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Hello, everyone. The cities I have some questions about are: Dickinson, Minot and Fargo.
Weather. I'm looking for descriptions only, please. No numbers! Specifically, how muggy and humid does it get, if at all, in the summertime? How cold does it get? And how much snow and rain is there?
Jobs. Is it any easier to find "regular" work? (No degrees, special training, etc.) What about for the long-term unemployed?
Getting around. How bike friendly are the cities? What about walk friendly? I know all three cities have public buses, but I don't have a car and I'd like another option as well.
Crime. How safe are the cities? What is the police force like?
Hopefully Dan will chime in on the weather. He used to work for weather service down here in SW MO...very knowledge about types of weather. I believe he had stated that it is dryer...which makes me happy since it is so humid down here. If you do a search on the each communities weather, you will find many responses. City Data has good stats on crime. Fargo is relatively low for being a larger/college type town. I have heard from many posters how friendly people are in ND.
I have researched quite a bit on Fargo jobs because that's the area I'm looking into...jobs seem plentiful, especially in retail and service type jobs but also many other specialties. I heard it is very windy and cold (wind chill) in winters. If you are coming from a warmer climate...this will be a struggle to get used to. Some think 30 degrees is cold...I call it chilly but I would go the grocery store without a jacket in that. Now if its real windy that day...could feel like 15 degrees...cold.
So far...my concensus of Fargo area. Friendly, jobs are plentiful, very windy, cold winters, lots of housing (especially apts), low crime. Lakes are fairly close for summer fun, fishing, camping etc. Pay seems very good since cost of living seems relatively low. I think location of Fargo is excellent. I would only have 3 hwy changes all the way up from SW MO. Jan also gives great information and suggestions.
GOOD LUCK! I'll be following your post.
My niece lives in Minot. She says that, since the oil boom, there is steadily-increasing crime rate that goes unreported, as the local police departments are overwhelmed. There is also very little to no housing; and what there is, is extremely expensive. McDonald's is paying $15 an hour - but unless you have a place to live, it's useless. Also, since most folks are there for the oil boom, no one wants to work at McDonald's or anywhere else.
My niece lives in Minot. She says that, since the oil boom, there is steadily-increasing crime rate that goes unreported, as the local police departments are overwhelmed. There is also very little to no housing; and what there is, is extremely expensive. McDonald's is paying $15 an hour - but unless you have a place to live, it's useless. Also, since most folks are there for the oil boom, no one wants to work at McDonald's or anywhere else.
Just my $.02. Locals may provide more input.
I have yet to hear a plus side of moving into an oil area (except oil worker pay). I'm sure the businesses are booming for now but I think when/if the boom is over...there may be noone left in town to sustain what's left of the community. Seems like everything is geared toward the high pay of oil workers....they are only their for the money and will leave when it is gone. The community as a whole has been lost and forgotton and will move away too. Just my opinion
I have yet to hear a plus side of moving into an oil area (except oil worker pay). I'm sure the businesses are booming for now but I think when/if the boom is over...there may be noone left in town to sustain what's left of the community. Seems like everything is geared toward the high pay of oil workers....they are only their for the money and will leave when it is gone. The community as a whole has been lost and forgotton and will move away too. Just my opinion
Nope, we'll stay and clean up just like we always have. Believe it or not there were few people here before the rest of the country had heard of us
Hello, everyone. The cities I have some questions about are: Dickinson, Minot and Fargo.
Weather. I'm looking for descriptions only, please. No numbers! Specifically, how muggy and humid does it get, if at all, in the summertime? How cold does it get? And how much snow and rain is there?
Jobs. Is it any easier to find "regular" work? (No degrees, special training, etc.) What about for the long-term unemployed?
Getting around. How bike friendly are the cities? What about walk friendly? I know all three cities have public buses, but I don't have a car and I'd like another option as well.
Crime. How safe are the cities? What is the police force like?
Thank you so much and have a good day!
Sometimes it gets really cold, takes your breath away, sometimes it gets really hot, work up a sweat just breathing. Some years we get a lot of snow, some we don't. Some years we get rain, some we don't. I'm not entirely trying to be a smartass It is a land of extremes.
Still lots of "regular" jobs. Hard to live on the wages though.
I don't live in town or near the bigger ones so I won't tackle the bike thing.
Crime rates have gone up but my personal opinion it's still safer than a lot of places.
Since I am the so called resident weather person on the board....I will answer that part.
I work at NWS Grand Forks.... and in regards to your question....North Dakota has extreme variability year to year and season to season.
Typically from Minot to Jamestown eastward is the more humid/wetter/jcolder/snowier side of the state and areas west of that line a bit less humid (or days with muggy conditions considerably fewer) and a bit warmer overall in both winter and summer.
Dickinson would be in our banana belt as it does have frequent warm-ups in the winter and snow cover often is variable through the season. However that part of the state has the most temp variability with 100-103 not uncommon for a few days each summer and -30 or a bit colder not uncommon for a few nights in the winter. But that area is within the chinook zone so as lows travel to their east winds can shift west or southwest and drag much milder air in for a day....followed by north winds and much colder air the next day behind the low. Wind is a big factor in the Dickinson and is typically the windiest zone in the state.
Minot is in the transition zone between the more humid and snowier/wetter eastern ND regime and the drier west. You tend to have a bit more cooler and more muggy summers than the southwest.... and winters tend to be colder, windy and a bit snowier. Minot is also prone to wind in most seasons.
Fargo is in the southern Red River valley and is in the flattest part of the state. Thus wind plays a factor too, but overall extremely strong winds occur a bit more in southwest ND. Fargo summers can have a week or two stretch of 85 to 90 degrees and quite muggy conditions....though in most summers a refreshing cool front arrives to drop humidity levels and temperatures. Winters can be long....and typically on par with Minot with cold weather and fewer above freezing days than Bismarck and points west. Below zero nights are frequent....not all the time....but are expected in Jan-Feb. Lows of 20 below or colder occur a few times each winter in most years. Snowcover is often consistent from late Nov-early Dec to mid March.
Blizzards can impact all of the state at times...though each winter varies in those. Extremely heavy snow events are not common...with 3-6 inches or 1-3 inches being much more common than 12+ at any given time. Blizzards typicallly dont last too long....12 to 24 hours...but would vary greatly in length if you live in the country vs in town. Land is pretty flat in most of the state....esp in the east....and thus blowing snow events in the country side with low vsby is not uncommon.
So there you have it....North Dakota the land of where you put up your swimming pool in early June and can swim outdoors through August....and then in Dec you can put up your outdoor ice rinks. Hockey is big mainly though in the northeastern part of the state...i.e. Grand Forks-Devils Lake-Grafton areas...less so in other places.
Our family could possibly relocate to Devils Lake, ND. We currently live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, although, we are from North Carolina. We have a 4 year old son. We are particularly interested in any personal opinions about the Devils Lake school district, weather, and general geography of this area of ND. Additionally, any opinions about raising children in this area would be appreciated. We greatly appreciate any responses.
There are shale gas jobs in PA, OH & WV. Take a look at rigzone for an idea of the jobs available. And there's potentially (have to qualify) free government funded shale gas training in those states as well. The course is usually ~3 weeks long. Search on shalenet. Westmoreland County Community College in PA is one of the places the course is offered & I think they're also one of the leads in the shalenet program so might be a good place to find out where else & when the courses are being offered.
Our family could possibly relocate to Devils Lake, ND. We currently live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, although, we are from North Carolina. We have a 4 year old son. We are particularly interested in any personal opinions about the Devils Lake school district, weather, and general geography of this area of ND. Additionally, any opinions about raising children in this area would be appreciated. We greatly appreciate any responses.
Just saw on the local news here in N.D. that Devils Lake has about 400 full time jobs open and they are looking for folks to come from other areas. not sure how good the housing market is, it is about 2 1/2 hours from the Oil field hub, Williston. Devils Lake is small town....never lived there just have had some training there and driven through. I would think it is as good a place as several other N.D. towns. and, N.D. schools have gotten high ratings overall. If you are looking for medium small town and you can get a job and housing you may like it. The weather is typical N.D. weather....Can suck big time in winter...But I love our summers...sunny and cools off nicely in the evenings...beautiful countryside...You'll have to rely on others for more accurate dedcription of weather.
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Specifically, how muggy and humid does it get, if at all, in the summertime? How cold does it get? And how much snow and rain is there?
Devils Lake-Possible Relocation
