Fargo, Grand Forks break record high temperatures

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FARGO — Just one day after Christmas and people were out and about in T-shirts or light jackets.

Motorcyclists took the rare opportunity to go for a ride in December.

And bicyclists braved the wind to enjoy the unseasonably warm temps.

Fargo and Grand Forks smashed their record high-temperature marks on Monday, according to the National Weather Service office in Grand Forks.

A record high temperature of 51 degrees was set at Hector International Airport in Fargo, breaking the record of 45 degrees for the day set in 1959, the weather service website shows.

A record high temperature of 49 degrees was recorded in Grand Forks, blowing past the previous record of 42 degrees set in 1994.

The normal temperature in Fargo for this time of year is 19 degrees with a low of 3 degrees, said Mike Lukes of the weather service.

Doug Nelson of Fargo took advantage of the rare warm December weather and took his daughters to the Red River Zoo.

He said he never expected it to be this nice the day after Christmas.

Sarah Engels, Dan Johnson, and Brad Wheeler, all of Fargo, used to opportunity to take their dogs to the dog park just off 45th St. in Fargo.

“It’s awesome. Usually it’s really cold out this time of year,” Engels said. “I don’t ever remember it being this warm in December.”

Johnson said he just moved back to the area from California and had expected it to be a tougher adjustment getting used to the typically frigid weather.

“It’s pretty nice,” he said.

The high for Christmas day in Fargo was 44.1 degrees, Lukes said, falling short of the record of 47 degrees for that day, set in 1999.

In Grand Forks, Christmas saw a high of 42 degrees, but it, too, fell short of the record of 45 degrees set in 1999.

Lukes said a weather pattern known as an Arctic oscillation is keeping this winter’s deep cold in the Arctic Circle. Coupled with a lack of snow cover, warm southern winds, and bright sun in a partly cloudy sky, the area has the formula for another glorious day.

The record low for Monday in Fargo is minus 32 degrees, Lukes said. In Grand Forks, the record low for Monday is minus 29 degrees, he said.

Today, temperatures are expected to dip back into a more seasonal range, with a high around 28 degrees, and a low of 17 degrees.

Lukes said the Red River Valley will see light dustings of snow throughout the week, with highs in the 30s, and lows in the high teens to 20s.

He said the next chance for a more significant snowfall might come with the weekend.

Schmidt and Frank are reporters for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

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