Rat Lake, ND climate
Rat Lake 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 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Rat Lake feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Rat Lake 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 | 20° | 2° | 0.5" | 7.6" | 9 | 29 | -1° – 27° |
| February | 25° | 6° | 0.4" | 7.1" | 8 | 25 | -5° – 29° |
| March | 38° | 17° | 0.6" | 7.5" | 8 | 21 | 14° – 40° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.1" | 4.6" | 9 | 6 | 32° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.4" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 3.3" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 2.9" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 53° | 1.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 1.2" | 3.8" | 9 | 3 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 36° | 18° | 0.6" | 5.1" | 8 | 13 | 15° – 39° |
| December | 24° | 7° | 0.6" | 10.2" | 9 | 27 | 4° – 25° |
| Year | 52° | 29° | 17.1" | 47.4" | 114 | 125 |
“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 Rat Lake
Rat Lake 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 114 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 125 days of the year.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first one by September 23. That leaves about 127 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 96% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Rat Lake
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Rat Lake, 97% of that work is heating and 3% 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.
Rat Lake and its neighbors
Rat Lake borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.4°. Brookbank has both the coldest January nights (2°) and the hottest July afternoons (81°). Rat Lake’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 Rat Lake 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 Rat Lake averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°). The shift is larger than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Rat Lake’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 29°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Rat Lake’s climate
What is the coldest month in Rat Lake?
January, with a typical high of 20° and a low of 2°.
What is the hottest month in Rat Lake?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 10 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Rat Lake get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Rat Lake?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 23, and the last spring frost by May 17.
What is the rainiest month in Rat Lake?
June, with 3.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Rat Lake itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Stanley 3 Nnw, ND (18 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.