.
What growing zone is Wolford in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wolford?
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 Wolford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wolford.
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.