Everyone wants a bit of a blissful breeze or a scoop of sunny sanctuary when looking for a place to live in North Dakota.
The more sun, the more you can go outside. The more you go outside, the more you’ll feel at peace. The more you’ll feel at peace, the more you’ll enjoy where you live.
So it makes sense to try and find the places with the best weather in North Dakota. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the number of sunny days, total precipitation, and the deviation from the ideal 70-degree weather for 9 places in North Dakota over 15,000 people.
Grab your shades and put away your raincoat as we look at the cities with the best weather in North Dakota.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Cities With The Best Weather In North Dakota For 2024
What city has the best weather in North Dakota, with more than 15,000 people? The city with the best weather in North Dakota is Dickinson with 34.9 sunny days and an average high of 55.1 degrees.
Read on below to see where your city ranked.
And if you already knew these places were beautiful, check out the best places to live in North Dakota or the cheapest places in North Dakota.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In North Dakota For 2024
Population: 21,097
Average Annual High: 55.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 30.3 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 34.9 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 16.3 inches
Sunny Days: 326.5 days
More on Dickinson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 22,051
Average Annual High: 54.7 degrees
Average Annual Low: 29.7 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 44.6 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 14.4 inches
Sunny Days: 329.2 days
More on Williston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 19,962
Average Annual High: 55.0 degrees
Average Annual Low: 30.9 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 48.7 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 17.6 inches
Sunny Days: 324.8 days
More on Mandan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 66,980
Average Annual High: 54.8 degrees
Average Annual Low: 30.9 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 50.1 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 17.9 inches
Sunny Days: 325.3 days
More on Bismarck: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 15,418
Average Annual High: 52.7 degrees
Average Annual Low: 30.4 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 40.6 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 19.5 inches
Sunny Days: 321.9 days
More on Jamestown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 46,194
Average Annual High: 51.7 degrees
Average Annual Low: 29.7 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 47.5 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 17.5 inches
Sunny Days: 324.6 days
More on Minot: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 54,944
Average Annual High: 50.8 degrees
Average Annual Low: 30.3 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 43.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 21.5 inches
Sunny Days: 318.8 days
More on Grand Forks: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 29,892
Average Annual High: 52.6 degrees
Average Annual Low: 31.8 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 50.7 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 23.5 inches
Sunny Days: 316.4 days
More on West Fargo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 113,464
Average Annual High: 52.6 degrees
Average Annual Low: 31.9 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 52.1 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 23.8 inches
Sunny Days: 316.4 days
More on Fargo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In North Dakota With The Best Weather
To rank the most fair weather cities in North Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Peace Garden State get the best weather.
We used the following criteria to find the best weather:
- Number of sunny days
- Highest average low
- Average high deviation from 70 degrees
- Least amount of rain
- Least amount of snow
We ranked each city of over 15,000 people in North Dakota from best to worst on each criterion. We then averaged each ranking into a weather quality index. The city with the best index, Dickinson, was anointed the city with the best weather in North Dakota.
Before we get too far, here are the annual precipitation rates for major cities:
- Fargo — 23.8 inches
- Bismarck — 17.9 inches
- Grand Forks — 21.5 inches
The cities with the best weather in North Dakota are Dickinson, Williston, Mandan, Bismarck, Jamestown, Minot, Grand Forks, West Fargo, and Fargo.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places with the worst weather in North Dakota:
- Fargo
- West Fargo
- Grand Forks
For more North Dakota reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Places With The Best Weather In North Dakota
| Rank | City | Population | Sunny Days | Avg. High | Precipitation (Inches) | Snow (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dickinson | 21,097 | 326.5 | 55.1 | 16.3 | 34.9 |
| 2 | Williston | 22,051 | 329.2 | 54.7 | 14.4 | 44.6 |
| 3 | Mandan | 19,962 | 324.8 | 55.0 | 17.6 | 48.7 |
| 4 | Bismarck | 66,980 | 325.3 | 54.8 | 17.9 | 50.1 |
| 5 | Jamestown | 15,418 | 321.9 | 52.7 | 19.5 | 40.6 |
| 6 | Minot | 46,194 | 324.6 | 51.7 | 17.5 | 47.5 |
| 7 | Grand Forks | 54,944 | 318.8 | 50.8 | 21.5 | 43.3 |
| 8 | West Fargo | 29,892 | 316.4 | 52.6 | 23.5 | 50.7 |
| 9 | Fargo | 113,464 | 316.4 | 52.6 | 23.8 | 52.1 |