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NPWRC :: Climate ofNorth Dakota Page 1 of2 

Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 

Climate of North Dakota 

Wind 

Wind is air in motion relative to the earth's surface. Air in motion does not move in a horizontal straight line, but moves 

upward, downward and sideways. Usually, however, the component of wind horizontal to the earth's surface is much larger 

than any other component. This is why wind is usually thought of as moving horizontally and why only the horizontal 

component of wind is normally measured and reported . 

The average wind speed in North Dakota is greatest in late winter and early spring and least in summer (Table 12). Average 

wind speeds in the Red River Valley are 10 to 20 percent higher than in the rest of the state. 

Table 12. Average wind speed and prevailing directions and the extreme mile of wind for Bismarck, 

Devils Lake, Fargo, and Williston. 

II Lake II Fa'90 II I 

Month 

Speed direction Mile Speed direction Mile Speed direction Mile Speed direction Mile 

January WNW 54 NW 41 SSE 62 W 70 

February WNW 54 NW 54 N 56 NE 66 

March WNW 65 NW 54 N 56 NW 52 

April I I WNW 63 NW 47 N 68 SE 56 

May SSE 66 NE 52 N 72 SE 56 

June WNW 66 SE 50 SSE 115 I I SE 61 

July SSE 72 NW 56 S 60 SE 64 

August E 72 SE 47 SSE 71 SW 47 

WNW 66 NW 46 SSE 88 SW 50 

I October WNW 61 NW 47 I I SSE 57 SW 57 

1November WNW 67 NW II 57 I I S I 66 SW 47 

I December WNW 61 NW II 42 I I S II 58 I I SW 56 

I Year WNW 72 NW II 57 N II 115 SW 70 

Yrs . of 14 57 14 3 record 

The fastest wind speed clocked over a one-minute period at the four National Weather Service Stations in the state was 115 

miles per hour. This wind speed, which greatly exceeds the threshold value of 75 miles per hour for hurricanes, was recorded 

when a powerful thunderstorm struck Fargo during midafternoon on June 9, 1959. The next strongest wind speed of 88 mph 

was also recorded at Fargo on September 1, 1960, when a line of thunderstorms moved through the city. With the exception of 

these two instances at Fargo, the fastest wind speeds registered over a one-minute period were about the same in winter as in 

summer. This indicates that winter cold fronts and low pressure systems can produce winds of about the same speed as those 

associated with summer thunderstorms. In addition, high winds in winter can be sustained over a period of several hours, and 

in rare cases two to three days, while in summer the duration of the strong winds is usually on the order of a few minutes. 

In Figure 52, wind roses show the percentage of time that the winds blow from 16 compass points at Fargo, Bismarck and 

Minot. The five wind roses for each station cover the four seasons and an annual composite . 

On an annual basis, the prevailing wind flow at Fargo shows strong incoming north north-northwest flow and a strong south 

and south-southeast return flow. Wind from an easterly or southwesterly direction occurs much less frequently than from other 

directions . Winds at Bismarck prevail most often from a west-northwest direction, and contrary to Fargo and Minot a sizable 

east wind component occurs . Minot winds are more evenly balanced around the compass than Fargo or Bismarck, although 

northwest winds definitely prevail. 

The seasonal wind roses for January, April, July and October are similar to the annual wind roses (Figure 52) . Seasonal wind 

roses differ from the annual wind rose nearly always because the wind so often changes direction, rather than a change in the 

http://www.npwrc.llsgs.gov/resource/habitat/climate/wind.htm 2110/2010
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NPWRC :: Climate ofNorth Dakota Page 2 of2 

prevailing wind pattern. 

Previous Section -- Obstructions to Visibility 

Return to Contents 

Next Section -- Severe Storms 

-­ U.S. Department of the Interior I U.S. Geological Survey 

URL: http ://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/climate/wind .htm 

Page Contact Information : npwrc@usgs .gov 

Page Last Modified : August 3, 2006 

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http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resourcelhabitatlc1imate/wind.htm 2/10/2010