Climate · Dale

Dale, ND climate

Dale has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to -1°.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
80°
383rd coolest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
January low
-1°
577th coldest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Rain + melted snow
18 in
461st driest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
A normal year

What a year in Dale feels like

Winter

21° / 2°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

51° / 27°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 20

Summer

78° / 52°
Typical high / low · 5 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

52° / 29°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 19
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Dale weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January18°-1°0.5" -4° – 25°
February22°2°0.5" -6° – 26°
March35°15°0.7" 12° – 38°
April53°28°1.1" 29° – 48°
May66°39°2.5" 47° – 59°
June74°50°3.6" 58° – 67°
July80°54°2.8" 60° – 72°
August80°52°1.9" 59° – 71°
September69°42°1.7" 50° – 63°
October53°30°1.2" 33° – 47°
November35°16°0.7" 13° – 37°
December22°4°0.5" 1° – 24°
Year50°28°17.7"

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Dale

Dale gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest.

18 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 91% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.6"

Snowfall by month

No snow records from a nearby station.
Frost & the growing season

About 121 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first one by September 19. That leaves about 121 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 97% of U.S. towns.

202
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
55
nights below 0° in a normal year
5
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Dale

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Dale, 98% of that work is heating and 2% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

98%heating
10,000 heating degree daysMore heating than 99% of U.S. towns
174 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 97% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Dale

Dale and its neighbors

Dale borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Vale has both the coldest January nights (-1°) and the hottest July afternoons (80°). Dale’s January low is -1° and its July high 80°.

Foothills: January low 0°, July high 79°Dimond: January low 0°, July high 79°Lucy: January low 0°, July high 79°Ward: January low -1°, July high 80°Portal: January low -2°, July high 80°Fay: January low -1°, July high 80°Richland: January low -1°, July high 80°Portal: January low -2°, July high 80°Clayton: January low -1°, July high 80°Vale: January low -1°, July high 80°Soo: January low -1°, July high 80°Dale: January low -1°, July high 80° DaleClaytonValeSoo
ColderMilder-2° to 0°
Vale-1.4° −0.2°
Soo-1.4° −0.2°
Dale-1.2°
Clayton-0.8° +0.4°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Dale compares

Summer heat80° July high
Cooler than 88% of U.S. towns383rd coolest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Winter cold-1° January low
Colder than 97% of U.S. towns577th coldest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Precipitation18" a year
Drier than 91% of U.S. towns461st driest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Growing season121 frost-free days
Shorter than 97% of U.S. towns80th shortest of 1,688 North Dakota towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.3°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Dale averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°). The shift is larger than in 56% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+3.0° now 11°, was 8°
🌷 Spring+1.0° now 39°, was 38°
☀️ Summer+0.6° now 65°, was 64°
🍂 Fall+0.5° now 41°, was 40°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Dale’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 -6° to 26°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Dale’s climate

What is the coldest month in Dale?

January, with a typical high of 18° and a low of -1°.

What is the hottest month in Dale?

July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 54°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.

When is the first frost in Dale?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 19, and the last spring frost by May 20.

What is the rainiest month in Dale?

June, with 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Dale itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Northgate 5 Ese, ND (16 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.

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