Climate · Valley

Valley, ND climate

Valley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
82°
562nd hottest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
January low
2°
333rd mildest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Rain + melted snow
22 in
217th wettest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Snow a winter
37 in
260th least snowy of 1,453 North Dakota towns
A normal year

What a year in Valley feels like

Winter

24° / 5°
Typical high / low · 13 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

53° / 31°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 9

Summer

79° / 56°
Typical high / low · 8 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

55° / 33°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 28
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Valley weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January20°2°0.5" 7.2"4 -3° – 25°
February25°6°0.6" 6.0"5 -1° – 28°
March38°18°1.0" 6.9"4 18° – 41°
April54°30°1.7" 3.7"7 32° – 50°
May67°43°3.2" 09 51° – 62°
June77°54°3.8" 011 60° – 70°
July82°59°3.5" 09 63° – 75°
August80°56°2.6" 07 63° – 73°
September71°46°2.4" 07 53° – 63°
October56°33°1.9" 1.6"6 36° – 49°
November39°20°0.7" 4.2"4 16° – 40°
December25°8°0.6" 7.3"4 3° – 25°
Year53°31°22.4"36.9"77

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Valley

Valley gets 22 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year.

22 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 85% of U.S. towns
37 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns
77 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
3.8"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
7.3"
Frost & the growing season

About 141 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first one by September 28. That leaves about 141 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 88% of U.S. towns.

178
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
37
nights below 0° in a normal year
8
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Valley

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Valley, 95% of that work is heating and 5% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

95%heating
8,515 heating degree daysMore heating than 91% of U.S. towns
489 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 78% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Valley

Valley and its neighbors

Valley borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.2°. Porter has the coldest January nights (2°) and Keystone the hottest July afternoons (82°). Valley’s January low is 2° and its July high 82°.

Elden: January low 2°, July high 82°Maple: January low 2°, July high 82°Hamburg: January low 2°, July high 81°Young: January low 3°, July high 80°Golden Glen: January low 2°, July high 81°Whitestone: January low 3°, July high 81°Wright: January low 2°, July high 82°Badger: January low 2°, July high 81°Wano: January low 2°, July high 82°Keystone: January low 2°, July high 82°Potsdam: January low 2°, July high 81°Porter: January low 2°, July high 82°Willowbank: January low 2°, July high 82°Valley: January low 2°, July high 82° ValleyKeystonePotsdamPorterWillowbank
ColderMilder2° to 3°
Valley1.9°
Porter1.9° same
Willowbank1.9° same
Keystone2.1° +0.2°
Potsdam2.1° +0.2°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Valley compares

Summer heat82° July high
Cooler than 78% of U.S. towns562nd hottest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Winter cold2° January low
Colder than 94% of U.S. towns333rd mildest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Precipitation22" a year
Drier than 85% of U.S. towns217th wettest of 1,711 North Dakota towns
Snow37" a winter
Snowier than 66% of U.S. towns260th least snowy of 1,453 North Dakota towns
Growing season141 frost-free days
Shorter than 88% of U.S. towns356th longest of 1,688 North Dakota towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.0°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Valley averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°). The shift is smaller than in 69% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+2.9° now 14°, was 12°
🌷 Spring+0.4° now 42°, was 41°
☀️ Summer+0.2° now 68°, was 68°
🍂 Fall+0.6° now 44°, was 44°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Valley’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 28°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Valley’s climate

What is the coldest month in Valley?

January, with a typical high of 20° and a low of 2°.

What is the hottest month in Valley?

July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 59°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Valley get?

About 37 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.

When is the first frost in Valley?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 28, and the last spring frost by May 9.

What is the rainiest month in Valley?

June, with 3.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 22 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Valley itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Fullerton 1 Ese, ND (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

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