Somebody Is Getting A Winter Storm Next Week! The Question Is Who?

Somebody is getting a winter storm next week!  The question is who?  That was the headline on the Dakota Storm Stalkers facebook post yesterday.  Hard to imagine winter weather, after a streak of 60 degree spring like days we've had in Bismarck Mandan.  After all, I was barbequing on my deck last evening.  In fact, I plan to do it again tonight.

However, there's no denying we are EXTREMELY dry in Bismarck Mandan.  According to the National Weather Service, so far this winter we've only had 13.7 inches of snow.  Normal snowfall total amounts for this time of year should be over 38 inches.  We've only had .42 of an inch of moisture so far since the start of 2021.  That's also well below normal.

This potential winter/spring storm is expected to begin early Tuesday morning and possibly continue into Wednesday morning.  I spoke with a member of the National Weather Service this afternoon, and he told me as of right now, the latest models have this storm shifting north.  That doesn't mean that Bismarck Mandan won't see any precipitation, but the biggest potential for significant moisture is for the northern half North Dakota and southern Canada.  As of right now, a rain/snow mixture is most likely for Bismarck Mandan.

People who hate the thought of snow in Bismarck Mandan are probably excited about that forecast.  However, knowing how dry we are, I would put up with a couple more weeks of winter if we could take a dent out of the drought.  If nothing else, bring down the fire danger a bit.

The National Weather Service also told me it's still a long ways out for this storm, and things could shift again.  Either way, lets hope a good share of the state gets a good shot of precipitation.  We certainly need it.