Breaking Records and Freezing Faces: North Dakota’s Arctic Blast

If you thought it was cold the last few days in the Peace Garden State, you were absolutely right—so right, in fact, that Mother Nature decided to make history.

Bismarck Breaks 114-Year-Old Cold Record at -39°F

Yesterday, the National Weather Service in Bismarck confirmed that the capital city shattered a 114-year-old record, hitting a bone-chilling -39°F. That beat the previous record of -37°F set way back in 1910—when people probably had to trek uphill both ways through the snow just to get frostbite.

Minot Sets New Record Low with a Frosty -33°F

Not to be outdone, Minot also decided to rewrite the record books. The Magic City plunged to -33°F, breaking the 1903 record of -27°F. It’s safe to say this kind of magic is not the kind we were hoping for.

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No Records Broken For Williston, But Still Cold

Meanwhile, here in Williston, we bottomed out at -28°F—which, frankly, felt more like -100°F when the wind hit just right. But let’s be honest: once the temperature drops below zero, it’s all just different levels of misery.

Now for some good news—because we desperately need it! NWS in Bismarck has a lot of confidence growing that a big warm-up is on the way for western and central North Dakota this weekend and beyond. Sure, February and March like to keep us on our toes, but at least we’re inching toward spring. So, hang in there, North Dakota! Warmer days are coming… eventually.

And when they do, we’ll probably start complaining about the mud...but that's for another day!