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Climate in Fargo, North Dakota: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

Fargo sits at 900 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the Fargo Hector International Airport, ND station, runs to a yearly mean of 42.2°F. The warmest month is July, averaging 70.7°F with typical highs of 82.1°F; the coldest is January, averaging 9.2°F with lows around 0.2°F. Across a normal year the city receives 23.9 in of precipitation and 51.4 in of snow. The full month-by-month picture below comes from the official 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals — the 30-year averages the National Weather Service itself uses — so it describes the Fargo climate you should actually plan around, whether you are timing a visit, weighing a move, or just settling an argument about which month is best.

Fargo climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for Fargo: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — Fargo's temperature range runs from 9.2°F in January to 70.7°F in July.

How to read the colors:below freezingcoldcoolmildwarmhot. Bands are colored by each cell's own temperature, so a whole year reads at a glance.

Fargo through the seasons

Winter in Fargo averages highs of 18.2–24.0°F and lows of 0.2–7.5°F, a seasonal mean of 12.8°F. The three months together bring 2.3 in of precipitation — about 10% of the city's yearly total — with December the wettest of the three at 0.89 in. Snowfall averages 30.1 in over the season, most of it in December (11.7 in). Average temperatures sit below freezing, so this is the heart of the heating season: expect snow-covered ground, icy mornings, and short, cold days as the local norm rather than the exception.

Spring in Fargo averages highs of 36.3–68.7°F and lows of 18.1–44.4°F, a seasonal mean of 42.3°F. The three months together bring 5.9 in of precipitation — about 25% of the city's yearly total — with May the wettest of the three at 3.09 in. Snowfall averages 13.3 in over the season, most of it in March (9.2 in). The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 29.4°F from March to May, and by late spring Fargo is firmly into mild territory, with May rainfall of 3.09 in to plan around.

Summer in Fargo averages highs of 78.1–82.1°F and lows of 55.6–59.4°F, a seasonal mean of 68.8°F. The three months together bring 10.0 in of precipitation — about 42% of the city's yearly total — with June the wettest of the three at 4.29 in. It is a warm, usable summer: afternoons are hot enough for swimming and lake or coast time, while evenings usually cool off comfortably.

Fall in Fargo averages highs of 38.1–72.0°F and lows of 20.9–48.1°F, a seasonal mean of 45.0°F. The three months together bring 5.8 in of precipitation — about 24% of the city's yearly total — with September the wettest of the three at 2.68 in. Snowfall averages 8.0 in over the season, most of it in November (6.8 in). Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 30.5°F from September to November — and fall is when Fargo's weather turns crisp and dry, with the first freezes arriving by November.

Best and worst months to visit Fargo

Ranking every month by its normals — mild mean temperatures score best, heavy rain and snow count against — the most comfortable months to visit Fargo are:

JuneJulyAugust

June leads the list: average highs of 78.1°F, lows of 55.6°F, and 4.29 in of rain, with snow a non-factor at 0.0 in. The other picks, July and August, offer the same balance in Fargo's mild stretch of the year. At the other end, January is usually the month to avoid — deep-winter cold, with a mean temperature of 9.2°F and 0.71 in of precipitation plus 10.3 in of snow.

How Fargo compares

Across the 114 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.8°F for the year and 35.7 in of precipitation. Fargo runs 15.6°F cooler than that typical city and drier by 11.7 in a year, ranking #110 of 114 for annual warmth and #80 of 114 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 61.5°F, which puts it in the strongly continental, four-real-seasons camp.

Planning notes for Fargo

For anyone relocating: average overnight lows drop below freezing in 6 months (January, February, March, April, November, December), so heating, winter tires, and pipe protection are real seasonal concerns; highs reach the 80s on average in 2 months, but 90°F average highs never arrive; days and nights differ by 20.7°F on average — a big desert-style swing that rewards dressing in layers year-round; 5 months of the year average between 55°F and 80°F, the band most people find comfortable without heating or cooling. Those four facts, all straight from the normals table above, shape everything from a Fargo wardrobe to its utility bills.

Fargo climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: Fargo Hector International Airport, ND (USW00014914), elevation 900 ft. Figures checked October 2026.