Honestly, if you're standing outside in Bismarck right now, you already know the thermostat is lying to you. It says -1°F, which sounds like a typical mid-January night in North Dakota, but your face tells a completely different story.
That story involves a biting 19 mph wind screaming in from the north, dragging the "feels like" temperature down to a brutal -24°F.
It’s the kind of cold that doesn't just chill you; it searches for any microscopic gap in your scarf. Basically, if you aren't bundled up like an Arctic explorer, the air is going to find you.
What’s Happening Right Now
The sky is a solid wall of clouds, and while the chance of actual falling snow has dipped to about 12%, the damage is already done.
The current weather in Bismarck North Dakota is currently defined by a lingering Winter Weather Advisory that’s set to expire at midnight. We’ve been dealing with light snow and breezy conditions all day, but the real hazard tonight is the visibility—or lack thereof.
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With those north winds gusting, patchy blowing snow is making the roads around the Missouri River a bit of a gamble. Even though the "new" snow accumulation is minimal, the old stuff is drifting across the highways, creating those sudden whiteout pockets that catch you off guard.
The Breakdown of the Numbers
If you’re planning the rest of your night or looking ahead to the Saturday morning coffee run, here is what the data looks like:
- Humidity: Sitting at 70%, which adds a certain damp "bite" to the freezing air.
- Barometer: 30.05 in and holding relatively steady.
- Visibility: Hovering around 5 miles, though that drops significantly the second a gust hits a snowdrift.
- The Low: We are bottoming out near -3°F tonight, but with the wind, we’re looking at wind chills potentially hitting -35°F in the surrounding rural areas.
Why Tomorrow Isn’t Much Better
Don’t let the "high" of 12°F for Saturday fool you.
The wind is sticking around, shifting slightly but keeping its speed. We’re expecting 22 mph gusts to continue through the day. The National Weather Service has already issued a Cold Weather Advisory starting tonight and running through noon tomorrow.
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They aren't joking around with that one; at these temperatures, frostbite can happen on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. It's the kind of weather where you leave the car running while you run into the gas station, even if you’re only going to be thirty seconds.
The "Clipper" Problem
We are currently caught in a classic "clipper" pattern. These fast-moving systems don't always dump feet of snow, but they bring the wind and the Arctic air behind them.
Experts at the NWS Bismarck office have been tracking this deep trough digging into the Central Plains. Because the surface pressure gradient is so tight, the air is being shoved south with incredible force. That’s why it feels like the wind is trying to knock you over even when the sky looks relatively calm.
Surviving the Weekend
The current weather in Bismarck North Dakota means your weekend plans should probably involve staying indoors.
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If you absolutely have to travel:
- Check the NDDOT travel map before you pull out of the driveway.
- Keep a winter survival kit in the back seat—not the trunk, because if your locks freeze or you get rear-ended, you might not be able to get to it.
- Dress in layers. It sounds cliché, but trapped air between layers is the only thing that actually keeps you warm when the wind chill hits the negative thirties.
Things should start to "mellow out"—if you can call it that—by Sunday night, with the wind finally losing its edge as the system moves further east. But for now, keep the heavy coat handy and maybe skip the car wash until next week.
Next Steps for Staying Safe:
- Check your tire pressure tonight; these extreme temperature drops can cause your "low pressure" light to pop on as the air compresses.
- Ensure your home's furnace intake pipes are clear of any drifting snow to prevent carbon monoxide buildup.
- Monitor local NWS updates if you are heading toward Minot or Jamestown, as visibility is often worse on those open stretches of I-94.