NDNorth Dakota rankings

Towns with the coolest summers in North Dakota

Ranked by the typical afternoon high in July, 1991–2020, from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for each town. Neighboring towns on the same 5 km grid square have the same numbers, so each square is listed once, under its largest town. 24 towns with 2,500+ residents.

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

#TownJuly highDays at 90°+July low
1 Devils Lake Devils Lake7,308 people 79.6° 6 57°
2 Grafton Grafton4,102 people 80.9° 10 58°
3 Grand Forks Grand Forks59,042 people 81.1° 7 58°
4 Minot AFB Minot AFB4,878 people 81.2° 8 56°
5 TatmanWard County · 2,730 people 81.2° 8 57°
6 Minot47,791 people 81.5° 8 57°
7 Jamestown Jamestown15,787 people 81.5° 11 58°
8 Valley City Valley City6,541 people 81.5° 10 58°
9 Fargo Fargo131,627 people 82.0° 11 59°
10 Wahpeton Wahpeton8,010 people 82.2° 9 60°
11 Horace Horace4,588 people 82.2° 11 59°
12 West Fargo West Fargo40,094 people 82.3° 11 59°
13 Map of Casselton Casselton2,953 people 82.4° 10 59°
14 New Town New Town2,721 people 82.7° 20 55°
15 Hay CreekBurleigh County · 4,348 people 82.9° 15 58°
16 GibbsBurleigh County · 2,836 people 83.0° 21 58°
17 Apple CreekBurleigh County · 3,490 people 83.1° 21 58°
18 Dickinson Dickinson25,357 people 83.4° 20 55°
19 Beulah Beulah3,040 people 83.4° 29 56°
20 Bismarck Bismarck75,556 people 83.5° 21 58°
21 Mandan Mandan24,522 people 83.6° 15 57°
22 Lincoln Lincoln4,381 people 83.6° 21 58°
23 Map of Watford City Watford City6,039 people 84.1° 22 56°
24 Williston Williston28,056 people 84.2° 21 56°

How this ranking works

We rank every town by the typical afternoon high in July, 1991–2020, from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for each town. The lowest ranks first. The town with the lowest figure ranks #1. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast, and each town’s Climate page shows its whole year month by month.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded normals, about 5 km (3 miles) square, read at each town’s center, so hills and coastlines are built in. Towns whose centers fall in the same square have the same numbers, so only the largest of them is listed.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Climate: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states