The Autumnal Equinox will occur at 7:05p.m. Tuesday in Bismarck, marking the astronomical transition of summer into fall.
State climatologist Daryl Ritchison says the unusual summer will stick with him for one reason.
“Wow, this was an exceptionally dry summer. It was. I mean, this ranks up there with 88, 36. It ranks up there with the famed summers for dryness.”
Ritchison says despite the comparable levels of dry, the summer of ‘26 was not that hot.
“And so that's the difference between this year and, say, 36 or 88, some of the other equally dry years, is we weren't quite as warm, therefore not quite as evaporation. But 2026, to me, in eastern North Dakota will be remembered for a very long time for how just incredibly dry it was this past summer.”
And when the state did see some rain last week, Ritchison says it helped to some extent.
“Southeastern North Dakota, which in many ways was the driest area in the state, you know, at least got, say, an inch and a half on average. We did get a little moisture in the southwest corner, which desperately needed it, but that was mostly under an inch. So at least, you know, keeping the topsoil wet, helping at least to eliminate the fire danger for brief intervals. Is it fixing the drought conditions in the state? No.”
Ritchison says he's expecting to see a warmer than normal winter thanks to a strong El Nino weather pattern that's in place. He says the big question now is what that means for potential snowfall this coming winter.
