Grand Valley, ND climate
Grand Valley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Grand Valley feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Grand Valley 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° | 2° | 0.5" | 8.5" | 5 | -2° – 26° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.6" | 8.2" | 4 | -1° – 27° |
| March | 38° | 18° | 0.9" | 8.3" | 5 | 18° – 42° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 1.8" | 5.7" | 6 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.6" | 9 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 54° | 3.7" | 0 | 9 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.4" | 0 | 7 | 62° – 75° |
| August | 80° | 56° | 2.6" | 0 | 6 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 46° | 2.3" | 0 | 6 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 33° | 1.9" | 1.5" | 5 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 38° | 20° | 0.7" | 7.2" | 4 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 25° | 9° | 0.6" | 8.1" | 5 | 3° – 24° |
| Year | 53° | 31° | 22.1" | 48.1" | 69 |
“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 Valley
Grand Valley 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 69 days a year.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first one by October 2. That leaves about 149 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 82% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Grand Valley
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Grand Valley, 93% of that work is heating and 7% 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 Valley and its neighbors
Grand Valley borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Albion has both the coldest January nights (2°) and the hottest July afternoons (82°). Grand Valley’s January low is 2° and its July high 81°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Grand Valley 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 Valley averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°). The shift is smaller than in 67% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Grand Valley’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 -2° to 26°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Grand Valley’s climate
What is the coldest month in Grand Valley?
January, with a typical high of 20° and a low of 2°.
What is the hottest month in Grand Valley?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 15 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Grand Valley get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Grand Valley?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 2, and the last spring frost by May 4.
What is the rainiest month in Grand Valley?
June, with 3.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 22 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Grand Valley itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Forbes 10 Nw, ND (6 mi, snow) and Ellendale, 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.