Carrington, North Dakota climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Carrington's normal year runs from 0°F January nights to 79°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 4.3°C, January lows of −18°C, July highs of 26°C.
- NOAA stationCarrington
- Station IDUSC00321360
- Location47.45°N 99.13°W
- Elevation1,586 ft (483 m)
- Population2,019
On October 23, the normal high in Carrington is 48°F and the normal low 29°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Carrington.
- Jan 17° 0°
- Feb 21° 4°
- Mar 34° 16°
- Apr 51° 29°
- May 65° 42°
- Jun 74° 53°
- Jul 79° 57°
- Aug 79° 54°
- Sep 69° 44°
- Oct 53° 32°
- Nov 36° 18°
- Dec 22° 6°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Carrington each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 79°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 0°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17°F | 0°F | 8.5°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 21°F | 4°F | 12.3°F | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 34°F | 16°F | 24.9°F | – | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 51°F | 29°F | 39.8°F | – | <1 | 22 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 65°F | 42°F | 53.3°F | – | <1 | 4 | 15 h |
| June | 74°F | 53°F | 63.7°F | – | 1 | <1 | 16 h |
| July | 79°F | 57°F | 68.1°F | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 79°F | 54°F | 66.7°F | – | 3 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 69°F | 44°F | 56.7°F | – | 1 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 53°F | 32°F | 42.3°F | – | <1 | 17 | 11 h |
| November | 36°F | 18°F | 27.0°F | – | <1 | 29 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 22°F | 6°F | 14.1°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 50°F | 30°F | 39.8°F | – | 5 | 193 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −8°C | −18°C | −13.1°C |
| February | −6°C | −16°C | −10.9°C |
| March | 1°C | −9°C | −3.9°C |
| April | 10°C | −2°C | 4.3°C |
| May | 18°C | 5°C | 11.8°C |
| June | 24°C | 12°C | 17.6°C |
| July | 26°C | 14°C | 20.1°C |
| August | 26°C | 12°C | 19.3°C |
| September | 21°C | 7°C | 13.7°C |
| October | 12°C | 0°C | 5.7°C |
| November | 2°C | −8°C | −2.8°C |
| December | −6°C | −14°C | −9.9°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, McHenry (3 mi W) (24 miles away), gets 60 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00321360; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Carrington?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00321360.
When is the last frost in Carrington?
In Carrington, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 10 in half of years and after May 23 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 28 in half of years and before September 17 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 101 year in 10 after May 23; 9 in 10 after April 28
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 281 year in 10 before September 17; 9 in 10 before October 10
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 139 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 158 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 1 in half of springs and before October 8 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Carrington in zone 4a in ZIP code 58421, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in North Dakota · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00321360; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Carrington?
In a normal year in Carrington, 5 days a year reach 90°F and 193 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 5a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 193a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 103high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1929) is 116°F, on July 6, 1936; the lowest is −43°F, on February 14, 1936.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2000, with 28.77 in; the snowiest season is 1949–50, with 97.3 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00321360; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00321360. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Carrington?
Over a year 76% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Carrington, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. February is the sunniest month (86%) and November the cloudiest (67%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 82% | 1.8 |
| February | 86% | 3.0 |
| March | 78% | 4.0 |
| April | 73% | 4.9 |
| May | 72% | 5.7 |
| June | 75% | 6.2 |
| July | 83% | 6.5 |
| August | 81% | 5.4 |
| September | 77% | 4.0 |
| October | 69% | 2.5 |
| November | 67% | 1.6 |
| December | 68% | 1.2 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Carrington need?
A normal year in Carrington brings 9,494 heating degree days, 77% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 345 cooling degree days, 62% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,971 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,751 | 0 |
| February | 1,474 | 0 |
| March | 1,243 | 0 |
| April | 756 | 0 |
| May | 375 | 11 |
| June | 109 | 69 |
| July | 35 | 131 |
| August | 57 | 108 |
| September | 272 | 25 |
| October | 703 | 1 |
| November | 1,140 | 0 |
| December | 1,578 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,494 | 345 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00321360. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Carrington's climate compare?
Carrington is warmer than 27 of the other 91 places with their own NOAA record in North Dakota. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 39.8°F is warmer than 5%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Carrington share this climate record?
2 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- New Rockford, ND1,334 people · 16 mi N
- Sykeston, ND99 people · 13 mi W
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Carrington's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Carrington. This page uses Carrington; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrington (4 mi N) USC00321362 | 4 mi N | 1,560 ft | 40.6°F | −1°F | 82°F | 20.8 | – | May 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Carrington's climate
What is the coldest month in Carrington?
January, with a normal high of 17°F and a normal low of 0°F. The warmest is July (79°F by day, 57°F at night).
Does it snow in Carrington?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Carrington's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, McHenry (3 mi W) (24 miles away), records 60 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Carrington in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Carrington in zone 4a in ZIP code 58421, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Carrington?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 10; in one year in ten it comes after May 23. Waiting until May 23 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- North Dakota climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Edmunds Arrowwood Ref, ND18 miles from this station, 42.2°F a year
- McHenry (3 mi W), ND24 miles from this station, 40.4°F a year
- Fessenden, ND27 miles from this station, 40.9°F a year
- Tuttle (12 mi NNE), ND39 miles from this station, 39.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made