Ice Storm, West Polk
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm in Minnesota, February 22 to 23, 1996
Freezing rain forced law enforcement officials to advise no travel. Sidewalks also became slick due to accumulations of ice.
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.
Freezing rain forced law enforcement officials to advise no travel. Sidewalks also became slick due to accumulations of ice. Many vehicles were reported in ditches and in minor traffic accidents. Local hospitals reported setting many broken bones.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice Storm, Norman
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Clay
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Kittson
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Kittson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Roseau
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Roseau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, West Marshall
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, East Marshall
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Pennington
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pennington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Red Lake
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Red Lake forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, East Polk
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Mahnomen
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mahnomen forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, West Becker
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Wilkin
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Wilkin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, West Otter Tail
- When
- February 22, 12:30 PM CST to February 23, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Otter Tail forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Ice Storm
- Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in Colorado, February 22, 1996
- Winter Storm in Colorado, February 22, 1996
- Dense Fog in Vermont, February 22 to 23, 1996
- Tornado in California, February 22, 1996
- Ice Storm in North Dakota, February 22, 1996
- Ice Storm in North Dakota, February 22 to 23, 1996
- Flash Flood in New York, February 22, 1996
- Dense Fog in Florida, February 22, 1996
- Flooding in Maine, February 22 to 25, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, February 22 to 24, 1996
- High Wind in Oregon, February 22 to 23, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 22, 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: 5576632, 5576633, 5576634, 5576635, 5576636, 5576637, 5576638, 5576639, 5576640, 5576641, 5576642, 5576643, 5576644, 5576645.