Cost to Own
United States › North Dakota › McKenzie County › Climate Station WATFORD CITY, ND US Distance 6.8 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

McKenzie County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

82.2°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 5.1°F.

McKenzie County gets 15.65" of precipitation a year and 50.4" of snow, and 54% of it falls in May, Jun, Jul.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

20° 40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 21.6° 5.1° 0.50" 9.5"
February 26.2° 8.1° 0.41" 8.2"
March 38.8° 18.8° 0.63" 7.3"
April 53.1° 30.5° 0.96" 4.2"
May 64.8° 42.1° 2.38" 1.4"
June 74.1° 52.9° 3.44" 0.0"
July 82.2° 57.9° 2.63" 0.0"
August 81.6° 55.4° 1.35" 0.0"
September 71.1° 44.9° 1.16" 0.0"
October 54.7° 32.6° 1.04" 2.9"
November 38.0° 20.0° 0.60" 6.8"
December 26.2° 9.9° 0.55" 10.1"

Rainfall by month

McKenzie County has a distinct wet season. 54% of the year's precipitation arrives in May, Jun, Jul.

January 0.50"
February 0.41"
March 0.63"
April 0.96"
May 2.38"
June 3.44"
July 2.63"
August 1.35"
September 1.16"
October 1.04"
November 0.60"
December 0.55"
Annual total 15.65"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 461
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 8,765
Approximate annual cooling cost At 13.61¢/kWh, North Dakota average $63
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $418

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in McKenzie County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in McKenzie County?

McKenzie County averages a high of 82.2°F in July and a low of 5.1°F in January. Annual precipitation is 15.65 inches, including 50.4 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in McKenzie County?

The wettest stretch is May, Jun, Jul, which accounts for 54% of the year's precipitation. That is a pronounced wet season rather than rain spread evenly through the year.

How hot does it get in McKenzie County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 82.2°F. That drives 461 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in McKenzie County?

Yes. McKenzie County averages 50.4 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station WATFORD CITY, ND US (USC00329233), 6.8 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, North Dakota residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.