The National Weather Service’s Winter Outlook For North Dakota

Winter Weather Sounds Kind of Good

I say this as we are about to experience another day around 100 degrees in the Capital Region. It almost makes you look forward to cooler winter weather, at the very least like Autumn.

(SEE ALSO: The Old Farmer's Almanac Fall Outlook for North Dakota)

I just spent a few days at the lake with temps around the century mark all three days, and even the water didn't cool you down that much. The water temperature at our lake was 85. I'm not sure if I've ever seen it that warm before.

The Drought

We are likely going into a drought situation in the Bismarck-Mandan area if we don't pick up some significant rain. According to the latest drought monitor, we are abnormally dry across the Capital Region. I know we finished over two inches short of our normal rainfall for the month of July.  You can look no further than the lawns in the area. I know in my development, homeowners have all but given up on their lawn and the constant watering it takes to keep it growing and green. Instead, they have opted to let it go brown and dormant. A lot cheaper that way too.

The National Weather Service's Winter Outlook

I know a lot of people look forward to the Old Farmer's Almanac winter forecast every year. That is due out, by the way, at the end of August. In the meantime, NOAA's 2026-2027 Winter outlook for December through February, and here's what it's saying for North Dakota. The El Niño weather pattern should hold, and you can expect a warm winter with slightly below-average precipitation. Take a look at this map from the National Weather Service.

NWS

Not good news for skiers and snowmobile enthusiasts. Very good news for those of us who don't like shoveling or using our snowblowers. Let's hope we at least get enough precipitation to prevent us from going into a prolonged drought.