DICKINSON — Winter in North Dakota can be a bone chilling time of year, especially on days like today. The people of Dickinson experienced a jarring plummet in temperatures over the weekend and a continuing snowfall of roughly four inches. According to the Weather Underground almanac, temperatures reached a high of 52°F on Saturday afternoon and steadily declined until hitting -3° by 11 p.m. Sunday.
“We had a nice taste this spring and then it was taken away from us. Now with this, we do have some frigid wind chill values out there right now. Wind chill in Dickinson is currently at about 30 below (zero),” National Weather Service Meteorologist Jeff Schild said.
Tonight there will be a 10-15 mile per hour northerly wind and a winter weather advisory will remain until at least 5 p.m. He added that these frigid wind chills of 25 to 30 below zero will persist through Wednesday morning, with some reprieve during the day, then drop back down at night until Thursday morning.
“Dickinson actually has a dry forecast through the remainder of the week into early next week. But even after the snow departs, there will be frigid wind chills hanging around. Temperatures tomorrow should stay below zero. And even Wednesday highs may only climb to around zero,” he said.
Thursday the area will begin to thaw and that will be gradual, he explained.
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“We then slowly warm up. And I mean very slowly warm up through the remainder of the week. So by Saturday, high temperatures may be in the twenties in the Dickinson area,” he said. “Even as we get into Wednesday and Thursday, you know, it may just be a five to 10 mile per hour wind. But that's enough to create some frigid wind chill.”
He urged those who must drive to be prepared for the worst.
“With these frigid temperatures, if you are traveling be sure to pack a winter survival kit and notify others of your travel plans,” Schild said.
Weather data for Dickinson dates back to 1893. Since then, the lowest temperature for Feb. 21 was recorded in 1939 at -28° and the highest in 1995 at 55°.
Schild encouraged locals to call him with measurements when severe weather occurs. He said that for Dickinson and the remote areas surrounding it, the National Weather Service relies on residents for accurate readings. The Bismarck office can be reached at 701-250-4495.
