As we move through the month of June the amount of sunshine we record tends to increase. We are still in early June when cloudy overcasts days are still relatively common, but as we progress through the month those types of days tend to become more frequent. Our sunniest period of the year tends to… Read more Cloudy Periods
Category: General
Negative Season
If you look back at all 140 years of weather data for Fargo, the average date for the first below zero temperature is November 28. Today, December 6 was the first negative of this winter. So pretty close to that long-term average date. Fargo almost dropped below zero on Thanksgiving morning with a low of 2… Read more Negative Season
NDAWN Snow Depth
NDAWN, the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network started testing snow depth sensors at some of their stations last winter. Although not all installed yet, NDAWN should have 19 stations with snow depth sensors before real winter hits the area. These snow depth sensors measure snow depth by using sound waves. In that way it can… Read more NDAWN Snow Depth
Old Winters
This is the time of year that the Old Farmer’s Almanac comes out with their winter forecast. Someone shared their forecast with me earlier this week. It was an odd forecast mentioning the words numb and shoveling. A forecast like that can’t be wrong, as the northern plains gets snow and cold weather every year. … Read more Old Winters
Upgraded Stations
The North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network, usually referenced as NDAWN upgraded three stations in the past couple of weeks. These stations are near Oakes, Robinson and Hazen North Dakota. The upgrades to these stations include soil moisture data, something that has become more important during this dry summer. Plus, those stations will have snow depth… Read more Upgraded Stations
Cloud Appreciation
I am often sent pictures of clouds and asked for an identification. Recently when I sent back a note saying it was a Cumulus congestus cloud, a response came back as to why cloud names are so technical. Cloud names like many things in science, are Latin based. Latin, not being in wide use anymore,… Read more Cloud Appreciation
Smoke Continues
The smoke issues in North Dakota continue. In this blog in the past I had mentioned that the worst days tend to be the ones when our smoke is coming from the fires in Manitoba or Ontario, which was true. But now, several fires have started in Saskatchewan. Because that province is a bit farther… Read more Smoke Continues
The Dog Days
We are currently in what many people call the dog days of summer. There are many definitions to this term but in a modern time most often this phrase is used for the hottest 40 days of the summer based on average temperatures. For most areas that would be from Independence Day through almost mid-August. … Read more The Dog Days
Radar App
If you live in western North Dakota you are very well aware of the fact that the National Weather Service radars do not serve the western one-quarter of the state as well as other areas. Fortunately, non-National Weather radars do help fill those gaps. The Stanley and Bowman radars have been run for several years… Read more Radar App
New Cameras
Last week the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network, usually referenced as NDAWN, upgraded three stations in southwestern North Dakota. The Carson, Hettinger and Mott stations were transformed from tripod to towers. With this upgrade these stations now how all-season rain gauges, allowing for measurement of water in snow this winter. Plus, these sites now have… Read more New Cameras