Lightning Creek, ND climate
Lightning Creek has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Lightning Creek feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lightning Creek 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° | 6° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 4 | 18 | 8° – 30° |
| February | 32° | 9° | 0.4" | 5.7" | 4 | 15 | 0° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 19° | 0.7" | 5.7" | 5 | 9 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.4" | 3.7" | 7 | 3 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 2.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 56° | 2.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 53° | 1.5" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 43° | 1.3" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 31° | 1.4" | 2.7" | 6 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 43° | 19° | 0.5" | 4.2" | 4 | 8 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 31° | 9° | 0.3" | 4.3" | 3 | 11 | 9° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 30° | 15.5" | 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 Lightning Creek
Lightning Creek gets 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 66 days of the year.
About 115 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first one by September 18. That leaves about 115 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Lightning Creek
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lightning Creek, 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.
Lightning Creek and its neighbors
Lightning Creek borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Reeder has the coldest January nights (7°) and Horse Creek the hottest July afternoons (85°). Lightning Creek’s January low is 6° and its July high 85°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Lightning Creek 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 Lightning Creek averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°). The shift is larger than in 66% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lightning Creek’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 10°.
Common questions about Lightning Creek’s climate
What is the coldest month in Lightning Creek?
January, with a typical high of 28° and a low of 6°.
What is the hottest month in Lightning Creek?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 56°. About 24 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Lightning Creek get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Lightning Creek?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 18, and the last spring frost by May 24.
What is the rainiest month in Lightning Creek?
June, with 2.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 15 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lightning Creek itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Reeder, ND (8 mi, snow) and Hettinger Municipal Airport, ND (13 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.