Winter Outlook For North Dakota From The National Weather Service

Winter Weather Sounds Kind of Good

I say this after a very warm July and August, and some very expensive electrical bills after having my air conditioner running nonstop. That alone makes me look forward to cooler weather, at the very least Autumn. Speaking of Autumn, here's the fall outlook from The Old Farmer's Almanac below.

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

Even last weekend at my lake, the water temperature was still 75 degrees, and it felt more like swimming in July than September. The water temperature was as high as 85 degrees back in August. I don't think I've ever seen it that warm before.

The Drought

We are officially in a drought situation over most of North Dakota, including Bismarck-Mandan. Most of our listening area is now in a Moderate Drought, with parts of North Dakota in an extreme drought in parts of Eastern and Western North Dakota. The long-range forecast isn't looking favorable for precipitation either, as it's supposed to be a warm and dry fall. I like the warm part. It means a longer hunting season.

The National Weather Service's Winter Outlook

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.