North Dakota Climate
Top 5 Cities: Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot, and West Fargo
This month in numbers
North Dakota experienced a significantly warmer March 2026, with an average temperature of -0.89°C, an anomaly of +2.5°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranked as the 23rd warmest March in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures also saw a notable increase, ranking 16th warmest at 5.67°C, an anomaly of +3.5°C. In contrast, precipitation was well below average, with only 8.38 mm, an anomaly of -11.4 mm, making it the 66th driest March on record.
What changed
The January–March 2026 period in North Dakota was considerably warmer than average, with an average temperature of -5.43°C, an anomaly of +3.8°C, ranking as the 11th warmest such period in 77 years. Maximum temperatures for this three-month span were even more striking, ranking as the 8th warmest on record at 0.3°C, an anomaly of +3.9°C. This warming trend in North Dakota aligns with a broader pattern across the United States, as 10 of the top 10 warmest regions for the latest month's anomaly were US states. North Dakota itself ranked 20th out of 234 regions globally for its 3-month temperature anomaly. Globally, land temperatures in April 2026 were the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. The state also saw a significant lack of precipitation during the January–March period, ranking as the 58th driest on record.
What’s driving change?
The warmer temperatures in North Dakota are influenced by broader climate patterns, including , which sees higher northern latitudes warming at an accelerated rate. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C, though there is a strong forecast for an El Niño to develop by May–July 2026, with probabilities increasing to 79% by June–August and 87% by July–September. [/climate/enso] North Dakota has also experienced active extreme weather events, with two drought events and one flood event logged in the past 12 months, representing 100% of the annual total for each type, an unusual concentration for the region. [/extreme-weather] March saw a high-impact winter weather system bring strong winds and fire danger to western North Dakota, alongside near-blizzard conditions in the north.
Looking ahead
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's outlook for April through June suggests equal chances for above, below, or near-normal temperatures and precipitation across most of North Dakota, with a slight tilt towards warmer than normal conditions in the southwest.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for North Dakota
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in North Dakota changing?
North Dakota is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for North Dakota come from?
Climate data for North Dakota comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the North Dakota climate data cover?
The North Dakota climate profile covers Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot and surrounding areas. North Dakota climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the North Dakota climate update refreshed?
The North Dakota climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.