Discover the 5 Coldest Places in North Dakota

The United States is a big country with diverse climates. Some places experience warm winters with sunshine and almost zero amount of rain. Florida is one of those states, along with Southern California. But some states are the complete opposite. States like New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Iowa will experience cold, shivering winters. When it comes to North Dakota, some places are so cold that you will be completely chilled to the bone. Let’s take a look at the five coldest places in North Dakota that are bone-chillingly frigid.

Grand Forks

The City of Grand Forks is the coldest in North Dakota, but it’s also the second coldest city in the United States. North Dakota has the distinction of having four out of the top 10 coldest cities in the US. The reason for its super cold weather during the winter is that the Rocky Mountains block the warm air from California. Grand Forks has a population of 59,000 people, and it is the third most popular city in North Dakota. Low temperatures in Grand Forks can go as low as -42 degrees Fahrenheit. The average annual temperature is 39.8 degrees Fahrenheit with the coldest month being January. Grand Forks is located in north central North Dakota on the border with Minnesota.

Bismarck

Bismarck is the state’s second most popular city with a population of 73,000 people. The city sits on the Missouri River and was founded in 1872. The coldest month of the year for Bismarck is January with an average of 12 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day. Its average annual temperature, however, is 43.1 degrees Fahrenheit. When it comes to snow, it experiences a whopping 50 inches of snow every year. The month that gets the most snow is December, followed by January. Lastly, the record temperature of -45 degrees Fahrenheit that the city experienced was in January and February. Bismarck is located in central North Dakota.

Fargo

Fargo is a snowy city during winter and as such, its sister cities of Hamar Norway, Vimmerby, Sweden, and Martin, Slovenia, are also snowy cities during winter. Like its European counterparts, Fargo is one of the coldest cities in the state. With a population of 125,000, Fargo experiences an annual average temperature of 42.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Its coldest month is January, followed by February. When it comes to snow, it experiences a yearly average of 51 inches. On January 8, 1887, Fargo experienced its coldest temperature on record with a whopping -48 degrees Fahrenheit. Fargo is located in eastern North Dakota on the border with Minnesota.

Williston

Williston, ND is chilly. It’s extremely chilly, in fact. Why? It has experienced two -50 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures in its recorded history. On February 16, 1936, and again on December 23, 1983, the city dropped to that level. The small town of 29,000 was founded in 1887 and was named after merchant Daniel Willis James. Even though it has a small population, it is the sixth-most populous city in the state. Williston experienced 48 inches of snow per year, on average. The snowiest month is in January, followed by December.

Hettinger

Hettinger, ND, is a small town but it is also known for being the town that experienced the lowest temperature on Earth that day. On January 1, 2018, Hettinger, ND, recorded a whopping -45 degrees Fahrenheit. The town of 1,000 people, had forecasted a high of 0 degrees Fahrenheit for that day. North Dakota State University is nearby where they have a livestock research station located in the town. Hettinger is located on the southwest border with South Dakota.

Conclusion

And there you have it, these are the five coldest places in North Dakota that are frighteningly cold. You won’t survive with a thick jacket in North Dakota. You are going to need an abundance of extra layers just to keep warm. Winters are when people spend the majority of their time inside. The temperatures these places have had have been freezing or below freezing. It’s part of the charm of these places, after all. North Dakota is beautiful during winter because of the natural landscapes it has. Of course, if you ever visit in winter, make sure you bring thick jackets and extra layers to make sure your stay in the five coldest places in North Dakota is warm.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © FiledIMAGE/Shutterstock.com