Sentinel, ND climate
Sentinel has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sentinel feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sentinel 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 6° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 6 | 7° – 30° |
| February | 31° | 9° | 0.4" | 7.2" | 5 | -1° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 19° | 0.6" | 3.8" | 6 | 17° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.4" | 3.4" | 7 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.6" | 0.4" | 10 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 50° | 2.9" | 0 | 11 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 56° | 2.4" | 0 | 9 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 84° | 53° | 1.5" | 0 | 7 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 73° | 44° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 7 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.2" | 1.8" | 7 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 41° | 19° | 0.5" | 3.0" | 5 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 30° | 10° | 0.5" | 6.0" | 6 | 7° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 16.0" | 30.1" | 86 |
“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 Sentinel
Sentinel gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first one by September 20. That leaves about 123 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 97% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sentinel
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sentinel, 95% of that work is heating and 5% 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.
Sentinel and its neighbors
Sentinel borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.5°. Beach has the coldest January nights (6°) and Garner the hottest July afternoons (85°). Sentinel’s January low is 6° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Sentinel 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 Sentinel averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°). The shift is smaller than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sentinel’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 -1° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Common questions about Sentinel’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sentinel?
January, with a typical high of 27° and a low of 6°.
What is the hottest month in Sentinel?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 56°. About 34 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Sentinel get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Sentinel?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 20, and the last spring frost by May 19.
What is the rainiest month in Sentinel?
June, with 2.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sentinel itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Medora, ND (9 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.