Fargo Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Fargo, North Dakota has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Fargo usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that the city normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when Fargo can expect the first and last snowfalls of the season.
The first set of monthly snow totals are averages for 2010 to 2019. All the other numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1991 to 2020 at Fargo's Hector International Airport.
How Often it Snows in Fargo
The next two tables list monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).
| Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | January | 8.7 | 22.0 |
| 2.7 | February | 9.8 | 24.9 |
| 2.2 | March | 7.4 | 18.9 |
| 1.2 | April | 3.6 | 9.2 |
| 0.4 | October | 1.1 | 2.8 |
| 1.2 | November | 5.2 | 13.1 |
| 3.1 | December | 10.9 | 27.7 |
| 12.8 | Year | 46.8 | 118.8 |
| Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | January | 10.3 | 26.2 |
| 7.6 | February | 8.1 | 20.6 |
| 5.5 | March | 9.2 | 23.4 |
| 2.3 | April | 4.1 | 10.4 |
| 0.1 | May | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1.2 | October | 1.2 | 3.0 |
| 5.4 | November | 6.8 | 17.3 |
| 10.2 | December | 11.7 | 29.7 |
| 41.8 | Year | 51.4 | 130.6 |
These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Fargo varies from year to year.
In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 14.4 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 5.4 inches for the month.
Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to over 13 inches, while the lightest years get less than 4.6 inches.
New snow for February ranges from over 11.3 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 3.8 inches in light years.
When Fargo Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of winter for Fargo arrives in October or November.
The season's last snowfall typically happens in April. Less commonly it can stop snowing here in March or a light snow can land in May.
Fargo is normally free of snow every year from June to September.
How Many Snowstorms Fargo Gets
Most days of snowfall in Fargo leave just a skiff, amounting to less than an inch of fresh snow on the ground. For 14 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch.
Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur a couple times a year. But major blizzards that dump ten inches or more in one day are rare events that don't happen every year.
| 1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.6 | 0.8 | January | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| 2.6 | 0.6 | February | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| 2.5 | 1.0 | March | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| 1.1 | 0.5 | April | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| 0.4 | 0.1 | October | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1.8 | 0.7 | November | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| 3.3 | 1.0 | December | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| 14.3 | 4.7 | Year | 1.9 | 0.1 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Fargo
Once snow lands in Fargo, it takes quite awhile to melt. For most winter days, Fargo has at least three inches of snow on the ground.
Typically on eight days a year the snow covering Fargo gets to twenty or more inches deep.
| 1 inch 2.5 cm |
3 inches 7.6 cm |
5 inches 12.7 cm |
10 inches 25.4 cm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28.8 | 23.9 | January | 19.0 | 9.2 |
| 24.7 | 22.2 | February | 17.5 | 10.6 |
| 17.9 | 16.6 | March | 14.4 | 8.0 |
| 4.7 | 3.4 | April | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| 0.1 | 0.0 | May | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 0.9 | 0.2 | October | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 8.6 | 3.8 | November | 2.3 | 1.2 |
| 21.5 | 14.6 | December | 10.4 | 2.7 |
| 107.2 | 84.7 | Year | 65.7 | 31.9 |
References
Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Month and Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Climate Normals.