Climate of Bismarck, North Dakota

The climate of Bismarck in the U.S. state of North Dakota is humid continental (Köppen Dfa/Dfb), caused primarily by the combination of its mid-level latitude and location not far from the geographic centre of the U.S. Its summers are hot enough for it to border on having a Köppen Dwa classification, and precipitation is high enough for it to barely avoid being classified as semi-arid (Köppen climate classification BSk). The city's climate displays four very distinct seasons and great variation in temperatures over very short periods of time. Like other cities in the northern Great Plains, its climate is also fairly dry.

Bismarck, North Dakota
Climate chart (explanation)
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: NOAA [1]

Overview

See or edit raw graph data.

Temperatures

Temperatures in Bismarck are variable throughout most of the year, with some stability in summer due to the yearly weakening of the jet stream. Nevertheless, there are four very distinct seasons, with great temperature variation. The warmest month of the year is July, when the average high temperature is 84.5 °F (29.2 °C).[1] Overnight low temperatures in July average 56.4 °F (13.6 °C).[1] The coldest month of the year is January, with an average high temperature of 21.1 °F (−6.1 °C) and lows of −0.6 °F (−18.1 °C) on average.[1]

Highs exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) on 21 days per year, and 50 °F (10.0 °C) for only 17 days from November to March.[1] Highs reach the freezing mark on about one-third of the days from December to February, and lows reach 0 °F (−17.8 °C) or below on 42 nights per year.[1]

Extremes

The highest temperature ever recorded in Bismarck was 114 °F (46 °C), on July 6, 1936.[4] The temperature has reached or exceeded 110 °F (43.3 °C) in Bismarck a total of five times in recorded weather history. Two of those occasions were in the same five-year period: 111 °F (43.9 °C) in June 2002, and 112 °F (44.4 °C) in July 2006. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Bismarck was −45 °F (−43 °C), on both January 13, 1916 and February 16, 1936.[4]

Precipitation

The climate of Bismarck tends to be dry, with yearly precipitation averaging only 16.8 inches (427 mm).[1] The wettest month of the year on average is June, when a majority of precipitation falls as rain from thunderstorms. June averages 2.59 inches (65.8 mm) of precipitation.[4] December is the driest month, averaging only 0.44 inches (11.2 mm),[4] as precipitation falls as fluffy, low moisture-content snow. In the winter, Bismarck averages 49.3 inches (125 cm) of snow annually.[1]

The 1990s were a very moist period for Bismarck. The earlier part of the decade was documented for heavy snowfall as the snowiest winter on record in Bismarck was the winter of 1996-97, when 101.6 inches (258 cm) of snow fell. The decade was noted for heavy rainfall as well as 4.63 inches (117.6 mm) of rain fell, the most rain ever received in a standard 24 hour day, on August 21, 1998. In addition, just one year later, the second highest 24-hour rainfall occurred on August 12, 1999 with 4.48 inches (113.8 mm).[5] This wet period led into an extended drought period in the early 2000s that continued into 2006.

Sun

The area averages 4 hours of daily sunshine in December.[6] July is the sunniest month, with an average 11.4 hours of daily sunshine.[6] The total of around 2740 hours of sunshine per year means that the area receives 62.53% of possible sunshine.[6]

Notes and references
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  1. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
  2. "Station Name: ND BISMARCK". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  3. "WMO Climate Normals for BISMARCK/MUNICIPAL, ND 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  4. "Average Weather for Bismarck, ND - Temperature and Precipitation". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
  5. John W. Enz and Barbara A. Mahoney, North Dakota State University. Growing Season Summary for the 1999 Season. Archived 2006-08-31 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Climatological Normals of Bismarck". Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
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