Buena Vista, ND climate
Buena Vista has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade4° cooler than normal today. The forecast high is 60°, and a typical Oct 1 in Buena Vista peaks around 64°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Buena Vista feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Buena Vista 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 | 28° | 7° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 4 | 18 | 8° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 10° | 0.4" | 5.7" | 4 | 15 | 0° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 19° | 0.7" | 5.7" | 5 | 9 | 18° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.5" | 3.7" | 7 | 3 | 34° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 49° | 2.9" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 55° | 2.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 1.6" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.5" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.4" | 2.7" | 6 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 42° | 19° | 0.5" | 4.2" | 4 | 8 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 31° | 10° | 0.4" | 4.3" | 3 | 11 | 9° – 29° |
| Year | 55° | 30° | 16.0" | 33.3" | 72 | 66 |
“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 Buena Vista
Buena Vista gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 66 days of the year.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first one by September 25. That leaves about 132 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 94% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Buena Vista
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Buena Vista, 96% of that work is heating and 4% 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.
Buena Vista and its neighbors
Buena Vista borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Cedar Creek has both the coldest January nights (6°) and the hottest July afternoons (84°). Buena Vista’s January low is 7° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°). The shift is larger than in 55% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Buena Vista’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 0° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Buena Vista’s climate
What is the coldest month in Buena Vista?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 7°.
What is the hottest month in Buena Vista?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 55°. About 21 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Buena Vista get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Buena Vista?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 25, and the last spring frost by May 16.
What is the rainiest month in Buena Vista?
June, with 2.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Buena Vista itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Reeder, ND (11 mi, snow) and Bowman, ND (15 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.