Potentially Scary NWS Winter Forecast For North Dakota

Who's ready for winter?  

Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, and other mountain states have been seeing snow for about a month now. Meanwhile, we are still waiting for our first snowfall here in North Dakota, as we have experienced a very warm fall. Just how warm? We recently broke a record for the longest period without a freeze. Bismarck officially recorded its first freeze of the season on Sunday, October 19th.

For the first time this season, the National Weather Service mentioned snow in the Bismarck forecast last night.

Thankfully, that never happened. We were only supposed to see a few wet flakes, but that never materialized. Don't get me wrong, I like snow, but I prefer it in December, January, and February.

(SEE ALSO: Californians moving to North Dakota are in for a rude awakening)

According to the National Weather Service, it sounds like that won't be a problem (lack of snow) this winter for North Dakota. 

We are expected to see a La Niña winter pattern, which often brings colder-than-average temperatures to North Dakota and the Northern Plains. It also increases the chances for more precipitation and more severe winter storms. After two back-to-back mild winters in the state, you might remember our last La Niña winter three years ago, where we saw over 100 inches of snow in the Capital City.

All of this could be adding up to a wicked winter in North Dakota!

The National Weather Service concurs. Here's the temperature prediction for December, January, and February.

As you can see, chances look likely for below normal temperatures from December through February in North Dakota.

Here's a look at the precipitation forecast for North Dakota this winter. 

It looks to be a snowy winter for much of North Dakota, especially the central and western parts of the state.

In the meantime, make sure your snowblower is working, and enjoy our warm fall weather, because the light switch could happen at any time, and we could be in for a long winter.