Kim Fundingsland/MDN A jogger takes a break to check his cell phone on a beautiful fall day in Minot.

Statistically, 2016 was one of the nicest weather years in North Dakota history. Statistics aside, anyone who has lived in North Dakota for a few years knew it was a very unusual year. It was so unusual that the sound of lawnmowers replaced the chugging of snowblowers, many of which saw little or no use during the winter season.

Snowfall was limited in the Minot region last winter. The dreaded bone-chilling cold of January never gripped the area. There was so little snow that there was talk of dry ground that would be detrimental to the planting season. While a wet, spring snowfall brought much needed relief to farmers and ranchers, it had little effect on everyday life.

A barometer of how nice the winter actually was can be found in the number of days Lake Sakakawea was frozen, just 78. The big impoundment was declared frozen until January 13, 2016 and was declared ice free April 1. Only two earlier ice free dates had been recorded for Lake Sakakawea – March 27, 2012 and March 31, 2000. However, the realty was that boats were numerous on Lake Sakakawea several weeks before “official” ice out. That was possible because ice free status wasn’t declared until a particularly stubborn sheet of ice that had blown up against the dam had melted away.

The early spring meant that ice on Lake Darling a short distance northwest of Minot disappeared earlier than usual too, so much so that the Fish and Wildlife Service moved the boat fishing opener from May 1 to April 26. The early opener was a first in the history of the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge.

Late February was particularly warm. Bismarck saw a record high of 68 degrees Feb. 27. Minot reached 55 degrees the same day. It was a prelude to the early spring and more than agreeable summer temperatures. Unseasonable temperatures were the rule until mid-November. By December the Minot region was engulfed in snow, most of which fell during a series of three influential storms. The second and third storms reached official blizzard status, leaving many to wonder if the winter ahead had more to come.

The “Christmas Blizzard” of 2016 pummeled the Minot region and dumped anywhere from 12 to 22 inches of snow throughout the area. The total snowfall for December eclipsed records for the month and set the stage for the possibility of having one of the highest snowfall totals ever for the winter season.

The Climate Prediction Center’s long-range winter outlook was issued Dec. 15 and provided a confirmation for those who feared a more typical North Dakota winter than what has been experienced for several years. Although the outlook included a reduced influence from La Nina, saying the ultimate effect of the cooling of Pacific Ocean waters remains uncertain, it nevertheless concluded that the winter of 2016-17 was likely to be colder than normal.

The long-range outlook didn’t contain any warning of heavy snowfall for the winter, but the year closed out in the Minot area with one of the deepest snowpacks in history through the month of December, leaving residents wondering what to expect in January and February.