Chain Lakes, ND climate
Chain Lakes has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to -3°.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Chain Lakes feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Chain Lakes weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | -3° | 0.4" | -7° – 23° |
| February | 21° | 1° | 0.4" | -5° – 25° |
| March | 33° | 14° | 0.6" | 12° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 1.0" | 27° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.6" | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.9" | 58° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 56° | 3.3" | 60° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 53° | 2.4" | 59° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 44° | 1.9" | 51° – 64° |
| October | 53° | 31° | 1.4" | 33° – 48° |
| November | 35° | 17° | 0.6" | 11° – 39° |
| December | 21° | 4° | 0.5" | -1° – 23° |
| Year | 50° | 28° | 19.0" |
“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 Chain Lakes
Chain Lakes gets 19 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest.
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 27. That leaves about 133 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 93% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Chain Lakes
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Chain Lakes, 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.
Chain Lakes and its neighbors
Chain Lakes borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.0°. Maza has the coldest January nights (-4°) and Coulee the hottest July afternoons (80°). Chain Lakes’s January low is -3° and its July high 80°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Chain Lakes 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 Chain Lakes averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 62% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Chain Lakes’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from -7° to 23°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Chain Lakes’s climate
What is the coldest month in Chain Lakes?
January, with a typical high of 16° and a low of -3°.
What is the hottest month in Chain Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 56°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.
When is the first frost in Chain Lakes?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 27, and the last spring frost by May 15.
What is the rainiest month in Chain Lakes?
June, with 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 19 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Chain Lakes itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Leeds, ND (14 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.