Moorhead weather in August

In August, Moorhead sees average daytime highs of 79°F and overnight lows near 58°F, with 3.2 in of rain across 8.9 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 80°F in the first days to 77°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 42 min at the start of August to 13 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Moorhead's 1st-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Moorhead's year-round climate.

Daytime high
79°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
58°
11th coldest
Rainfall
3.2 in
8.9 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:30 AM – 7:32 PM
Cloud cover
46%
1st clearest
Wind
8 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.6 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Moorhead is city in Clay County, Minnesota, USA.

Density
728/km²
people per km²
Founded
1871

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 80°F in the first days to 77°F by the end.

A typical August day in Moorhead reaches about 79°F in the afternoon and slips back to 58°F overnight — a 21°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 70°F and 88°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°F cooler than July and about 9°F warmer than September.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18060
28060
38060
48059
58059
68059
78059
88059
98059
108059
118058
127958
137958
147958
157958
167958
177958
187958
197958
207958
217957
227957
237857
247857
257857
267857
277856
287856
297756
307756
317755

How August really feels in Moorhead

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Moorhead weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan19° / 0.84.84.98.80.0
Feb23° / 0.74.64.4100.0
Mar37° / 20°1.46.2411.60.2
Apr53° / 33°2.17.92.213.33.2
May67° / 46°3.511.40.114.85.9
Jun76° / 57°4.312.2015.66.4
Jul81° / 61°3.710.1015.36.7
Aug79° / 58°3.28.90147.1
Sep70° / 49°2.98.2012.46.9
Oct55° / 36°2.47.9110.63.7
Nov38° / 22°1.15.43.49.20.2
Dec24° / 0.95.55.88.40.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in August, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26535
36535
46436
56436
66337
76337
86436
96337
106337
116337
126337
136337
146436
156436
166436
176535
186535
196535
206634
216634
226634
236634
246733
256733
266733
276733
286733
296733
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Moorhead gets around 3.2 in of rain over 8.9 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 29% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
127
227
327
427
527
627
728
828
929
1029
1129
1229
1329
1429
1529
1629
1729
1829
1929
2029
2129
2229
2329
2429
2529
2629
2729
2829
2929
3029
3129

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the dry band about 34% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 15% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1272929133
2282829132
3282828132
4292728132
5292728132
6302628132
7302628132
8312627142
9312627142
10312727142
11322727141
12322726141
13322726141
14332726141
15332626141
16332626141
17342625141
18342625141
19342625141
20352625141
21352625141
22362624141
23362524141
24372524131
25382523131
26392423131
27412423121
28422422121
29432321111
30452320111
31472319101

Wind in August

Winds average 8 mph in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 42 min at the start of August to 13 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 90 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:11 AM to 5:50 AM, and sunset from 7:55 PM to 7:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.75:117:55
214.75:127:54
314.75:137:53
414.65:157:51
514.65:167:50
614.55:177:48
714.55:187:47
814.45:207:45
914.45:217:44
1014.35:227:42
1114.35:247:41
1214.25:257:39
1314.25:267:37
1414.15:277:36
1514.15:297:34
1614.05:307:32
1714.05:317:31
1813.95:337:29
1913.95:347:27
2013.85:357:25
2113.85:377:23
2213.75:387:21
2313.75:397:20
2413.65:417:18
2513.65:427:16
2613.55:437:14
2713.55:457:12
2813.45:467:10
2913.35:477:08
3013.35:497:06
3113.25:507:04

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.6 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.31 kWh/m² to a high of 6.38 kWh/m² in July across the year — August's 5.6 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.0Intense
56.0Intense
66.0Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.3Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Moorhead

In seasonPeak

In August, Moorhead sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Moorhead's rainy season runs April–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is August a good time to visit Moorhead?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.1
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

August is one of the better times to visit Moorhead for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Moorhead in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Moorhead sees daytime highs around 79°F and nights near 58°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Moorhead in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Moorhead peaks around June 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 8Jan 11UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May6High
Jun9Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug7High
Sep5Moderate
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Moorhead in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where August falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Moorhead is worst in August — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (October, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodAug 1215 µg/m³Oct 206 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr12Good
May11Good
Jun10Good
Jul14Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct6Good
Nov7Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Moorhead?

Moorhead sits at 46.9°N, 96.8°W, 906 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Fargo, 1.2 mi away.

Topography around Moorhead

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Moorhead.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Moorhead has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 72 ft around an average of 906 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 121 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 837 ft.

The land around Moorhead is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and trees (34%) within 2 miles, cropland (65%) within 10 miles, and cropland (77%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
72 ft
10 miles
121 ft
50 miles
837 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
August weather nearby: Fargo 1.2 mi · West Fargo 6.2 mi · Grand Forks 74 mi · Jamestown 91 mi · Aberdeen 127 mi · Watertown 137 mi · Willmar 147 mi · Sartell 150 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Moorhead (46.8739°, -96.7695°, elevation 906 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).