Hodges House · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0More precipitation falls on Bismarck than on 94% of U.S. towns: 56 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 92°. A year here swings 61° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 88% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 24 to November 9.
A year in Bismarck at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bismarck’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bismarck’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Bismarck feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hot Springs Asos, AR, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bismarck’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bonnerdale 5 E, AR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bismarck
56% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Hot Springs Asos, AR.
Living with Bismarck’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bismarck from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bismarck and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bismarck yet.
Climates most like Bismarck’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, AR | 31° | 92° | 56" | 2.3" |
| Germantown, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.8" |
| Southaven, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 1.4" |
| Sylacauga, AL | 33° | 91° | 56" | 1.7" |
| Winterville, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 3.3" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bismarck averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+0.9°).
A smaller shift than in all but 117 U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Bismarck compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bismarck’s place among Arkansas’.
Bismarck weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bismarck’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bonnerdale 5 E, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 31° | 3.9" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 57° | 34° | 4.4" | 0.9" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 53° |
| March | 65° | 41° | 5.2" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 58° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 70° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| August | 92° | 69° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 33° | 5.3" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 33° – 50° |
| Year | 73° | 50° | 56.0" | 2.3" | 81 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 50°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bismarck’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Bismarck’s center.
- Snow: Bonnerdale 5 E, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hot Springs Asos, AR, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Bismarck’s climate
What is the weather like in Bismarck?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bismarck in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Bismarck get?
About 2.3 inches in a normal winter at Bonnerdale 5 E, AR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bismarck?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 70°. About 78 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Hot Springs Asos, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Bismarck?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 230 frost-free days, at Hot Springs Asos, AR.
What growing zone is Bismarck in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bismarck?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bismarck getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 117 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bismarck.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.