Grand Rapids, ND climate
Grand Rapids has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Grand Rapids feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Grand Rapids 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 1° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 3 | -3° – 25° |
| February | 25° | 5° | 0.6" | 6.8" | 4 | -1° – 27° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 1.0" | 11.3" | 4 | 17° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 1.6" | 3.7" | 5 | 32° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 43° | 3.1" | 0 | 7 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 54° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 58° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 56° | 2.5" | 0 | 6 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 72° | 46° | 2.4" | 0 | 6 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 34° | 2.0" | 0.5" | 5 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 38° | 20° | 0.7" | 8.6" | 4 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 8° | 0.7" | 6.6" | 4 | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 22.2" | 45.5" | 63 |
“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 Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids gets 22 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 63 days a year.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first one by September 28. That leaves about 140 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 89% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Grand Rapids
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Grand Rapids, 94% of that work is heating and 6% 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.
Grand Rapids and its neighbors
Grand Rapids borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Grandview has the coldest January nights (1°) and Dean the hottest July afternoons (82°). Grand Rapids’s January low is 1° and its July high 82°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°). The shift is smaller than in 65% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Grand Rapids’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 -1° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Grand Rapids’s climate
What is the coldest month in Grand Rapids?
January, with a typical high of 20° and a low of 1°.
What is the hottest month in Grand Rapids?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 58°. About 13 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Grand Rapids get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter, most of it in March.
When is the first frost in Grand Rapids?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 28, and the last spring frost by May 10.
What is the rainiest month in Grand Rapids?
June, with 3.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 22 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Grand Rapids itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at La Moure, ND (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.