Bismarck weather by month
What a typical year looks like in Bismarck, North Dakota: average highs and lows, rain and snow, and the warmest and coldest days on record. Normals are the 1991–2020 averages at Bismarck Municipal Airport, 4 km from Bismarck; records cover 1874–2026.
The year at a glance
- Precipitation a year
- 19.1 in484 mm
- Snow a year
- 51 in128 cm
- Last spring freeze
- May 15
- First fall freeze
- Sep 23
- Heating degree days
- 8,471
- Cooling degree days
- 536
Freeze dates are medians (half of years earlier, half later). Degree days use a 65°F base; HVAC design temperatures here are −21°−29° (heating, 99%) and 97°36° (cooling, 1%).
Month by month
Bismarck in January
Highs average 23°−5° and lows 2°−16°, with 0.48 in12 mm of precipitation and 9 in23 cm of snow in a typical January.
- Record high
- 63°17° (2002)
- Record low
- −45°−43° (1916)
- Heating degree days
- 1618
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Bismarck in February
Highs average 28°−2° and lows 7°−14°, with 0.52 in13 mm of precipitation and 8 in19 cm of snow in a typical February.
- Record high
- 73°23° (2016)
- Record low
- −45°−43° (1936)
- Heating degree days
- 1330
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Bismarck in March
Highs average 41°5° and lows 19°−7°, with 0.84 in21 mm of precipitation and 9 in22 cm of snow in a typical March.
- Record high
- 81°27° (1910)
- Record low
- −36°−38° (1897)
- Heating degree days
- 1084
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Bismarck in April
Highs average 56°13° and lows 30°−1°, with 1.3 in34 mm of precipitation and 5 in12 cm of snow in a typical April.
- Record high
- 93°34° (1980)
- Record low
- −12°−24° (1975)
- Heating degree days
- 655
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Bismarck in May
Highs average 68°20° and lows 42°6°, with 2.5 in64 mm of precipitation and 0.4 in1 cm of snow in a typical May.
- Record high
- 102°39° (1934)
- Record low
- 13°−11° (1907)
- Heating degree days
- 316
- Cooling degree days
- 17
Bismarck in June
Highs average 78°26° and lows 53°12°, with 3.4 in85 mm of precipitation in a typical June.
- Record high
- 111°44° (2002)
- Record low
- 30°−1° (1969)
- Heating degree days
- 77
- Cooling degree days
- 88
Bismarck in July
Highs average 85°29° and lows 58°14°, with 3.1 in78 mm of precipitation in a typical July.
- Record high
- 114°46° (1936)
- Record low
- 32°0° (1884)
- Heating degree days
- 16
- Cooling degree days
- 211
Bismarck in August
Highs average 84°29° and lows 56°13°, with 2.5 in64 mm of precipitation in a typical August.
- Record high
- 109°43° (1941)
- Record low
- 32°0° (1895)
- Heating degree days
- 31
- Cooling degree days
- 174
Bismarck in September
Highs average 73°23° and lows 46°8°, with 1.7 in44 mm of precipitation in a typical September.
- Record high
- 105°41° (1931)
- Record low
- 10°−12° (1876)
- Heating degree days
- 204
- Cooling degree days
- 44
Bismarck in OctoberThis month
Highs average 57°14° and lows 33°0°, with 1.4 in36 mm of precipitation and 2.5 in6.4 cm of snow in a typical October.
- Record high
- 95°35° (1953)
- Record low
- −10°−23° (1919)
- Heating degree days
- 626
- Cooling degree days
- 2
Bismarck in November
Highs average 41°5° and lows 19°−7°, with 0.69 in18 mm of precipitation and 8 in20 cm of snow in a typical November.
- Record high
- 79°26° (1999)
- Record low
- −30°−34° (1985)
- Heating degree days
- 1054
- Cooling degree days
- 0
Bismarck in December
Highs average 28°−2° and lows 8°−13°, with 0.6 in15 mm of precipitation and 10 in26 cm of snow in a typical December.
- Record high
- 66°19° (1939)
- Record low
- −43°−42° (1967)
- Heating degree days
- 1460
- Cooling degree days
- 0