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I had occasion to visit Fargo and Grand Forks between December 5 and 7. This coincided with a snow storm that brought 35 mph winds and wind chills below 0 on Sunday night; then sub-zero temps on Monday, slowly rising to a high in the upper single digits or low teens by Tuesday. To me, it was cold. The wind chill, especially, was just brutal. But to my surprise, the 0 temps didn't actually feel too bad, when the wind wasn't blowing. It actually felt warmer to me than temps in the 30s do here in Maryland, where I live. Maybe it's due to less humidity in North Dakota?
My question is, how does what I experienced compare with typical conditions during the winter time? Was this normal? Colder than normal? Warmer than normal? I ask because I like the eastern part of the state enough to have it in my "maybe pile" as a place to retire, coming up in less than 10 years. But I'd like to have some sense of what I'd be getting into, weather-wise, before taking the plunge.
According to this chart, the average high in Fargo in December is 22 and the average low is 6. What I experienced was a high of about 0 and a low of -6, which are both colder than the averages in December and even in January, the coldest month. Yet, other posters are saying that what I experienced wasn't all that bad, all told. So I'm still left wondering.
According to this chart, the average high in Fargo in December is 22 and the average low is 6. What I experienced was a high of about 0 and a low of -6, which are both colder than the averages in December and even in January, the coldest month. Yet, other posters are saying that what I experienced wasn't all that bad, all told. So I'm still left wondering.
It's below average but that's seasonably cold. Unseasonably cold is like high of -7 to -10 or colder with low of -25 or below.
According to this chart, the average high in Fargo in December is 22 and the average low is 6. What I experienced was a high of about 0 and a low of -6, which are both colder than the averages in December and even in January, the coldest month. Yet, other posters are saying that what I experienced wasn't all that bad, all told. So I'm still left wondering.
It's more a matter of what you are used to (perspective). And the people of ND are used to zero degree temps because they occur several times through the winter. So that's just "colder than usual".
Where I live the average high for December and January is right around 50 degrees. But if it is in the 30s people will say that it's just "cold". Highs probably have to be in the 20s or less for people to say that it is exceptionally cold. And it probably needs to be highs in the teens or less to really get people to say that it is brutally cold.
If I were to go to North Dakota and get what you got I'd think it was brutally cold just like you did.
I had occasion to visit Fargo and Grand Forks between December 5 and 7. This coincided with a snow storm that brought 35 mph winds and wind chills below 0 on Sunday night; then sub-zero temps on Monday, slowly rising to a high in the upper single digits or low teens by Tuesday. To me, it was cold. The wind chill, especially, was just brutal. But to my surprise, the 0 temps didn't actually feel too bad, when the wind wasn't blowing. It actually felt warmer to me than temps in the 30s do here in Maryland, where I live. Maybe it's due to less humidity in North Dakota?
My question is, how does what I experienced compare with typical conditions during the winter time? Was this normal? Colder than normal? Warmer than normal? I ask because I like the eastern part of the state enough to have it in my "maybe pile" as a place to retire, coming up in less than 10 years. But I'd like to have some sense of what I'd be getting into, weather-wise, before taking the plunge.
This week we are having extreme cold. Its actually -20 right now at 8:15am. I do not know what the windchill is...But htis week we have seen wind chill's of -35. Now that is extreme cold imo.
What you experienced during your visit is pretty much the norm....although we have had winters during the last several years with barely any snow and temps above zero for weeks...It all varies.
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