Plain, ND climate
Plain 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 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Plain feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Plain 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" | 9.8" | 6 | 28 | -3° – 27° |
| February | 23° | 5° | 0.4" | 5.4" | 4 | 24 | -5° – 27° |
| March | 36° | 17° | 0.6" | 6.1" | 5 | 16 | 13° – 39° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.0" | 4.5" | 7 | 5 | 29° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.4" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 52° | 3.4" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 2.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 1.9" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| September | 70° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 32° | 1.2" | 1.2" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 36° | 18° | 0.6" | 9.2" | 5 | 15 | 15° – 39° |
| December | 23° | 7° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 6 | 24 | 3° – 26° |
| Year | 51° | 30° | 16.8" | 45.1" | 87 | 113 |
“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 Plain
Plain gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 113 days of the year.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first one by September 29. That leaves about 138 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 90% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Plain
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Plain, 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.
Plain and its neighbors
Plain borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Callahan has the coldest January nights (1°) and Mayland the hottest July afternoons (81°). Plain’s January low is 1° and its July high 81°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Plain 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 Plain averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°). The shift is larger than in 50% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Plain’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 -5° to 27°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Plain’s climate
What is the coldest month in Plain?
January, with a typical high of 19° and a low of 1°.
What is the hottest month in Plain?
August, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 54°. About 17 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Plain get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Plain?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 29, and the last spring frost by May 11.
What is the rainiest month in Plain?
June, with 3.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Plain itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Minot Intl Airport, ND (24 mi, snow) and Foxholm 7 N, ND (5 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.