Blizzard, West Polk
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- West Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Minnesota, February 10 to 11, 1996
Rain changing to snow, along with a sustained 35 to 40 mph wind, caused blizzard conditions across the area. Travel was especially dangerous, so law enforcement officials closed Interstate 94 from Moorhead to Fergus Falls, US Highway 10 from Moorhead to Detroit Lakes, and US Highway 2 from East Grand Forks to Fosston.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
- 14
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.
Rain changing to snow, along with a sustained 35 to 40 mph wind, caused blizzard conditions across the area. Travel was especially dangerous, so law enforcement officials closed Interstate 94 from Moorhead to Fergus Falls, US Highway 10 from Moorhead to Detroit Lakes, and US Highway 2 from East Grand Forks to Fosston. Cars were reported to be stopped 3 abreast for several miles along Interstate 94.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Norman
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Clay
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Kittson
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Kittson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Roseau
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Roseau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Marshall
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- West Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, East Marshall
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- East Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Pennington
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Pennington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Red Lake
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Red Lake forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, East Polk
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- East Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Mahnomen
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Mahnomen forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Becker
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- West Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Wilkin
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Wilkin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Otter Tail
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM CST to February 11, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- West Otter Tail forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.409, -95.708 (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
- High Wind in Iowa, February 10 to 11, 1996
- High Wind in South Dakota, February 10, 1996
- High Wind in Minnesota, February 10, 1996
- High Wind in South Dakota, February 10, 1996
- High Wind in Ohio, February 10 to 11, 1996
- High Wind in Nebraska, February 10, 1996
- High Wind in Iowa, February 10, 1996
- High Wind in Minnesota, February 10 to 11, 1996
- Blizzard in North Dakota, February 10, 1996
- High Wind in North Dakota, February 10, 1996
- High Wind in Nebraska, February 10, 1996
- High Wind in South Dakota, February 10, 1996
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, February 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: 5576618, 5576619, 5576620, 5576621, 5576622, 5576623, 5576624, 5576625, 5576626, 5576627, 5576628, 5576629, 5576630, 5576631.