Above Average Temperatures Expected This Winter - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Above Average Temperatures Expected This Winter

With the above average temperatures many parts of the country have been experiencing this summer, it might be hard to start thinking about that four letter word that could be just a couple months away.

We all remember the lack of snow that North Dakota had last winter, but the chances of that kind of mild winter happening again are pretty slim.

"Last year in Bismarck it was only 13.6 inches for the year and it was one of our least snowy years out of the last 130," Joshua Scheck, with the National Weather Service said.

The average amount of snow for the state is about 51 inches.

But this winter North Dakotans can expect a bit below average with an el nino weather pattern, but it most likely won't be as little as last winter.

"In general with an el nino year, we look for a little less snow, but about the same amount of precipitation in liquid," Scheck said.

Scheck also says that with an el nino pattern you can expect above average temperatures during the winter months.