Bottineau, ND climate
Bottineau has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to -3°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Bottineau feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Bottineau weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | -3° | 0.5" | 9.1" | 7 | 31 | -6° – 25° |
| February | 21° | 1° | 0.5" | 6.9" | 5 | 28 | -7° – 25° |
| March | 33° | 14° | 0.7" | 7.3" | 6 | 25 | 12° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 0.9" | 4.0" | 7 | 3 | 28° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 2.3" | 1.1" | 10 | 1 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 51° | 3.8" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 79° | 55° | 2.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 53° | 2.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 69° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| October | 53° | 31° | 1.4" | 4.1" | 7 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 34° | 16° | 0.7" | 8.2" | 7 | 14 | 13° – 38° |
| December | 21° | 3° | 0.7" | 9.0" | 7 | 28 | -1° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 28° | 18.1" | 49.8" | 92 | 131 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Bottineau
Bottineau gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 131 days of the year.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first one by September 25. That leaves about 133 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 93% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Bottineau
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Bottineau, 97% of that work is heating and 3% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Bottineau and its neighbors
Bottineau borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Pickering has both the coldest January nights (-3°) and the hottest July afternoons (79°). Bottineau’s January low is -3° and its July high 79°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Bottineau compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bottineau averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°). The shift is larger than in 74% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Bottineau’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from -7° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Bottineau’s climate
What is the coldest month in Bottineau?
January, with a typical high of 16° and a low of -3°.
What is the hottest month in Bottineau?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 55°. About 6 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Bottineau get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Bottineau?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 25, and the last spring frost by May 15.
What is the rainiest month in Bottineau?
June, with 3.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bottineau itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bottineau, ND (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.