2001 Fargo, North Dakota (FAR)

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2001 FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA (FAR)

Moorhead, Minnesota, and Fargo are twin cities in the Red River Valley of the north. The Red River of the north flows northward between the two cities and is a part of the Hudson Bay drainage area. The Red River is approximately 2 miles east of the airport at its nearest point and has no significant effect on the weather. In recent years, spring floods due to melting snow have been common. Summer floods caused by heavy rains are infrequent.

The surrounding terrain is flat and open. Northerly winds blowing up the valley occasionally causing low cloudiness and fog. However, this upslope cloudiness is very infrequent. Aside from this, there are no pronounced climatic differences due to geographical features in the immediate area.

The summers are generally comfortable with very few days of hot and humid weather. Nights, with few exceptions, are comfortably cool. The winter months are cold and dry with temperatures rising above freezing only on an average of six days each month, and nighttime lows dropping below zero approximately half of the time.

Precipitation is the most important climatic factor in the area. The Red River Valley lies in an area where lighter amounts fall to the west and heavier amounts to the east. Seventy–five percent of the precipitation occurs during the growing season (April to September) and is often accompanied by electrical storms and heavy falls in a short time. Winter precipitation is light, indicating that heavy snowfall is the exception rather than the rule. The first light snow in the fall occasionally falls in September, but usually very little, if any, occurs until October or November. The latest fall is generally in April.

With the flat terrain, surface friction has little effect on the wind in the area and this fact has led to the legendary Dakota blizzards. Strong winds with even light snowfall cause much drifting and blowing snow, reducing visibility to near zero. Fortunately, these conditions occur only several times during the winter months.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

FARGO, ND (FAR)

LATITUDE:    LONGITUDE:    ELEVATION (FT):    TIME ZONE:    WBAN: 14914

46 55′ 31″ N  96 48′ 40″ W  GRND:  908 BARO:  911  CENTRAL (UTC + 6)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3015.421.134.653.868.577.483.481.369.456.736.820.151.5
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM5415.121.634.153.568.677.082.481.470.157.036.421.251.5
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM4952667810098100106106102937457106
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198119581967198019641995198819761959196319901962JUL 1988
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.5437.341.454.177.988.192.095.095.589.679.358.841.770.9
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM30–3.62.717.332.143.853.658.856.445.934.619.43.130.3
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM54–3.43.316.832.044.154.158.857.046.435.119.64.730.7
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM49–35–39–23–720303633197–24–32–39
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE197719961980197519661969196719821965197619851967FEB 1996
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.54–25.4–21.1–8.614.827.239.546.043.230.218.9–1.8–18.712.0
NORMAL DRY BULB305.912.025.943.056.265.571.168.857.745.728.111.641.0
MEAN DRY BULB545.812.525.442.656.265.570.669.258.146.028.012.941.1
MEAN WET BULB168.814.125.838.050.459.363.461.952.340.224.112.737.6
MEAN DEW POINT164.39.721.130.142.153.858.856.946.833.719.78.732.1
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.00.00.00.10.72.45.55.31.0*0.00.015.0
MAXIMUM 323027.121.212.51.2*0.00.00.00.00.510.524.997.9
MINIMUM 323031.027.927.616.44.0*0.00.01.812.826.730.9179.1
MINIMUM 03018.512.84.30.10.00.00.00.00.00.02.213.451.3
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS30183214841212660307931948239598110716559254
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS3000003510820916520000537
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3073757666606667666969767670
HOUR 00 LST3074778073687577767875797876
HOUR 06 LST3074768279768285868581827880
HOUR 12 LST3071727057505654545859707462
HOUR 18 LST3073747053465251505560737661
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE5450565860616271696054404357
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG(VISBY 1/4 MI)591.11.62.00.60.40.60.81.10.91.01.51.913.5
THUNDERSTORMS590.00.00.21.23.56.97.96.92.90.90.10.030.5
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE–SUNSET (OKTAS)16.44.8
MIDNIGHT–MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)15.6
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR12.02.07.03.09.0
PARTLY CLOUDY11.03.03.05.0
CLOUDY11.04.012.07.05.0
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE(IN)2929.1029.0929.0029.0028.9928.9029.0029.0029.0029.0029.0129.1129.02
MEAN SEA–LEVEL PRES. (IN)1730.1230.1430.0729.9729.9129.9929.9329.9729.9929.9930.0530.1130.02
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)4612.612.513.013.712.811.810.310.811.712.812.812.412.3
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)3035163535161616161616161616
MAXIMUM 2–MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)649514949454374513949474374
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)34333432242433341633311633
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199619961999200019962000199920012001199619991996JUL 1999
MAXIMUM 5–SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)656565559615491584861565291
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)34323432251334341633301634
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199719961999200019962000199920012001199619991996JUL 1999
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)300.670.451.061.822.452.822.702.431.991.680.730.6519.45
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)601.851.742.625.287.3411.728.428.526.507.034.582.1911.72
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198919791995198619982000195219441999198219771951JUN 2000
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)600.090.030.030.010.460.580.420.180.130.050.020.040.01
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE196119541958198819761972195019841974198619991958APR 1988
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)601.191.221.161.914.104.645.104.723.973.221.990.875.10
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199619461950196319772000199319431957198219771960JUL 1993
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.01308.36.88.18.49.710.39.58.97.86.85.68.198.3
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.00.00.00.20.50.40.70.50.40.30.10.03.1
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)3010.05.87.43.10.*0.00.00.0T0.75.37.840.1
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)6031.519.526.212.81.0TTT0.68.126.420.431.5
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198919791997197019501994199919941942195119961996JAN 1989
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)6019.411.212.08.61.0TTT0.67.812.69.319.4
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198919511997197019501994199919941942195119771988JAN 1989
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)533024328100005171932
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19891994199719751979195119851985MAR 1997
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0302.91.82.51.10.00.00.00.00.00.31.62.412.6
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 FARGO, ND (FAR)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19720.940.610.740.963.520.582.783.451.221.250.221.5117.78
19730.120.131.250.701.651.783.603.854.981.540.901.0221.52
19740.350.360.713.404.030.904.756.460.133.100.480.3224.99
19751.320.271.483.241.459.402.422.901.241.760.640.1826.30
19761.250.351.001.190.462.340.630.410.550.160.260.248.84
19770.651.241.720.847.301.645.362.533.212.464.580.7532.28
19780.160.180.431.151.784.402.923.790.920.131.110.4717.44
19790.441.742.003.042.022.923.380.900.312.600.480.1419.97
19801.230.570.620.020.642.680.764.242.521.060.470.3015.11
19810.110.490.670.613.462.563.211.761.112.360.400.8517.59
19821.320.541.250.451.821.612.641.121.127.031.130.1720.20
19830.460.212.270.422.002.344.162.561.631.621.040.9619.67
19840.790.901.121.680.615.380.640.181.236.760.180.9020.37
19850.200.181.350.605.031.443.912.301.391.121.060.5919.17
19860.850.270.195.281.003.984.781.723.670.051.430.2923.51
19870.270.860.490.123.460.662.863.231.700.180.480.6915.00
19881.620.221.020.011.821.240.462.143.220.491.181.1114.53
19891.850.211.491.032.601.510.626.072.100.311.180.2419.21
19900.130.581.541.781.526.050.780.991.751.220.020.7717.13
19910.291.270.973.152.386.261.861.871.280.710.460.3720.87
19920.890.511.050.892.326.470.832.352.550.261.730.5620.41
19930.790.190.830.742.674.287.711.130.490.191.881.0021.90
19940.670.640.972.560.822.535.762.852.063.150.890.2023.10
19950.760.622.620.692.071.415.271.752.582.040.990.7321.53
19961.820.940.410.213.001.331.362.113.182.410.070.6917.53
19971.790.591.893.122.544.862.732.602.312.890.450.0725.84
19980.811.510.970.607.346.622.741.932.444.731.750.3131.75
19991.150.201.831.043.502.832.344.436.501.04T0.4525.31
20000.330.991.771.332.6911.722.443.073.641.964.130.6934.76
20010.200.740.262.702.882.733.142.191.452.741.000.2220.25
POR=121 YRS0.660.630.571.413.562.571.720.902.371.190.410.0816.07
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) 2001 FARGO, ND (FAR)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19722.74.123.941.059.866.968.470.556.942.428.63.839.1
197310.316.336.041.454.264.768.371.754.850.225.110.141.9
19741.79.622.942.251.164.473.764.353.447.529.220.940.1
197512.310.118.435.956.665.274.368.155.449.431.114.841.0
19767.721.423.047.055.868.571.873.660.039.523.26.941.5
1977–3.317.532.049.566.566.672.262.557.947.125.66.541.7
1978–1.43.423.542.559.164.769.569.163.646.422.87.339.2
1979–4.2–1.520.436.050.465.471.967.362.042.624.520.738.0
19806.68.320.749.061.465.771.967.556.942.433.112.741.4
198111.819.633.545.655.562.871.169.657.444.535.48.743.0
1982–7.08.922.940.758.159.170.968.557.545.724.120.939.2
198316.121.829.940.252.166.173.572.956.744.431.3–.342.1
19849.724.923.445.654.265.870.673.354.447.429.79.642.4
19855.110.932.946.660.260.069.064.553.944.615.43.938.9
198613.810.531.643.957.567.571.565.656.145.323.120.842.3
198718.227.531.451.561.769.174.066.859.642.633.420.646.4
19885.99.329.544.563.973.875.872.258.542.927.515.243.3
198911.41.720.142.258.264.175.970.858.545.824.04.339.8
199021.817.631.443.655.067.070.071.162.345.632.112.244.1
19916.420.530.448.061.570.170.272.758.842.022.018.843.5
199217.323.532.641.458.762.064.364.856.845.127.310.542.0
19937.59.825.643.356.763.167.069.254.743.926.616.040.3
1994–3.96.330.543.759.968.267.666.561.950.434.020.742.2
199510.812.428.438.954.871.470.072.058.844.121.211.541.2
1996–1.811.217.437.853.667.067.971.159.145.317.75.937.7
19971.812.420.137.853.069.069.367.961.947.023.223.540.6
199811.328.026.649.260.963.471.772.763.947.629.317.345.2
19996.322.531.245.158.066.471.568.055.444.337.122.944.1
20009.821.635.242.457.362.770.669.658.048.326.0–.241.8
200114.33.923.044.458.565.972.670.559.444.439.720.143.1
POR=121 YRS5.610.524.842.655.364.870.168.158.145.527.512.840.5

REFERENCE NOTES:

PAGE 1:

THE TEMPERATURE GRAPH SHOWS NORMAL MAXIMUM AND NORMAL MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES (SOLID CURVES) AND THE ACTUAL DAILY HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES (VERTICAL BARS).

PAGE 2 AND 3:

H/C INDICATES HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

RH INDICATES RELATIVE HUMIDITY

W/O INDICATES WEATHER AND OBSTRUCTIONS

S INDICATES SUNSHINE.

PR INDICATES PRESSURE.

CLOUDINESS ON PAGE 3 IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT EIGHTHS (OKTAS).

GENERAL:

T INDICATES TRACE PRECIPITATION, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN ZERO BUT LESS THAN THE LOWEST REPORTABLE VALUE.

+ INDICATES THE VALUE ALSO OCCURS ON EARLIER DATES.

BLANK ENTRIES DENOTE MISSING OR UNREPORTED DATA.

NORMALS ARE 30–YEAR AVERAGES (1961–1990).

ASOS INDICATES AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM.

PM INDICATES THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

POR (PERIOD OF RECORD) BEGINS WITH THE JANUARY DATA MONTH AND IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS USED TO COMPUTE THE MEAN. INDIVIDUAL MONTHS WITHIN THE POR MAY BE MISSING.

WHEN THE POR FOR A NORMAL IS LESS THAN 30 YEARS, THE NORMAL IS PROVISIONAL AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS INDICATED.

0.* OR * INDICATES THE VALUE OR MEAN–DAYS–WITH IS BETWEEN 0.00 AND 0.05.

CLOUDINESS FOR ASOS STATIONS DIFFERS FROM THE NON–ASOS OBSERVATION TAKEN BY A HUMAN OBSERVER. ASOS STATION CLOUDINESS IS BASED ON TIME–AVERAGED CEILOMETER DATA FOR CLOUDS AT OR BELOW 12,000 FEET AND ON SATELLITE DATA FOR CLOUDS ABOVE 12,000 FEET.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH CLEAR, PARTLY CLOUDY, AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR ASOS STATIONS IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA FOR THE SUNRISE TO SUNSET PERIOD.

GENERAL CONTINUED:

CLEAR INDICATES 0–2 OKTAS, PARTLY CLOUDY INDICATES 3–6 OKTAS, AND CLOUDY INDICATES 7 OR 8 OKTAS. WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS (CEILOMETER OR SATELLITE) IS MISSING, THE DAILY CLOUDINESS IS NOT COMPUTED.

WIND DIRECTION IS RECORDED IN TENS OF DEGREES (2 DIGITS) CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH. "00" INDICATES CALM. "36" INDICATES TRUE NORTH.

RESULTANT WIND IS THE VECTOR AVERAGE OF THE SPEED AND DIRECTION.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE SUM OF THE MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIVIDED BY 2.

SNOWFALL DATA COMPRISE ALL FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING HAIL.

A HEATING (COOLING) DEGREE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AND 65 F.

DRY BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMBIENT AIR.

DEW POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE AIR MUST BE COOLED TO ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

WET BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE THE AIR WOULD HAVE IF THE MOISTURE CONTENT WAS INCREASED TO 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

ON JULY 1, 1996, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGAN USING THE "METAR" OBSERVATION CODE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPLOYED BY MOST OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ANNUAL PUBLICATION WILL BE THE CHANGE IN UNITS FROM TENTHS TO EIGHTS (OKTAS) FOR REPORTING THE AMOUNT OF SKY COVER.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 FARGO, ND (FAR)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972–7325412616951089189716881361893701328799058
1973–7432330945111871698196315501298676431869684
1974–7539134553710661362163015351438867265799218
1975–76142228449210121550177412571296533285558574
1976–771392277881247179721191327101546674309112
1977–7879521154911781817206117211284668209909890
1978–791539179571126217882147186313778614576410623
1979–8034513968912091367180816441363493206619027
1980–81335267696951161616451266971574298848406
1981–82141025062788117422236157012987252221879762
1982–8306625758912191359151312061082738390748493
1983–8416230163110042023171411541280576344529097
1984–85151333954110531715185315149885501721798932
1985–86137232962514871895158515271027627266459498
1986–8706926860212511360144710471036415163397697
1987–881559177688940136918321614109260913188534
1988–8932520767711181537165817711386677224969379
1989–9001722459912241881133213241034666314588673
1990–91818173594982163718131242106650521168255
1991–923323470812841425147311989987092471378419
1992–936684252613112516861780154212146432691119385
1993–94351931065211441514213716401062637211189379
1994–9519581464469251366167414691131777316428369
1995–96100241641130816542071155714728123556510186
1996–9712623460414121826195214661382810368410076
1997–984843126560124912811659103111854671511117911
1998–995012453010641471181411861042588234668124
1999–004272856358311297170412519186722521197995
2000–01262322651111662014156717051296617215819447
2001–15262036317511385
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 FARGO, ND (FAR)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197200007412513521723000574
1973000007614021913000448
19740000975281753100444
19750000119230812611500553
19760000416422828383400766
1977000612986235238000487
197800003186165176146000604
19790000128522512458000504
1980000181028922211931100582
1981000092521215926000431
19820002112018917939000440
19830000211328825255000710
19840000188119627924400602
198500063135143634000282
19860000411262089210000477
1987000176616930312125000701
19880000102280346252220001002
198900001976345201341100686
1990000291012317221498100647
1991000210716617125054000750
199200095852498511300267
1993000019611071559400355
199400045912210510960000459
19950000524317522762300715
19960000813110720463000513
19970000313118613638900503
19980000327121824596000662
19990000231172141274000485
20000000195720817219000475
200100092011225720244000644
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 FARGO, ND (FAR)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-730.00.0T3.81.718.51.71.41.42.40.00.030.9
1973-740.00.00.0T3.912.36.17.110.52.70.00.042.6
1974-750.00.00.00.41.05.118.35.918.73.7T0.053.1
1975-760.00.00.00.43.81.914.06.214.0T0.10.040.4
1976-770.00.00.00.12.75.512.610.74.62.10.00.038.3
1977-780.00.00.0T24.27.24.63.97.12.80.00.049.8
1978-790.00.00.0T8.511.77.819.54.32.70.80.055.3
1979-800.00.00.01.46.01.517.37.26.5T0.00.039.9
1980-810.00.00.00.51.14.62.14.50.3T0.00.013.1
1981-820.00.0T2.32.29.930.010.914.00.20.00.069.5
1982-830.00.00.00.06.80.33.82.07.42.9T0.023.2
1983-840.00.0TT5.311.811.53.17.70.50.00.039.9
1984-850.00.0TT1.47.43.73.112.6T0.00.028.2
1985-860.00.00.0T24.310.411.26.70.73.7T0.057.0
1986-870.00.00.0T5.33.82.810.41.2T0.00.023.5
1987-880.00.00.0T3.06.624.34.46.2T0.00.044.5
1988-890.00.00.0T11.614.931.52.312.40.9T0.073.6
1989-900.0TTT16.32.60.87.911.57.2T0.046.3
1990-910.00.00.01.30.212.44.015.310.94.2TT48.3
1991-920.00.0T0.35.25.910.52.10.23.3T0.027.5
1992-930.00.0T1.816.49.216.73.36.4T0.00.053.8
1993-940.00.00.0T21.513.818.012.812.110.90.0T89.1
1994-950.0T0.00.04.03.010.89.519.04.00.00.050.3
1995-960.00.0T1.09.612.727.28.915.00.20.00.074.6
1996-970.00.00.0T26.420.428.68.026.27.4T0.0117.0
1997-980.00.00.00.311.17.412.63.65.40.70.0T41.1
1998-990.00.00.00.012.34.519.72.110.0T0.00.048.6
1999-00T0.00.0T0.04.36.511.45.66.20.00.034.0
2000-010.00.00.0T15.313.42.711.61.58.00.00.052.5
2001-0.00.00.05.411.25.0
POR=59 YRS0.0T0.00.76.37.29.46.17.33.30.1T40.4

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