Climate of North Dakota - wikipedia Climate of North Dakota Köppen climate classification types of North Dakota. Western North Dakota lands along Interstate 94 in North Dakota. With an average 17 inches of precipitation a year, North Dakota is one of the driest states in the United States. North Dakota 's climate is typical of a continental climate with cold winters and warm - hot summers. The state 's location in the Upper Midwest allows it to experience some of the widest variety of weather in the United States, and each of the four seasons has its own distinct characteristics. The eastern half of the state has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfb ) with warm to hot, somewhat humid summers and cold, windy winters, while the western half has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSk ) with less precipitation and less humidity but similar temperature profiles. The areas east of the Missouri River get slightly colder winters, while those west of the stream get higher summer daytime temperatures. In general, the diurnal temperature difference is prone to be more significant in the west due to higher elevation and less humidity. Contents 1 General climatology 1.1 Statistics for ThreadEx cities 2 Seasons 3 2017 Drought 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links General Climatology Flooding in North Dakota in March 2010. Due to its location in the center of North America North Dakota experiences temperature extremes characteristic of a continental climate, with cold winters and mild to hot summers. Each season has distinctive upper air patterns which bring different weather conditions with them. One feature of a continental climate is that weather patterns can be unpredictable. For example, an Alberta clipper, a low pressure system originating in the province of Alberta in Canada, would be a common winter occurrence in North Dakota. But with the general unpredictability of weather in a continental climate, such a storm system could occur in spring, or in late autumn. Hot weather, though usually confined to July and August, can sometimes begin as early as April or May, and could spill over into September or October. Being 1,000 miles ( 1,609 km ) from any large body of water ( with the exception of Lake Superior ), temperatures and precipitation in North Dakota can vary widely. North Dakota is far enough north to experience − 60 ° F ( − 51 ° C ) temperatures and blizzards during the winter months, but far enough south to experience 121 ° F ( 49 ° C ) temperatures and tornado outbreaks in the summer. The 181 ° F degree ( 100 ° C ) variation between North Dakota 's highest and lowest temperature is the 3rd largest variation of any U.S. State, and the largest of any non-mountainous state. North Dakota is far from major sources of moisture and is in the transition zone between the moist East and the semi-arid West, as precipitation and humidity decrease from east to west. Annual average precipitation across the state ranges from around 14 in ( 35.6 cm ) in the west to 22 in ( 55.9 cm ) in the east. Snow is the main form of precipitation from November through March, while rain is the most common the rest of the year. It has snowed in North Dakota during every month except July and August. Statistics for ThreadEx cities Climate data for Bismarck Municipal Airport, North Dakota ( 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1874 -- present ) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 63 ( 17 ) 73 ( 23 ) 81 ( 27 ) 93 ( 34 ) 102 ( 39 ) 111 ( 44 ) 114 ( 46 ) 109 ( 43 ) 105 ( 41 ) 95 ( 35 ) 79 ( 26 ) 66 ( 19 ) 114 ( 46 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 46.8 ( 8.2 ) 51.0 ( 10.6 ) 65.7 ( 18.7 ) 81.2 ( 27.3 ) 86.9 ( 30.5 ) 93.2 ( 34 ) 98.8 ( 37.1 ) 98.2 ( 36.8 ) 92.2 ( 33.4 ) 81.9 ( 27.7 ) 63.9 ( 17.7 ) 48.5 ( 9.2 ) 101.6 ( 38.7 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 23.4 ( − 4.8 ) 28.3 ( − 2.1 ) 40.4 ( 4.7 ) 57.0 ( 13.9 ) 68.4 ( 20.2 ) 77.2 ( 25.1 ) 84.7 ( 29.3 ) 83.5 ( 28.6 ) 72.1 ( 22.3 ) 57.5 ( 14.2 ) 39.6 ( 4.2 ) 26.2 ( − 3.2 ) 54.86 ( 12.7 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 2.2 ( − 16.6 ) 7.9 ( − 13.4 ) 19.4 ( − 7 ) 30.7 ( − 0.7 ) 42.7 ( 5.9 ) 52.0 ( 11.1 ) 57.4 ( 14.1 ) 55.5 ( 13.1 ) 44.9 ( 7.2 ) 32.2 ( 0.1 ) 18.8 ( − 7.3 ) 6.1 ( − 14.4 ) 30.82 ( − 0.66 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) − 22.8 ( − 30.4 ) − 19.3 ( − 28.5 ) − 5.3 ( − 20.7 ) 13.7 ( − 10.2 ) 27.0 ( − 2.8 ) 38.8 ( 3.8 ) 45.6 ( 7.6 ) 41.6 ( 5.3 ) 28.6 ( − 1.9 ) 15.3 ( − 9.3 ) − 1.7 ( − 18.7 ) − 17.5 ( − 27.5 ) − 29.4 ( − 34.1 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) − 45 ( − 43 ) − 45 ( − 43 ) − 36 ( − 38 ) − 12 ( − 24 ) 13 ( − 11 ) 30 ( − 1 ) 32 ( 0 ) 32 ( 0 ) 10 ( − 12 ) − 10 ( − 23 ) − 30 ( − 34 ) − 43 ( − 42 ) − 45 ( − 43 ) Average precipitation inches ( mm ) 0.43 ( 10.9 ) 0.51 ( 13 ) 0.87 ( 22.1 ) 1.26 ( 32 ) 2.40 ( 61 ) 3.17 ( 80.5 ) 2.89 ( 73.4 ) 2.28 ( 57.9 ) 1.59 ( 40.4 ) 1.25 ( 31.8 ) 0.71 ( 18 ) 0.49 ( 12.4 ) 17.85 ( 453.4 ) Average snowfall inches ( cm ) 8.9 ( 22.6 ) 8.1 ( 20.6 ) 9.1 ( 23.1 ) 4.2 ( 10.7 ) 0.4 ( 1 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0.2 ( 0.5 ) 2.2 ( 5.6 ) 8.8 ( 22.4 ) 9.3 ( 23.6 ) 51.2 ( 130 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 7.5 7.0 7.9 7.4 10.1 11.2 9.7 8.2 7.5 6.6 7.0 7.6 97.7 Average snowy days ( ≥ 0.1 in ) 9.7 8.1 6.4 2.5 0.4 0 0 0 0.1 1.4 6.6 10.0 45.2 Average relative humidity ( % ) 71.3 72.4 69.9 61.8 60.1 65.0 61.8 60.6 63.7 63.8 72.0 74.5 66.4 Mean monthly sunshine hours 149.4 153.5 222.3 244.3 296.1 318.1 354.6 316.2 245.9 191.7 122.6 122.9 2,737.6 Percent possible sunshine 53 53 60 60 64 67 74 72 65 57 43 46 61 Source : NOAA ( relative humidity and sun 1961 -- 1990 ), The Weather Channel Climate data for Fargo, North Dakota ( Hector Int'l ), 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1881 -- present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 55 ( 13 ) 66 ( 19 ) 80 ( 27 ) 100 ( 38 ) 104 ( 40 ) 104 ( 40 ) 114 ( 46 ) 106 ( 41 ) 102 ( 39 ) 97 ( 36 ) 74 ( 23 ) 65 ( 18 ) 114 ( 46 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 39.6 ( 4.2 ) 43.1 ( 6.2 ) 57.0 ( 13.9 ) 79.9 ( 26.6 ) 88.1 ( 31.2 ) 91.6 ( 33.1 ) 94.0 ( 34.4 ) 93.8 ( 34.3 ) 89.2 ( 31.8 ) 78.2 ( 25.7 ) 59.3 ( 15.2 ) 41.2 ( 5.1 ) 97.0 ( 36.1 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 18.4 ( − 7.6 ) 23.7 ( − 4.6 ) 36.3 ( 2.4 ) 55.8 ( 13.2 ) 69.3 ( 20.7 ) 77.4 ( 25.2 ) 82.5 ( 28.1 ) 81.2 ( 27.3 ) 70.8 ( 21.6 ) 56.0 ( 13.3 ) 37.3 ( 2.9 ) 22.3 ( − 5.4 ) 52.58 ( 11.43 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 0.1 ( − 17.7 ) 5.6 ( − 14.7 ) 19.4 ( − 7 ) 32.7 ( 0.4 ) 44.9 ( 7.2 ) 55.0 ( 12.8 ) 59.5 ( 15.3 ) 57.3 ( 14.1 ) 47.4 ( 8.6 ) 35.1 ( 1.7 ) 20.3 ( − 6.5 ) 5.9 ( − 14.5 ) 31.93 ( − 0.03 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) − 22.5 ( − 30.3 ) − 19 ( − 28 ) − 6.1 ( − 21.2 ) 16.9 ( − 8.4 ) 28.6 ( − 1.9 ) 41.1 ( 5.1 ) 47.1 ( 8.4 ) 43.4 ( 6.3 ) 30.7 ( − 0.7 ) 19.3 ( − 7.1 ) 0.3 ( − 17.6 ) − 16.6 ( − 27 ) − 26 ( − 32 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) − 48 ( − 44 ) − 47 ( − 44 ) − 34 ( − 37 ) − 13 ( − 25 ) 14 ( − 10 ) 28 ( − 2 ) 36 ( 2 ) 32 ( 0 ) 17 ( − 8 ) − 4 ( − 20 ) − 27 ( − 33 ) − 36 ( − 38 ) − 48 ( − 44 ) Average precipitation inches ( mm ) 0.70 ( 17.8 ) 0.61 ( 15.5 ) 1.30 ( 33 ) 1.36 ( 34.5 ) 2.81 ( 71.4 ) 3.90 ( 99.1 ) 2.79 ( 70.9 ) 2.56 ( 65 ) 2.57 ( 65.3 ) 2.15 ( 54.6 ) 1.00 ( 25.4 ) 0.83 ( 21.1 ) 22.58 ( 573.5 ) Average snowfall inches ( cm ) 11.2 ( 28.4 ) 7.0 ( 17.8 ) 9.1 ( 23.1 ) 3.0 ( 7.6 ) trace 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0.7 ( 1.8 ) 7.9 ( 20.1 ) 11.2 ( 28.4 ) 50.1 ( 127.3 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 8.3 7.2 8.3 7.4 11.0 11.7 9.5 9.1 8.7 8.3 7.1 9.2 105.8 Average snowy days ( ≥ 0.1 in ) 8.9 6.7 5.3 1.8 0 0 0 0 0 0.8 5.4 9.5 38.4 Average relative humidity ( % ) 73.1 74.7 76.0 65.6 60.0 66.1 66.9 66.5 69.2 68.8 75.7 76.1 69.9 Mean monthly sunshine hours 140.9 153.9 212.3 241.6 283.2 303.2 350.2 313.2 231.2 178.9 113.1 107.4 2,629.1 Percent possible sunshine 51 53 58 59 61 64 73 71 61 53 40 40 59 Source : NOAA ( relative humidity and sun 1961 -- 1990 ) Climate data for Grand Forks International Airport, North Dakota ( 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1893 -- present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 52 ( 11 ) 67 ( 19 ) 83 ( 28 ) 100 ( 38 ) 105 ( 41 ) 105 ( 41 ) 109 ( 43 ) 104 ( 40 ) 103 ( 39 ) 95 ( 35 ) 75 ( 24 ) 58 ( 14 ) 109 ( 43 ) Mean maximum ° F ( ° C ) 39.2 ( 4 ) 42.0 ( 5.6 ) 54.2 ( 12.3 ) 78.1 ( 25.6 ) 87.2 ( 30.7 ) 90.3 ( 32.4 ) 92.3 ( 33.5 ) 93.5 ( 34.2 ) 89.1 ( 31.7 ) 76.3 ( 24.6 ) 57.4 ( 14.1 ) 40.3 ( 4.6 ) 96.0 ( 35.6 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 16.5 ( − 8.6 ) 21.9 ( − 5.6 ) 34.2 ( 1.2 ) 53.9 ( 12.2 ) 68.0 ( 20 ) 76.1 ( 24.5 ) 81.0 ( 27.2 ) 80.2 ( 26.8 ) 69.6 ( 20.9 ) 54.3 ( 12.4 ) 35.1 ( 1.7 ) 20.3 ( − 6.5 ) 51.1 ( 10.6 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) − 3.1 ( − 19.5 ) ( − 16.6 ) 16.1 ( − 8.8 ) 30.0 ( − 1.1 ) 41.5 ( 5.3 ) 52.0 ( 11.1 ) 56.3 ( 13.5 ) 54.0 ( 12.2 ) 44.2 ( 6.8 ) 31.9 ( − 0.1 ) 17.0 ( − 8.3 ) 2.6 ( − 16.3 ) 28.9 ( − 1.7 ) Mean minimum ° F ( ° C ) − 25.4 ( − 31.9 ) − 21.4 ( − 29.7 ) − 8.2 ( − 22.3 ) 16.2 ( − 8.8 ) 27.6 ( − 2.4 ) 40.3 ( 4.6 ) 46.0 ( 7.8 ) 41.3 ( 5.2 ) 30.1 ( − 1.1 ) 17.3 ( − 8.2 ) − 2 ( − 19 ) − 18.9 ( − 28.3 ) − 29 ( − 34 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) − 43 ( − 42 ) − 42 ( − 41 ) − 36 ( − 38 ) − 9 ( − 23 ) 5 ( − 15 ) 28 ( − 2 ) 30 ( − 1 ) 30 ( − 1 ) 11 ( − 12 ) − 9 ( − 23 ) − 35 ( − 37 ) − 37 ( − 38 ) − 43 ( − 42 ) Average precipitation inches ( mm ) 0.55 ( 14 ) 0.52 ( 13.2 ) 0.96 ( 24.4 ) 1.01 ( 25.7 ) 2.68 ( 68.1 ) 3.48 ( 88.4 ) 3.15 ( 80 ) 2.88 ( 73.2 ) 2.05 ( 52.1 ) 1.97 ( 50 ) 0.95 ( 24.1 ) 0.61 ( 15.5 ) 20.81 ( 528.7 ) Average snowfall inches ( cm ) 10.7 ( 27.2 ) 6.6 ( 16.8 ) 7.2 ( 18.3 ) 2.6 ( 6.6 ) 0.1 ( 0.3 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) trace 1.5 ( 3.8 ) 7.7 ( 19.6 ) 10.7 ( 27.2 ) 47.1 ( 119.6 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 8.1 6.6 7.5 7.0 10.6 11.6 10.5 9.1 8.3 8.5 6.9 8.5 103.2 Average snowy days ( ≥ 0.1 in ) 10.1 7.1 5.5 1.9 0.2 0 0 0 0 1.3 5.6 9.8 41.5 Source : NOAA Climate data for Williston, North Dakota ( Sloulin Int'l ), 1981 -- 2010 normals, extremes 1894 -- present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° F ( ° C ) 58 ( 14 ) 66 ( 19 ) 84 ( 29 ) 92 ( 33 ) 106 ( 41 ) 108 ( 42 ) 110 ( 43 ) 108 ( 42 ) 104 ( 40 ) 93 ( 34 ) 76 ( 24 ) 63 ( 17 ) 110 ( 43 ) Average high ° F ( ° C ) 21.9 ( − 5.6 ) 27.5 ( − 2.5 ) 40.4 ( 4.7 ) 57.0 ( 13.9 ) 67.7 ( 19.8 ) 76.8 ( 24.9 ) 84.4 ( 29.1 ) 83.8 ( 28.8 ) 71.3 ( 21.8 ) 56.3 ( 13.5 ) 37.9 ( 3.3 ) 24.4 ( − 4.2 ) 54.1 ( 12.3 ) Average low ° F ( ° C ) 0.1 ( − 17.7 ) 6.3 ( − 14.3 ) 18.2 ( − 7.7 ) 29.7 ( − 1.3 ) 40.5 ( 4.7 ) 49.7 ( 9.8 ) 55.8 ( 13.2 ) 53.9 ( 12.2 ) 42.1 ( 5.6 ) 29.8 ( − 1.2 ) 16.4 ( − 8.7 ) 3.3 ( − 15.9 ) 28.8 ( − 1.8 ) Record low ° F ( ° C ) − 42 ( − 41 ) − 50 ( − 46 ) − 35 ( − 37 ) − 15 ( − 26 ) 10 ( − 12 ) 26 ( − 3 ) 34 ( 1 ) 32 ( 0 ) 13 ( − 11 ) − 9 ( − 23 ) − 27 ( − 33 ) − 50 ( − 46 ) − 50 ( − 46 ) Average precipitation inches ( mm ) 0.59 ( 15 ) 0.39 ( 9.9 ) 0.71 ( 18 ) 1.00 ( 25.4 ) 1.92 ( 48.8 ) 2.52 ( 64 ) 2.54 ( 64.5 ) 1.45 ( 36.8 ) 1.06 ( 26.9 ) 0.92 ( 23.4 ) 0.65 ( 16.5 ) 0.62 ( 15.7 ) 14.37 ( 365 ) Average snowfall inches ( cm ) 10.0 ( 25.4 ) 5.7 ( 14.5 ) 6.2 ( 15.7 ) 3.7 ( 9.4 ) 1.3 ( 3.3 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0 ( 0 ) 0.2 ( 0.5 ) 2.6 ( 6.6 ) 6.1 ( 15.5 ) 9.5 ( 24.1 ) 45.3 ( 115.1 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.01 in ) 7.5 6.0 7.6 7.7 10.0 11.5 9.0 8.2 7.4 6.3 6.7 8.6 96.5 Average snowy days ( ≥ 0.1 in ) 8.7 6.4 6.0 2.4 0.8 0 0 0 0.1 1.8 5.9 9.1 41.2 Average relative humidity ( % ) 76.2 75.6 72.5 61.4 58.5 59.6 56.1 54.9 61.1 65.2 74.9 77.1 66.1 Mean monthly sunshine hours 144.5 169.7 227.3 250.3 297.9 326.0 366.3 331.5 249.5 197.1 122.2 125.5 2,807.8 Percent possible sunshine 53 59 62 61 63 68 76 75 66 59 44 48 63 Source : NOAA ( relative humidity 1962 -- 1990, sun 1961 -- 1990 ) Seasons Winter in North Dakota is characterized by cold ( below freezing ) temperatures and snowfall. Snow is the main form of winter precipitation, but freezing rain, ice, sleet, and sometimes even rain are all possible during the winter months. Common storm systems include Alberta clippers or Panhandle hooks, some of which evolve into blizzards. Annual snowfall averages from 26 inches ( 66 cm ) in the central part of the state to 38 inches ( 96.5 cm ) in the northeast and southwest. Temperatures as low as − 60 ° F ( − 51 ° C ) have occurred during North Dakota winters. Spring is a time of major transition in North Dakota. Early spring commonly sees snowstorms, but by late spring as temperatures begin to moderate the state can experience tornado outbreaks, a risk which diminishes but does not cease through the summer and into the fall as North Dakota lies at the northern edge of Tornado Alley. Springtime flooding is a relatively common event in the Red River Valley, due to the river flowing north into Canada. The spring melt and the eventual runoff typically begins earlier in the southern part of the valley than in the northern part. The most destructive flooding in eastern North Dakota occurred in 1997, which caused extensive damage to Grand Forks. Summer sees heat and humidity predominate in the east, while hotter and less humid conditions are generally present in the west. These humid conditions help kick off thunderstorm activity 22 -- 34 days a year. Summer high temperatures in North Dakota average in the mid 80s ( 30 ° C ) in the west to the upper 70s ( 25 ° C ) in the east, with temperatures as hot as 121 ° F ( 49 ° C ) possible. The growing season in North Dakota usually begins in April, and harvest begins in September and October. Tornadoes are possible in North Dakota from April through October, but the peak tornado month is July, followed by June and August. The state averages 13 tornadoes per year. Depending on location, average annual precipitation ranges from 14 in ( 35.6 cm ) to 22 in ( 55.9 cm ). Autumn weather in North Dakota is largely the reverse of spring weather. The jet stream, which tends to weaken in summer, begins to re-strengthen, leading to a quicker changing of weather patterns and an increased variability of temperatures. By late October and November these storm systems become strong enough to form major winter storms. Fall and spring are the windiest times of the year in North Dakota. 2017 drought As of September 2017, the United States Drought Monitor recorded abnormally dryweather conditions across the entire state. The drought is considered severe and unprecedented, and because of its nature as a `` unpredictable, sudden event brought on by sustained high temperatures and little rain '', it is considered a `` flash drought ''. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring announced that predicted economic losses as a consequence from the drought could amount to as much as $4 billion or $5 billion. See also Meteorology Weather lore North Dakota portal Notes Jump up ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima ( i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year ) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010. Jump up ^ Records for Bismarck have been kept at the Bismarck Municipal Airport since January 1948 and at an undisclosed location from October 1874 to December 1947. Jump up ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima ( i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year ) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010. Jump up ^ Official records for Fargo were kept at the Weather Bureau Office in Moorhead, Minnesota from January 1881 to January 1942, and at Hector Int'l since February 1942. For more information, see ThreadEx Jump up ^ Official records for Williston kept at the Weather Bureau Office from January 1894 to June 1948 and at Sloulin Int'l since July 1948. Jump up ^ Only 22 to 24 years out of the 29 in the normals period were used to calculate the humidity normals. References Jump up ^ Galadriel Findlay Watson ( 2001 ). North Dakota. Weigl Publishers Inc. p. 8. ISBN 1 - 930954 - 53 - 0. Retrieved 2009 - 09 - 04. Jump up ^ `` NCRFC Climate and Topography ''. NOAA. Retrieved 2006 - 11 - 10. Jump up ^ `` Mid-April Heat Wave ''. Minnesota Climatology Office. April 15, 2002. Retrieved 2006 - 11 - 10. ^ Jump up to : `` North Dakota -- Climate ''. City - Data. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ `` U.S. Extreme Record Temps & Differences ''. Golden Gate Weather Services. 2005. Retrieved 2006 - 11 - 23. ^ Jump up to : `` Climate of North Dakota '' ( PDF ). National Weather Service Forecast Office. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ `` NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2015 - 12 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : ND BISMARCK ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ `` WMO Climate Normals for BISMARCK / MUNICIPAL, ND 1961 -- 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 10. Jump up ^ `` Average Weather for Bismarck, ND - Temperature and Precipitation ''. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2010 - 05 - 14. Jump up ^ `` NowData -- NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 29. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : ND FARGO HECTOR INTL AP ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Thread Stations Extremes ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2011 - 09 - 13. Jump up ^ `` WMO Climate Normals for FARGO / WSO AP ND 1961 -- 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 10. Jump up ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima ( i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year ) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010. Jump up ^ Records for Grand Forks have been kept at the Grand Forks International Airport since April 1965, the former Grand Forks Municipal Airport from September 1948 through March 1965, and at Grand Forks University from January 1893 to August 1948. Jump up ^ `` NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 29. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : ND GRAND FORKS INTL AP ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 29. Jump up ^ ThreadEx Jump up ^ `` NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2013 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Station Name : ND WILLISTON SLOULIN INTL AP ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 26. Jump up ^ `` WMO Climate Normals for WILLISTON / SLOULIN FIELD, ND 1961 -- 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 10. Jump up ^ `` Climate of North Dakota ''. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Anatomy of a Red River Flood ''. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 19. Jump up ^ `` The Grand Forks Flood ''. Alan Draves. 2002. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ `` United States Drought Monitor > Home > State Drought Monitor ''. droughtmonitor.unl.edu. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 07. Jump up ^ McLaughlin, Kathleen ( 2017 - 09 - 07 ). `` The unprecedented drought that 's crippling Montana and North Dakota ''. The Guardian. ISSN 0261 - 3077. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 07. Jump up ^ Service, John Hageman Forum News. `` ' History is being made ' Farmers, ranchers assess impact of North Dakota drought ''. Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 07. Jump up ^ Service, April Baumgarten Forum News. `` Drought 's toll likely billions of dollars for North Dakota economy ''. Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 07. External links National Weather Service -- Central Region Headquarters National Climatic Data Center Climate of the United States States Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Federal district Washington, D.C. Insular areas American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands State of North Dakota Bismarck ( capital ) Topics Bibliography Climate Colleges and universities Cuisine Delegations Geography Governors History LGBT history in North Dakota Music People Tourist attractions Seal of North Dakota Society Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Politics Regions Badlands Coteau du Missouri Drift Prairie Red River Valley Turtle Mountains Larger cities pop. over 5,000 Bismarck Devils Lake Dickinson Fargo Grand Forks Jamestown Mandan Minot Valley City Wahpeton West Fargo Williston Smaller cities pop. 1,000 - 5,000 Beach Beulah Bottineau Bowman Burlington Cando Carrington Casselton Cavalier Cooperstown Crosby Ellendale Garrison Grafton Hankinson Harvey Hazen Hettinger Hillsboro Horace Kenmare Langdon Larimore Lincoln Linton Lisbon Mayville New Rockford New Town Oakes Park River Rolla Rugby Stanley Thompson Tioga Velva Walhalla Washburn Watford City Wishek Counties Adams Barnes Benson Billings Bottineau Bowman Burke Burleigh Cass Cavalier Dickey Divide Dunn Eddy Emmons Foster Golden Valley Grand Forks Grant Griggs Hettinger Kidder LaMoure Logan McHenry McIntosh McKenzie McLean Mercer Morton Mountrail Nelson Oliver Pembina Pierce Ramsey Ransom Renville Richland Rolette Sargent Sheridan Sioux Slope Stark Steele Stutsman Towner Traill Walsh Ward Wells Williams Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Climate_of_North_Dakota&oldid=799427548 '' Categories : Climate of North Dakota Climate of the United States by state Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from September 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 7 September 2017, at 17 : 33. 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Question: when does it start to snow in north dakota
Answer: late October