Top 10 U.S. Cities With the Most Unpredictable Weather


Businesses, schools, municipalities, and airports are just a few of the organizations that need access to reliable and accurate weather tracking software. If you live in a city where the weather is unpredictable, this is especially true. The following cities boast some of the most erratic weather patterns found in the U.S.

If your business operates in one of the cities on our list, you could use a team of meteorologists on your side.

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Fargo, ND

Fargo is known as the fictitious site of murder and mystery, but the wacky weather is entirely real. The city typically experiences snowfall in every month except for July. This includes the rest of the summer months, too, which are hot and sunny.

Sioux Falls, SD

The inland location of Sioux Falls contributes to its summertime humidity, but in the winter, residents expect a cold and dry climate. One consistency is the windiness that often erupts year round. Blizzards that hit the city have been preceded by sunny days in the 60s and 70s.

Great Falls, MT

Great Falls is a prime skiing destination when temperatures stay consistently low. That is rarely the case, though, in this South Dakota city. The climate can see shifts of up to 55 degrees from one day to the next. Snow, however, tends to be a fixture.

Houghton, MI

For all of the sun that Houghton gets, you might expect it to be warm. This isn’t the case. Perfectly bright days are often accompanied by temperatures below 20 degrees. This makes it one of the top winter cities in the U.S., where skiing and other activities are enjoyed.

Rapid City, SD

Rapid City is home to both long winters and long summers. The brief appearance of spring and fall is a respite from the highs and lows that typify the rest of the yearly climate in the city. Storms and extreme rainfall are common, too, and often arrive without much prior warning.

Kansas City, MO

Kansas City’s population of over 470,000 people are likely used to extreme variations in climate. It is notoriously difficult to forecast the weather, and this unpredictability is due in large part to the city’s location in the geographic center of the United States. Blizzards and blazing sun might both occur in the same week.

Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City, much like Kansas City, is subject to severe weather swings because of its distance from any body of water. This unpredictability manifests in the form of extreme highs and lows as well as frequent tornadoes accompanied by hail that invade the state.

Minneapolis, MI

Temperature is the most unpredictable facet of Minneapolis’ weather. Soaring highs and shivering lows can appear at any time throughout the year, but the city does benefit from typically predictable occurrence of severe weather. Tornadoes may occur, but they generally don’t catch residents by surprise.

Cincinnati, OH

The problems caused by Cincinnati’s climatic unpredictability motivated the city to form a task force strategizing solutions. Rain tends to be the most commonly encountered weather event. In a single year, the city was faced with three incidents of weather so severe it had only a one percent chance of happening in an entire century.

Indianapolis, IN

Residents in Indianapolis get to enjoy the surprise of severe fluctuations in temperature as well as the random arrival of rain and other weather events. Forecasting the climate can be something of a rollercoaster, but luckily, if you don’t like the current weather in Indianapolis, you can just wait a few days. Severe winter weather is common, but it is also commonly interrupted by sunshine and other variations in climate.

Being able to predict weather—especially severe weather such as tornadoes—is essential. Contact Earth Networks for more information on hyper-local analytics that give you the edge of preparation.