2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Fairbanks, AK vs Bismarck, ND

Highlights

On average, there are 202 sunny days per year in Bismarck. Fairbanks averages 155 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Bismarck, North Dakota gets 18.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. Fairbanks, Alaska gets 11.7 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Bismarck averages 46.2 inches of snow per year. Fairbanks averages 60.9 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Bismarck, North Dakota
Summer High: the July high is around 83.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 2.2
Rain: averages 18.5 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 46.2 inches of snow a year

Fairbanks, Alaska
Summer High: the July high is around 73.3 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is -14.9
Rain: averages 11.7 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 60.9 inches of snow a year

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Bismarck is 6.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in North Dakota.

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Fairbanks is 5.1 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Alaska.

Today's Weather - Fairbanks, AK

36°F

Today's Weather - Bismarck, ND

48°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Fairbanks / Bismarck

July is the hottest month for Fairbanks with an average high temperature of 73.3°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in Alaska. In Fairbanks, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Fairbanks are July, June and August.

July is the hottest month for Bismarck with an average high temperature of 83.6°, which ranks it as warmer than most places in North Dakota. In Bismarck, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Bismarck are June, August and July.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Fairbanks with an average of -14.9°. This is colder than most places in Alaska.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Bismarck with an average of 2.2°. This is warmer than most places in North Dakota.

In Fairbanks, there are 0.1 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Alaska.

In Bismarck, there are 15.2 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in North Dakota.

In Fairbanks, there are 230.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is colder than most places in Alaska.

In Bismarck, there are 182.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in North Dakota.

In Fairbanks, there are 111.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is colder than most places in Alaska.

In Bismarck, there are 35.2 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the warmest places in North Dakota.

July is the wettest month in Fairbanks with 2.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is March with 0.2 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 51% of yearly precipitation and 10% occurs in Summer, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 11.7 inches in Fairbanks means that it is drier than most places in Alaska.


June is the wettest month in Bismarck with 3.2 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.4 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 47% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 18.5 inches in Bismarck means that it is about average compared to other places in North Dakota.

August is the rainiest month in Fairbanks with 13.4 days of rain, and April is the driest month with only 3.4 rainy days. There are 102.6 rainy days annually in Fairbanks, which is less rainy than most places in Alaska. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 36% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 14% chance of a rainy day.

June is the rainiest month in Bismarck with 10.7 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 5.5 rainy days. There are 87.2 rainy days annually in Bismarck, which is rainier than most places in North Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 32% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 60.9 inches in Fairbanks means that it is less snowy than most places in Alaska.

An annual snowfall of 46.2 inches in Bismarck means that it is one of the snowiest places in North Dakota.

November is the snowiest month in Fairbanks with 12.1 inches of snow, and 9 months of the year have significant snowfall.

March is the snowiest month in Bismarck with 8.4 inches of snow, and 7 months of the year have significant snowfall.