Alert archive / Minnesota / Blizzard Warnings in 2008

Blizzard Warning 2, NWS Grand Forks, ND

April 25, 2008Richland County, North Dakota; Grant County, Otter Tail County, Wilkin County, Minnesota

NWS Grand Forks, ND issued this blizzard warning at Apr 25, 2008, 3:19 PM CDT for Richland County, North Dakota; Grant County, Otter Tail County, Wilkin County, Minnesota. It was in force for 6 hr. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 25, 2008, 3:19 PM CDT (20:19 UTC)
Expired
Apr 25, 2008, 9:33 PM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Grand Forks, ND

Counties Grant County, MN, Otter Tail County, MN, Wilkin County, MN, Richland County, ND

The radar

The Fargo/Grand Forks radar (KMVX), 163 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:23 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 25, 5:00 PM CDTHEAVY SNOW 4Fairmount, ND3 TO 4 INCHES NEW SNOW.
Apr 25, 8:10 PM CDTHEAVY SNOW 4Wahpeton, ND4 INCHES NEW SNOW. VSBY 1/4 MILE.
Apr 25, 8:15 PM CDTHEAVY SNOW 6Fairmount, ND2 INCHES NEW SNOW...6 INCHES TOTAL.
Apr 25, 8:18 PM CDTHEAVY SNOW 6Fergus Falls, MN6 INCHES NEW SNOW.
Apr 25, 8:40 PM CDTHEAVY SNOW 43 E Mcleod, ND4 INCHES NEW SNOW.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Aberdeen, SD (KABR), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 222 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Aberdeen, SD at 12:00Z on 2008-04-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Aberdeen, SD at 12:00Z on 2008-04-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -30 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
568 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-30 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
57 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WWUS43 KFGF 252019
WSWFGF

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
319 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...SIGNIFICANT SNOW WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHEAST
NORTH DAKOTA INTO NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TROUGH
TONIGHT...

.A SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM WILL INTENSIFY AND MOVE ACROSS
MINNESOTA LATER TODAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY. ON THE CURRENT
PROJECTED PATH OF THIS SYSTEM...AREAS EAST OF A ROSEAU TO FOSSTON
TO ELBOW LAKE LINE WILL SEE THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL. THE SWATH OF
HEAVY SNOW WILL LEAVE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 6 AND 12 INCHES IN
THOSE LOCATIONS...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS IN SNOW BANDS.
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL BE ATTAINED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME ACROSS 
PARTS OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY. 

MNZ029-030-040-NDZ053-261200-
/O.CAN.KFGF.WS.W.0004.000000T0000Z-080426T1200Z/
/O.NEW.KFGF.BZ.W.0002.080425T2019Z-080426T1200Z/
WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-GRANT-RICHLAND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BRECKENRIDGE...FERGUS FALLS...
ELBOW LAKE...WAHPETON
319 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT SATURDAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT SATURDAY. THE WINTER
STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. 

EXPECT SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT LEAVING AN
ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE AREA. SUSTAINED WINDS OF
25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH WILL CAUSE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS
FOR SEVERAL HOURS...ESPECIALLY OVER OPEN COUNTRY. VISIBILITIES
WILL FREQUENTLY LOWER TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. THERE WILL BE
PLENTY OF DRIFTING SNOW IN ADDITION TO THE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS
CAUSED BY THE FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...BE
SURE TO CARRY A SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

$$

MNZ003-015-022-027-028-031-032-261200-
/O.CON.KFGF.WS.W.0004.000000T0000Z-080426T1200Z/
CLAY-EAST POLK-MAHNOMEN-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-EAST OTTER TAIL-
WADENA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOORHEAD...FOSSTON...MAHNOMEN...
DETROIT LAKES...WOLF LAKE...NEW YORK MILLS...WADENA
319 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT
SATURDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT SATURDAY.

EXPECT SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT LEAVING A SWATH OF 6 TO
12 INCHES ACROSS THE AREA. SOME AREAS MAY RECEIVE LOCALLY HEAVIER
AMOUNTS OF SNOW. NORTH WINDS GUSTING UP TO 40 MPH WILL RESULT IN
NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. IF YOU MUST
TRAVEL...BE SURE TO CARRY A SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW WILL
COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS TO MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR
IMPOSSIBLE.

$$

MNZ006-009-016-017-023-024-261800-
/O.CON.KFGF.WS.W.0004.000000T0000Z-080426T1800Z/
LAKE OF THE WOODS-NORTH BELTRAMI-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BAUDETTE...RED LAKE...BAGLEY...
BEMIDJI...LAKE ITASCA...PARK RAPIDS
319 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT
SATURDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT SATURDAY.

EXPECT SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT LEAVING A SWATH OF 6
TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE AREA. SOME AREAS MAY RECEIVE LOCALLY
HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF SNOW. NORTH WINDS GUSTING UP TO 40 MPH WILL
RESULT IN PLENTY OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW REDUCING VISIBILITY
TO UNDER ONE HALF MILE AT TIMES. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...BE SURE TO
CARRY A SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND 
STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR
IMPOSSIBLE.

$$

MNZ001-002-005-008-013-014-NDZ030-039-049-052-261200-
/O.CON.KFGF.WW.Y.0013.000000T0000Z-080426T1200Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-ROSEAU-EAST MARSHALL-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-TRAILL-
CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS...
HALSTAD...ROSEAU...NEWFOLDEN...THIEF RIVER FALLS...
RED LAKE FALLS...MAYVILLE...FARGO...LISBON...GWINNER
319 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT
SATURDAY...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT
SATURDAY. 

SNOW WILL FALL MODERATELY AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT DEPOSITING
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 2 AND 5 INCHES. AREAS WEST OF AN ADA TO
LISBON LINE WILL SEE LESSER AMOUNTS OF SNOW. WINDS WILL INCREASE
WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT CAUSING BLOWING
AND DRIFTING SNOW...WITH VISIBILITIES REDUCED TO AS LITTLE AS ONE
HALF MILE AT TIMES. 

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW COMBINED
WITH STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

$$
WJB
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS43 KFGF 260233
WSWFGF

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
933 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...SIGNIFICANT SNOW WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHEAST
NORTH DAKOTA INTO NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA THROUGH
TONIGHT...

.A SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM WILL INTENSIFY AND MOVE ACROSS
MINNESOTA TONIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY. ON THE CURRENT PROJECTED PATH OF
THIS SYSTEM...AREAS EAST OF A ROSEAU TO ADA TO WAHPETON LINE WILL SEE THE
HEAVIEST SNOWFALL. THE SWATH OF HEAVY SNOW WILL LEAVE SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS BETWEEN 8 AND 12 INCHES IN THOSE LOCATIONS...WITH LOCALLY
HEAVIER AMOUNTS IN SNOW BANDS. 

MNZ029-030-040-NDZ053-261200-
/O.CAN.KFGF.BZ.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080426T1200Z/
/O.EXA.KFGF.WS.W.0004.000000T0000Z-080426T1200Z/
WILKIN-WEST OTTER TAIL-GRANT-RICHLAND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BRECKENRIDGE...FERGUS FALLS...
ELBOW LAKE...WAHPETON
933 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT SATURDAY...
...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT SATURDAY. THE
BLIZZARD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. 

EXPECT SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT LEAVING AN ACCUMULATION OF 6
TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE BRECKENRIDGE...FERGUS FALLS AND ELBOW LAKE AREA.
SOME AREAS MAY RECEIVE LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF SNOW. THE SNOW
WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT HOWEVER ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATIONS CAN STILL BE EXPECTED.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...
SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE.  THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

$$

MNZ003-015-022-027-028-031-032-261200-
/O.CON.KFGF.WS.W.0004.000000T0000Z-080426T1200Z/
CLAY-EAST POLK-MAHNOMEN-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-EAST OTTER TAIL-
WADENA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOORHEAD...FOSSTON...MAHNOMEN...
DETROIT LAKES...WOLF LAKE...NEW YORK MILLS...WADENA
933 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT
SATURDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT SATURDAY.

EXPECT SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT LEAVING A SWATH OF
6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE HAWLEY...DETROIT LAKES AND FOSSTON AREA. SOME
AREAS MAY RECEIVE LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF SNOW. IF YOU MUST
TRAVEL...BE SURE TO CARRY A SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW WILL
COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS TO MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR
IMPOSSIBLE.

$$

MNZ006-009-016-017-023-024-261800-
/O.CON.KFGF.WS.W.0004.000000T0000Z-080426T1800Z/
LAKE OF THE WOODS-NORTH BELTRAMI-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BAUDETTE...RED LAKE...BAGLEY...
BEMIDJI...LAKE ITASCA...PARK RAPIDS
933 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT
SATURDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT SATURDAY.

EXPECT SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT LEAVING A SWATH OF
6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE BAUDETTE...BEMIDJI AND PARK RAPIDS AREA.
SOME AREAS MAY RECEIVE LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF SNOW. IF YOU
MUST TRAVEL...BE SURE TO CARRY A SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND
STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR
IMPOSSIBLE.

$$

MNZ001-002-005-008-013-014-NDZ030-039-049-052-261200-
/O.CON.KFGF.WW.Y.0013.000000T0000Z-080426T1200Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-ROSEAU-EAST MARSHALL-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-TRAILL-
CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS...
HALSTAD...ROSEAU...NEWFOLDEN...THIEF RIVER FALLS...
RED LAKE FALLS...MAYVILLE...FARGO...LISBON...GWINNER
933 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2008

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT
SATURDAY...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT
SATURDAY. 

SNOW WILL FALL MODERATELY AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT DEPOSITING
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 3 AND 5 INCHES. AREAS WEST OF A CROOKSTON
TO HILLSBORO AND LISBON LINE WILL SEE LESSER AMOUNTS OF SNOW.


A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW COMBINED
WITH STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

$$
VOELKER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Forks, ND issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 25, 4:54 AM CDTSnow AdvisoryFGFRichland7 hr
Apr 25, 4:54 AM CDTWinter Storm WarningFGFRichland38 hr
Apr 25, 11:53 AM CDTWinter Weather AdvisoryFGFCass, Ransom, Sargent, Traill24 hr
Apr 25, 1:44 PM CDTWind AdvisoryFGFBarnes, Grand Forks, Griggs, Nelson, Pembina, Steele and 1 more8 hr

Nearby

Blizzard Warnings in Minnesota, 2008Blizzard Warnings in North Dakota, 2008Every blizzard warning in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.