Minot AFB, ND climate
Minot AFB has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Minot AFB feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Minot AFB 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 | 19° | 1° | 0.4" | 8.3" | 7 | 28 | -3° – 27° |
| February | 23° | 5° | 0.4" | 6.9" | 6 | 23 | -4° – 27° |
| March | 36° | 17° | 0.6" | 7.8" | 6 | 17 | 13° – 39° |
| April | 53° | 30° | 1.0" | 4.4" | 7 | 5 | 29° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.5" | 1.8" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.5" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 2.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 1.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 45° | 1.6" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 54° | 32° | 1.3" | 3.6" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 36° | 19° | 0.6" | 8.9" | 6 | 13 | 15° – 39° |
| December | 23° | 7° | 0.5" | 10.1" | 7 | 25 | 3° – 26° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 16.7" | 51.8" | 93 | 114 |
“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 Minot AFB
Minot AFB gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 114 days of the year.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first one by September 27. That leaves about 136 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 92% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Minot AFB
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Minot AFB, 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.
How Minot AFB 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 Minot AFB averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°). The shift is smaller than in 58% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Minot AFB’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 -4° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Minot AFB’s climate
What is the coldest month in Minot AFB?
January, with a typical high of 19° and a low of 1°.
What is the hottest month in Minot AFB?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Minot AFB get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Minot AFB?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 27, and the last spring frost by May 13.
What is the rainiest month in Minot AFB?
June, with 3.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Minot AFB itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Minot Exp Stn, ND (17 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.