Below-normal temperatures are likely for the Minot region for the next few months. That’s the latest from the Climate Prediction Center.
While cold temperatures are to be expected during a North Dakota winter, this winter will be influenced by La Niña conditions that are projected to persist into early spring. The CPC issued their latest 3-month outlook this week.
La Niña conditions in the equatorial Pacific is the major reason for the below-normal temperature outlook. According to the CPC, “Probabilities of below-normal temperatures are elevated for parts of the northern High Plains.”
The National Weather Service office in Bismarck issued a statement in conjunction with the CPC outlook, saying, “This does not mean that there won’t be mild periods, but the overall temperature pattern is expected to be below average, especially in the northern half of North Dakota.”
As for the holiday season, keep your warmest coat and gloves close at hand. The NWS concludes there is a “moderate to high risk” of 10-15 degree below-normal temperatures December 24-27 and a 90% chance for wind chills to be lower than minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit Dec. 23-29. Normal daytime high temperatures for Minot in late December is 21-22 degrees.
The indicators for snowfall the next three months are not nearly as strong as the temperature pattern. The NWS says there is some indication of above-average precipitation, but the overall outlook for snowfall remains in the normal category.
