Fairfield, North Dakota climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Fairfield's normal year runs from 6°F January nights to 82°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 5.8°C, January lows of −14°C, July highs of 28°C.
- NOAA stationFairfield
- Station IDUSC00322809
- Location47.19°N 103.22°W
- Elevation2,750 ft (838 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Fairfield is 50°F and the normal low 30°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Fairfield.
- Jan 24° 6°
- Feb 28° 9°
- Mar 40° 20°
- Apr 53° 31°
- May 64° 42°
- Jun 74° 52°
- Jul 82° 57°
- Aug 82° 56°
- Sep 71° 46°
- Oct 54° 33°
- Nov 39° 20°
- Dec 28° 10°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Fairfield each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 82°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 6°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24°F | 6°F | 15.3°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 28°F | 9°F | 18.5°F | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 40°F | 20°F | 29.8°F | – | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 53°F | 31°F | 41.8°F | – | <1 | 19 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 64°F | 42°F | 53.3°F | – | <1 | 6 | 15 h |
| June | 74°F | 52°F | 62.9°F | – | 1 | <1 | 15 h 50 min |
| July | 82°F | 57°F | 69.8°F | – | 7 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| August | 82°F | 56°F | 68.8°F | – | 7 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 71°F | 46°F | 58.4°F | – | 2 | 3 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 54°F | 33°F | 43.5°F | – | <1 | 17 | 11 h |
| November | 39°F | 20°F | 29.5°F | – | <1 | 28 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 28°F | 10°F | 18.7°F | – | <1 | 31 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 53°F | 32°F | 42.5°F | – | 18 | 191 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4°C | −14°C | −9.3°C |
| February | −2°C | −13°C | −7.5°C |
| March | 4°C | −7°C | −1.2°C |
| April | 12°C | −1°C | 5.4°C |
| May | 18°C | 6°C | 11.8°C |
| June | 23°C | 11°C | 17.2°C |
| July | 28°C | 14°C | 21.0°C |
| August | 28°C | 13°C | 20.4°C |
| September | 22°C | 8°C | 14.7°C |
| October | 12°C | 0°C | 6.4°C |
| November | 4°C | −6°C | −1.4°C |
| December | −2°C | −12°C | −7.4°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Grassy Butte (2 mi ENE) (15 miles away), gets 42 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00322809; 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.
Which months are mildest at Fairfield?
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 USC00322809.
When is the last frost at Fairfield?
In Fairfield, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 12 in half of years and after May 27 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 28 in half of years and before September 13 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 121 year in 10 after May 27; 9 in 10 after April 30
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 281 year in 10 before September 13; 9 in 10 before October 11
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 138 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 156 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 3 in half of springs and before October 6 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fairfield in zone 4a in ZIP code 58627, 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 USC00322809; 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 at Fairfield?
In a normal year in Fairfield, 18 days a year reach 90°F (1 of them 100°F or more) and 191 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 18a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 191a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 75high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1955) is 109°F, on July 6, 1981; the lowest is −38°F, on December 21, 1989.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1970, with 22.52 in; the snowiest season is 1966–67, with 80.0 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00322809; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00322809. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is it at Fairfield?
Over a year 77% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Fairfield, 4.0 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (86%) and December the cloudiest (66%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 77% | 1.7 |
| February | 78% | 2.7 |
| March | 74% | 3.8 |
| April | 72% | 4.8 |
| May | 73% | 5.8 |
| June | 77% | 6.5 |
| July | 86% | 6.9 |
| August | 83% | 5.7 |
| September | 78% | 4.2 |
| October | 71% | 2.6 |
| November | 70% | 1.6 |
| December | 66% | 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Fairfield record?
A normal year at Fairfield brings 8,602 heating degree days, 60% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 446 cooling degree days, 51% 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 2,134 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,542 | 0 |
| February | 1,301 | 0 |
| March | 1,091 | 0 |
| April | 697 | 1 |
| May | 372 | 8 |
| June | 120 | 57 |
| July | 30 | 179 |
| August | 43 | 159 |
| September | 241 | 41 |
| October | 667 | 2 |
| November | 1,064 | 0 |
| December | 1,435 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,602 | 446 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00322809. 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 Fairfield's climate compare?
Fairfield is warmer than 72 of the 92 places with their own NOAA record in North Dakota. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 42.5°F is warmer than 11%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Fairfield's climate
What is the coldest month at Fairfield?
January, with a normal high of 24°F and a normal low of 6°F. The warmest is July (82°F by day, 57°F at night).
Does it snow at Fairfield?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Grassy Butte (2 mi ENE) (15 miles away), records 42 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Fairfield in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Fairfield in zone 4a in ZIP code 58627, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Fairfield?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 12; in one year in ten it comes after May 27. Waiting until May 27 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
- Grassy Butte (2 mi ENE), ND14 miles from this station, 42.4°F a year
- Medora, ND22 miles from this station, 43.3°F a year
- Killdeer, ND25 miles from this station, 42.3°F a year
- Dickinson, ND29 miles from this station, 42.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made