2025 Compare Climate & Weather:
Bismarck, ND vs Watford City, ND

Highlights

On average, there are 206 sunny days per year in Watford City. Bismarck averages 202 sunny days per year. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Watford City, North Dakota gets 14.9 inches of rain, on average, per year. Bismarck, North Dakota gets 18.5 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38.1 inches of rain per year.

Watford City averages 41.5 inches of snow per year. Bismarck averages 46.2 inches of snow per year. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year.

Weather Highlights

Watford City, North Dakota
Summer High: the July high is around 84.6 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 2.9
Rain: averages 14.9 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 41.5 inches of snow a year

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

BestPlaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Watford City is 6.6 (10=best), which means it is one of the most pleasant places in North Dakota.

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

Today's Weather - Bismarck, ND

81°F

Today's Weather - Watford City, ND

75°F

Average Monthly High / Low (°F)

Hot, Freezing, Rainy, Snowy Days: Bismarck / Watford City

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.

July is the hottest month for Watford City with an average high temperature of 84.6°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in North Dakota. In Watford City, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Watford City are June, September and August.

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

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Watford City with an average of 2.9°. This is one of the warmest places in North Dakota.

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 Watford City, there are 23.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the hottest places in North Dakota.

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 Watford City, there are 184.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in North Dakota.

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.

In Watford City, there are 36.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in North Dakota.

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.


June is the wettest month in Watford City with 2.9 inches of rain, and the driest month is February with 0.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 47% of yearly precipitation and 9% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 14.9 inches in Watford City means that it is one of the driest places in North Dakota.

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.

June is the rainiest month in Watford City with 11.6 days of rain, and February is the driest month with only 4.3 rainy days. There are 83.0 rainy days annually in Watford City, which is rainier than most places in North Dakota. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 34% of the time and the driest is Spring with only a 18% chance of a rainy day.

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

An annual snowfall of 41.5 inches in Watford City means that it is snowier than most places in North Dakota.

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

December is the snowiest month in Watford City with 9.3 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.