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TRANSCRIPT
Temperature
National Weather Service Grand Forks
Weather & Climate Review
2019 in Review
Figure 1 can look a little overwhelming, but it is actually fairly simple. All data is from the Fargo, North Dakota airport. The top
purple line represents the daily record highs, while the bottom tan line represents the daily record lows. The “steady” dark red
line shows the normal daily highs and the steady dark blue line shows the normal daily lows. The final two lines, the lighter red
and lighter blue lines, are the daily highs and lows from 2019.
What stands out? Look for periods when the daily lows are greater than the normal highs. These would be warm periods. You
can see there were not too many, but one fell during early January (1 on Figure 1). None occurred during the summer months
of June, July, and August. Warm periods are also represented by days when the daily highs approached or exceeded the record
highs. There were two record highs in 2019, 40 degrees (a tie) on January 3rd (2 on Figure 1) and 93 degrees on June 8th (3 on
Figure 1).
Cool periods can be defined similarly. Label 4 on Figure 1 shows a cold period in early November. There were no record lows in
2019. The highest temperature of 2019 was the 96 degrees on June 7th, while the coldest temperature of 2019 was –33 de-
grees on January 30th.
1. Daily
Figure 1 2019 Daily Temperature Statistics at Fargo, ND
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1
2
3
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2. Monthly
Figure 2 2019 Monthly Temperature Statistics at Fargo, ND
3. Yearly
Figure 3 Yearly Temperature Statistics at Fargo, ND
Figure 3 shows how the Fargo yearly average temperature
compared to the 1981-2010 normal (the latest 30 year
normal). 2019 is on the far right hand side of the graphic,
with other recent years shown to the left. A year with a
red bar indicates the year was warmer than normal, while
a year with a blue bar represents a year that was colder
than normal. The value above or below the red or blue
bar indicates the departure from normal. For example, in
2010, Fargo was 0.8 degrees above normal. 2019 (39.3
degrees, or 3.0 degrees below normal) turned out to be
the coolest yearly average temperature in the past 10
years. However, it was not in the top 10 warmest or cool-
est years ever.
Figure 2 shows how the Fargo monthly average temperatures
compared to normal. A month with a red bar indicates the month
was warmer than normal, while a month with a blue bar repre-
sents a month that was colder than normal. The value above or
below the red or blue bar indicates the departure from normal. As
an example, in January 2019, Fargo was 3.0 degrees below nor-
mal. Nine months out of the twelve were below normal, with Feb-
ruary being significantly colder than normal. No months in 2019
broke into the top 10 warmest or coldest months on record.
Precipitation 1. Daily
Figure 4 2019 Daily Precipitation Statistics at Fargo, ND
Figure 4 plots the daily precipitation amounts at Fargo throughout 2019. The most liquid equivalent, 2.20 inches, fell on July 8th
(labeled 4 on Figure 4). Daily records were set with 0.90 inches on March 9th (1), 0.51 inches on March 13th (2), 1.40 inches on
June 29th (3), 2.20 inches on July 8th (4), 0.68 inches on November 30th (5), and 0.67 inches on December 29th (6).
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4
1
2
3
5 6
2. Monthly
Figure 5 2019 Monthly Precipitation Statistics at Fargo, ND
Figure 5 looks at how the Fargo monthly average precipitation in 2019
compared to normal. A month with a green bar indicates the month was
wetter than normal, while a month with a brown bar represents a month
that was drier than normal. The value above or below the green or brown
bar indicates the departure from normal. For example, in January 2019,
Fargo was 0.11 inches below normal. February 2019 became the 6th
wettest (1.69 inches or 1.08 inches above normal), September became
the 10th wettest (4.47 inches or 1.90 inches above normal), October be-
came the 10th wettest (3.78 inches or 1.63 inches above normal), and
December became the 8th wettest (0.89 inches above normal).
3. Yearly
Figure 6 Yearly Precipitation Statistics at Fargo, ND
Figure 6 looks at how the Fargo yearly precipitation compared
to the 1981-2010 normal (the latest 30 year normal). 2019 is on
the far right hand side of the graphic, with other recent years
shown to the left. A year with a green bar indicates the year
was wetter than normal, while a year with a brown bar repre-
sents a year that was drier than normal. The value above or
below the green or brown bar indicates the departure from
normal. As an example, in 2010, Fargo was 6.90 inches above
normal. 2019 was the second wettest year of the last 10 years
(8.66 inches above normal).
Figure 7 Areal Depiction of 2019 Precipitation
Figure 7 gives an areal depiction of the 2019 precipitation across eastern North Dakota and the northwest quarter of Minneso-
ta. A good portion of east central and southeast North Dakota into the northwest quarter of Minnesota shows tan and orange
colors, which the color bar on the right shows as 30 to 40 inches of precipitation. The lowest totals on Figure 7 were across the
Devils Lake and Lake of the Woods regions, with 20 to 30 inches of precipitation (green and yellow colors). Figure 8 shows how
the 2019 totals compare to normal. For east central and southeast North Dakota into the northwest quarter of Minnesota, the
colors are mostly dark green and blue, which are 125 to 200 percent of normal. For the Devils Lake and Lake of the Woods re-
gions, the colors are light gray to dark green, which are 100 to 150 percent of normal.
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Figure 8 2019 Precipitation as Percent of Normal
2. Monthly
Figure 10 2019 Monthly Snowfall Statistics at Fargo, ND
Figure 10 plots the monthly snowfall amounts at Fargo throughout 2019.
The most snowfall, 21.4 inches, fell in February, which was the most
snow in February ever. The October amount of 4.5 inches tied for the 5th
most snow ever in October and the December amount of 20.4 inches
tied for the 6th most snow ever in December (with 1996).
Yearly snowfall amounts are not shown. Since the snow season actually
crosses years (2019-20), it is not a true calendar year statistic.
Snow Depth
Figure 11 2019 Daily Snow Depth at Fargo, ND
Figure 11 plots the daily snow depth at Fargo throughout 2019. The snow depth measurement is taken at 6 am each day. The
snow depth dropped to zero in early April (labeled 1 on Figure 10). However, more snow fell on April 11th and 12th (2). The
melting of this snow contributed to the spring flood. The October 10th-12th winter storm (3) brought an early snowfall to the
area (see Figure 28 on page 9).
Snowfall
1. Daily
Figure 9 2019 Daily Snowfall Statistics at Fargo, ND
Figure 9 plots the daily snowfall amounts at Fargo throughout 2019. The most snowfall, 9.0 inches, fell on March 9th (labeled 1
on Figure 9), which set a new daily record. Daily records were also set with 5.8 inches on April 11th (2), 4.1 inches on October
11th (3), 7.4 inches on November 30th (4), and 6.8 inches on December 29th (5).
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1
2
3
4
3 2 1
1. Daily
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Other Stations
Although the most detailed records exist for the Fargo-Moorhead climate site (FAR) and the National Weather Service site in
Grand Forks (NWS GF), some information is also kept for a few other sites (DVL = Devils Lake, GFK = Grand Forks airport, BDE =
Baudette, PKD = Park Rapids). Table 1 shows from left to right, the highest temperature and date, lowest temperature and date,
highest daily precipitation and date, highest daily snowfall and date, and highest wind speed and date.
Table 1 Miscellaneous 2019 Daily Statistics for Various Climate Sites
Table 2 Miscellaneous 2019 Yearly Statistics for Various Climate Sites
2019 will go down in the books as a cool and wet year. Looking at
Table 2, for yearly average temperature, Fargo ended up at 39.3 de-
grees, or 3.0 degrees below normal. However, this yearly average
temperature did not make it into the “top ten” coolest years. Devils
Lake was the coolest station, at 36.3 degrees. Fargo had 31.24 inches
of precipitation, ending up 8.66 inches above normal. This was the
7th wettest year on record. The NWS Grand Forks ended the year
with 33.92 inches of precipitation, or 12.30 inches above normal.
Wind
Figure 12 Windy Days at the Grand Forks & Baudette airports in 2019 Figure 13 Windy Days at the Grand Forks airport since 2010
Figure 12 shows the number of days in each month during 2019 with an average wind speed greater than 15 mph at both the
Grand Forks and Baudette airports. Grand Forks, being in the flat, ancient Lake Agassiz bed, is quite a bit windier than Baudette,
which is located in tree covered terrain. The winter, spring, and fall months tend to have the most wind. In Figure 13, the 2019
Grand Forks data can be compared to the past nine years. The black line shows the 10 year average (52). 2019 had fewer windy
days than 2016, 2017, and 2018.
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Other Statistics
1. Warning Overview
Figure 14 Various Warnings Issued by the NWS Grand Forks, ND, in 2019
Figure 14 plots various warnings issued by the NWS in Grand Forks throughout the year. The scale (the height of the various
vertical bars) doesn’t match for all the warnings. The winter, spring, and fall cold season warnings are shown with hollow verti-
cal bars. Winter Storm Warnings (WS) are shown by the hollow black vertical bars, Blizzard Warnings (BZD) are shown by the
hollow red vertical bars, Red Flag Warnings (RFW) are shown by the hollow red vertical bars, and Extreme Cold Warnings (EC or
Wind Chill Warnings) are shown by the hollow light blue vertical bars. The numbers of each product issued that month are
shown above the associated vertical bar. As an example, in March 2019, there was 1 Winter Storm Warning, 1 Blizzard Warning,
and 1 Wind Chill Warning issued.
The summer convective warnings are shown with filled in vertical bars. Tornado Warnings (TOR) are shown by the solid red ver-
tical bars, Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (SVR) are shown by the solid orange vertical bars, and Flash Flood Warnings (FFW)
are shown by the solid green vertical bars. Again, the numbers of each product issued that month are shown above the associ-
ated vertical bar. As an example, in July 2019, there were 2 Flash Flood Warnings issued. This chart is just a quick way to look at
when and how many warnings where issued throughout the year. Now let’s take a closer look at some of the individual warning
types.
2. Winter Storm Warnings
Figures 15 to 36 (on pages 7 to 10) show the coverage areas of the eleven Winter Storms that occurred across the area in 2019,
along with their associated snowfall totals. Typically the winter season crosses years, running from the fall of one year into the
spring of the next year (like the winter of 2019-2020). However, this publication covers just a single year (2019). Of the eleven
Winter Storms in 2019, six occurred from January to April and five occurred from October to December.
Looking over the eleven Winter Storms, every county across eastern North Dakota and the northwest quarter of Minnesota had
at least one Winter Storm. Clay County, Minnesota, was struck by ten out of the eleven Winter Storms. The Devils Lake region
missed Winter Storms three through six.
When looking through the eleven snow total maps, the October 10-12 event stands out, as it had the most snowfall of any of the
events. Snowfall totals across the Devils Lake region reached up to 30 inches. This was an early season snow event that had crip-
pling effects. This snowfall, combined with strong winds, resulted in snow drifts as high as one-story homes.
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Winter
Storm
Winter
Storm
Figure 15 Winter Storm Warning 1
(January 27)
Figure 17 Winter Storm Warning 2
(February 3-4)
Winter
Storm
Figure 19 Winter Storm Warning 3
(February 6-7)
Figure 16 Snow Totals (January 27)
Figure 18 Snow Totals (February 3-4)
Figure 20 Snow Totals (February 6-7)
Winter
Storm
Winter
Storm
Winter
Storm
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Figure 21 Winter Storm Warning 4
(February 22-23)
Figure 23 Winter Storm Warning 5
(March 9-10)
Figure 25 Winter Storm Warning 6
(April 10-12)
Figure 22 Snow Totals (February 22-23)
Figure 24 Snow Totals (March 9-10)
Figure 26 Snow Totals (April 10-12)
Winter
Storm
Winter
Storm
Winter
Storm
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Figure 27 Winter Storm Warning 7
(October 10-12)
Figure 29 Winter Storm Warning 8
(November 20)
Figure 28 Snow Totals (October 10-12)
Figure 30 Snow Totals (November 20)
Figure 32 Snow Totals (November 30-December 1)
Figure 31 Winter Storm Warning 9
(November 30-December 1)
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Figure 33 Winter Storm Warning 10
(December 8-9)
Figure 34 Snow Totals (December 8-9)
Figure 37 Number of Winter Storms by Year
Figure 37 shows how the number of Winter Storms in 2019 stacks up to previous years. The horizontal black line shows the aver-
age over the past ten years (7). 2019 is the first year of the past six that has been above the average of 7.
Winter
Storm
Winter
Storm
Figure 35 Winter Storm Warning 11
(December 28-30)
Figure 36 Snow Totals (December 28-30)
Figure 48 Blizzard Warning 4
(February 24)
Figure 49 Blizzard Warning 5
(March 13-14)
Figure 50 Blizzard Warning 6
(April 10-12)
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Figure 44 Number of Wind Chill Warnings by Year
Figure 44 shows how the number of Wind Chill Warnings in 2019 stacks up to previous years. The horizontal black line shows the
average over the past ten years (3.6). 2019 almost doubled this average.
4. Blizzard Warnings
Figures 45 to 52 (below) show the coverage areas of the eight Blizzards that occurred across the area in 2019. Like Winter Storms,
the numbers of Blizzards are usually tracked from the fall of one year into the spring of the next year (like the winter of 2019-
2020). However, this publication covers just a single year (2019). Of the eight Blizzards in 2019, six occurred from January to April
and two occurred from October to December. A Blizzard is defined as an event with sustained or frequent gusts greater than or
equal to 35 mph and visibility less than or equal to one-quarter mile in snow and blowing snow for at least three hours.
Blizzard Blizzard Blizzard
Figure 45 Blizzard Warning
1 (January 23-24)
Figure 46 Blizzard Warning 2
(January 27-28)
Figure 47 Blizzard Warning 3
(February 7)
Figure 51 Blizzard Warning 7
(October 11-12)
Blizzard
Blizzard
Blizzard
Blizzard
3. Extreme Cold (Wind Chill) Warnings
Figure 38 Wind Chill
Warning 1
(January 1)
Frigid temperatures, or frigid temperatures with wind, can be deadly. In 2019, the months of January, February, and March
brought six Wind Chill Warnings (Extreme Cold) to the area. Figures 38 to 43 (below) show the coverage areas of the six Wind
Chill Warnings that were issued for the area in 2019.
Wind
Chill
Warning
Figure 39 Wind Chill
Warning 2
(January 26-27)
Figure 40 Wind Chill
Warning 3
(January 28-31)
Figure 41 Wind Chill
Warning 4
(February 7-8)
Figure 42 Wind Chill
Warning 5
(February 24-25)
Figure 43 Wind Chill
Warning 6
(March 2-3)
Wind
Chill
Warning
Wind
Chill
Warning
Wind
Chill
Warning
Wind
Chill
Warning
Wind
Chill
Warning
Blizzard
Figure 52 Blizzard Warning 8
(December 29-30)
Figure 53 (above) shows the number of Blizzards by year for the past ten years. The average over this ten year peri-
od is 4.4 per year, which is shown by the horizontal black line. After two years with fewer Blizzards than this 4.4
average, 2019 nearly doubled that average.
Looking back at Figures 45 through 52 (on the previous page), there are some interesting things to note. First, it is
hard to get Blizzard conditions in the treed areas of Minnesota. However, as Blizzard 4 (Figure 48) shows, it can oc-
cur even there with steady snow and strong winds. Finally, southeast North Dakota was hit by all eight Blizzards.
Traditionally, the Red River Valley is where most Blizzards occur. Figure 54 shows the number of Blizzards per coun-
ty, covering the winters of 2008-09 through 2017-18. The graphic clearly shows the higher number of Blizzards in
the immediate Red River Valley. It is pretty rare to have a Blizzard east of the Red River Valley, where there is more
terrain and trees.
Finally, Figure 55 shows what the primary wind direction is for the Blizzard events that cover the same time period
as Figure 54. GFK is the Grand Forks airport and FAR is the Fargo airport. The lines extending from the circle at each
of these points represents the direction the wind blows from. At both Grand Forks and Fargo, the primary wind
direction is from the north-northwest.
Figure 54 Blizzard Warnings 2008-09 to 2017-18
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Figure 55 Normal Wind Direction During Blizzards
Figure 53 Number of Blizzards by Year
5. Red Flag Warnings
Figure 56 shows the only Red Flag Warning that was issued by the NWS in Grand Forks during 2019. Red Flag Warnings are is-
sued for dangerous fire weather conditions (low humidity, strong winds, dry fuels). This warning was issued after the snow had
melted in the spring and before the green-up.
Figure 56 Red Flag Warning (4/25)
6. River Flooding
Knowing 2019 was a wet year, trends can also be seen on the hydrographs from area rivers. Figure 57 shows the Red River at
Grand Forks and Figure 58 shows the Red River at Fargo. The blue lines show the measured river height over the course of
2019, while the red lines show the location of minor flood stage. Grand Forks and Fargo both experienced river flooding during
the spring snowmelt (number 1 on both graphs).
Figure 57 Red River at Grand Forks, ND
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Figure 58 Red River at Fargo, ND
Minor Flood Stage
Minor Flood Stage
1 2
3
1 2 3
Both stations also experienced a rise
above flood stage in mid July, after a
heavy rainfall event on the 8th and
9th (number 2 on both graphs).
The especially wet fall is clearly evi-
dent, but more so at Grand Forks
(number 3 on both graphs). The NWS
in Grand Forks measured 9.07 inches
of rainfall in September and 4.37 inch-
es in October.
Although the Grand Forks hydrograph
shows that the Red River fell back be-
low minor flood stage in late Novem-
ber, there was a large amount of wa-
ter that froze in the fields between
Oslo and Drayton. This water never
made it into the river system, and will
still be there in the spring when warm-
er temperatures arrive again.
7. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
Figure 59 breaks the number of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued in 2019 into county based information, or the number of
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued by county in 2019. The highest total was 34 in Polk County, Minnesota (value under-
lined), and the lowest total was 6 in Grant County, Minnesota. You can compare this year to last year (Figure 60). For both
years, Polk County, Minnesota, had the highest total.
Figure 59 Number of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Issued by County in 2019
Figure 60 Number of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
Issued by County in 2018
8. Tornado Warnings
Figure 61 Number of Tornado Warnings Issued by County in 2019
Figure 62 Number of Tornado Warnings Issued by
County in 2018
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Figure 61 (previous page) breaks the number of Tornado Warnings issued in 2019 into county based information, or the number
of Tornado Warnings issued by county in 2019. The highest total was 5 in Cass and Richland Counties in North Dakota and Beck-
er County, Minnesota (value underlined). You can compare this year to last year (Figure 62). In 2018, Cass County also had the
highest total.
KEY
T = May 24 (5 tornadoes) black
T = June 8 (1 tornado) red
T = July 8 (2 tornadoes) red
T = July 9 (7 tornadoes) green
T*= July 17 (2 tornadoes) magenta
T* = July 28 (1 tornado) tan
T* = August 13 (1 tornado) black
T*= September 20 (1 tornado) blue
Each T in Figure 63 represents the approximate location of a confirmed tornado
in 2019. The various colors of each T are broken down in the KEY. Each color
represents a different date, so 20 tornadoes occurred on eight different dates
during the summer and fall of 2019. Each T shows the approximate location of
the tornado, but it does not show the actual track.
The number of times each T is circled represents its EF scale. For example, the
strongest tornado in 2019 was the EF2 tornado near Fertile, MN (the red T with
two circles around it). There were 8 EF1 tornadoes scattered across the area. If
a tornado did not have a circle around it, it was an EF0 tornado. There were a
total of 11 EF0 tornadoes across eastern ND and the northwest quarter of MN.
Figure 63 Confirmed Tornadoes in 2019
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How did the number of Tornado Warnings (TOR), Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (SVR), and Flash Flood Warnings (FFW) is-
sued during the summer of 2019 compare to previous years? Figure 64 shows this comparison. The number of Severe Thun-
derstorm Warnings (orange bars) issued in 2019 was the highest total in the ten year period. The actual 2019 total was 223,
while the ten year average was 158.
The number of Tornado Warnings (red bars) issued in 2019 was about the same as last year (2018). The actual 2019 total was
27, while the ten year average was 39.
The number of Flash Flood Warnings (green bars) issued in 2019 was higher than the past two years (2017 and 2018). The ac-
tual 2019 total was 11, while the ten year average was 8.
Figure 64 Summer Severe Weather Comparison
9. Drought
The U. S. Drought Monitor is one way to monitor drought. This product is issued weekly
throughout the year. Figures 65 to 68 show the Drought Monitor at four different points in
2019, with the key shown to the left. From the lack of colors on any of the four maps, it is
clear that drought was not much of an issue in 2019. However, in early June (Figure 66), it
was a little dry across the Devils Lake region into adjacent areas of northwest Minnesota. (S
= short term impacts, typically less than 6 months, L = long term impacts, typically greater
than 6 months)
Figure 65 March 26, 2019 Figure 66 June 25, 2019
Figure 67 September 24, 2019 Figure 68 December 12, 2019
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10. Solar Radiation
Figure 69 Solar Radiation Measured near Goodridge, MN, in 2019
Figure 69 shows the amount of solar radiation measured daily in 2019 near Goodridge, Minnesota. The peak amounts of radiation
are received in June, with the least amounts in November, December, and January. Differences in cloud cover cause the wide day
to day variations on this graph. The widest variations occur during the summer, but not so much during the cold season, due to the
low sun angle.
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11. Soil Conditions
Figure 70 shows the two inch soil temperature (F) and moisture (%) measured daily in 2019 near Glacial Ridge (southeast of Crook-
ston), Minnesota. The two inch soil temperature essentially remained frozen until mid April, peaked in July and August, then be-
came frozen again in late October. The two inch soil moisture peaked in April during the spring snowmelt, then showed a second-
ary peak in late October and early November, from the wet fall.
Figure 70 Two Inch Soil Temperature & Moisture measured near Glacial Ridge, MN, in 2019