Bismarck, ND weather in February
Bismarck is very cold and snowy in February: highs average 28°F and nights drop to about 7°F. Rain or snow falls on about 8 days. Snowfall averages about 7.5 in. Pack for serious cold.
- Normal high
- 28°F
- Normal low
- 7°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 0.5 in total
- Snowfall
- 7.5 in
- snow on the ground 20 days
How February changes from start to finish
| February 1 | February 28 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 24°F | 33°F |
| Normal low | 3°F | 13°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 26% | 26% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 8:07 am / 5:45 pm | 7:24 am / 6:26 pm |
| Daylight | 9.6 h | 11.0 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).
A typical February day
- 6 am13°Fdew point 8°F
- 9 am14°Fdew point 9°F
- Noon21°Fdew point 12°F
- 3 pm25°Fdew point 14°F
- 6 pm23°Fdew point 14°F
- 9 pm18°Fdew point 12°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Bismarck (3 mi away); average wind 9 mph; clear or few clouds in 51% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 45%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F0 of 28
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 28
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 28
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow8 of 28
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in2 of 28
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below28 of 28
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more20 of 28
Average days per February, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain and snow in February
Normal precipitation is 0.5 in; a dry February brings about 0.3 in and a wet one about 0.6 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare. Normal snowfall is 7.5 in, with about 3 days of an inch or more.
How February varies from year to year
- Warmest February, 1991-20202016: average high 43°F
- Coolest February2019: average high 9°F
- Wettest February2000: 1.7 in
- Driest February2005: 0.1 in
- Highest reading73°F (February 27, 2016)
- Lowest reading-43°F (February 9, 1994)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
February compared with January and March
| January | February | March | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 23°F | 28°F | 41°F |
| Normal low | 2°F | 7°F | 19°F |
| Wet days | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Daylight | 9.0 h | 10.3 h | 11.9 h |
Highs change by +5°F from January and +13°F into March.
Nearby alternatives in February
- Warmer: Rapid City, SD223 mi · high 38°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Fargo, ND189 mi · high 23°F · 7 wet days
How Bismarck ranks in February
- Normal high369th warmest of 378 cities; 2nd of 4 in North Dakota
- Wet days160th driest of 378
- Comfortable days294th most of 340
What to pack for Bismarck in February
- A warm jacket – lows near 7°F, highs near 28°F
- Waterproof boots – snow on the ground on about 20 days
- A hat and gloves – about 28 freezing nights
Heating and cooling
February has 1330 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 15% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Bismarck in February?
The normal high is 28°F and the normal low is 7°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest February reading was -43°F (February 9, 1994).
Does it rain a lot in Bismarck in February?
About 8 days in February have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.5 in. The wettest February in 1991-2020 was in 2000 (1.7 in); the driest was in 2005 (0.1 in).
Does it snow in Bismarck in February?
Yes. Normal snowfall in February is 7.5 in, and snow covers the ground on about 20 days.
Is February a good time to visit Bismarck?
February ranks 10th of 12 months on our comfort score for Bismarck (31 out of 100). It has almost no comfortable days. The best month is May.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Bismarck (USW00024011), 2.8 mi SSE of the city center, 1,658 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Bismarck Municipal Airport (727640-24011), 2.2 mi SE of the city center, 1,651 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.