Blizzard, West Polk
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Minnesota, December 17 to 18, 1996
An Alberta Clipper crossed eastern North Dakota, then stalled near Park Rapids, MN. Before washing out, this strong low pressure system produced an intense pressure gradient, resulting in very strong north winds.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 15 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 15
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS FGF wrote it up.
An Alberta Clipper crossed eastern North Dakota, then stalled near Park Rapids, MN. Before washing out, this strong low pressure system produced an intense pressure gradient, resulting in very strong north winds. Fargo, ND, reported a peak wind of 47 mph on the 17th. Although snowfall totals mostly ranged under 8 inches, snowdrifts up to 10 feet high were reported. Many schools were cancelled for 2 days. Interstate 94 was closed from Moorhead to Fergus Falls, US Highway 10 was closed from Moorhead to Wadena, and US Highway 2 was closed from East Grand Forks to Crookston.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
15 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Norman
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Clay
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Kittson
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Kittson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Roseau
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Roseau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Marshall
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, East Marshall
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Pennington
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pennington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Red Lake
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Red Lake forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, East Polk
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Mahnomen
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mahnomen forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Becker
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Wilkin
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Wilkin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Otter Tail
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Otter Tail forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Grant
- When
- December 17, 1:00 AM CST to December 18, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Grant forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.934, -96.012 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Blizzard
- Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Dense Fog in Colorado, December 17 to 18, 1996
- Blizzard in North Dakota, December 17 to 18, 1996
- Cold in Colorado, December 17 to 18, 1996
- High Wind in North Carolina, December 17, 1996
- High Wind in California, December 17 to 18, 1996
- Winter Weather in Texas, December 17, 1996
- High Wind in Colorado, December 17, 1996
- Freezing Fog in Louisiana, December 17, 1996
- Blizzard in Minnesota, December 17 to 19, 1996
- Winter Weather in Oklahoma, December 17, 1996
- High Wind in California, December 17 to 18, 1996
- Cold in Colorado, December 17 to 18, 1996
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5575736, 5575903, 5575904, 5575905, 5575906, 5575907, 5575908, 5575909, 5575910, 5575911, 5575912, 5575913, 5575914, 5575915, 5575916.