Snow In The Forecast? North Dakota’s 3 Month Weather Outlook

We just witnessed weather history in North Dakota.

September was a scorcher with many locations in North Dakota setting records for the warmest average temperature ever on record.

According to the National Weather Service in Bismarck, cities in North Dakota that broke all-time records include Fargo, Minot, Jamestown, Williston, and Bismarck. Dickinson came very close but just missed it.

I spoke with the National Weather Service in Bismarck this morning and asked if our "Scorching September" will carry over to October?

Or will we see that October snowfall, a somewhat common occurrence in Bismarck?  I was told that snow in October, although possible, it only takes one cold snap and some precipitation to make the flakes fly, but it looks unlikely.

Instead, until La Nina officially takes over, which is expected sometime this fall, you can expect a warm fall and October looks well above average with not many precipitation chances.

After October, we have a better chance of going from warm to colder and more average precipitation once La Nina takes hold.

Here's a look at the 3-month long-range temperature and precipitation forecast from the Climate Prediction Center and the National Weather Service.

As you can see above, from October through December we have equal chances for average temperatures (October looks above normal).

Same thing when it comes to precipitation for North Dakota.  It looks like equal chances for the 3 months however, October looks to be dry.

Just how dry? According to AccuWeather, virtually no chance for precipitation for the entire month.

We are expected to trend cooler starting the week of October 21st and that is expected to last through the end of the month.

Something tells me this will be one of the years that winter will hit us like a brick, and when it sets in, it will be here to stay.  In the meantime, enjoy our warm fall.