Blizzard, West Polk
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 1996
A strong low pressure system over the Central Plains brought a combination of heavy snow, strong wind, and subzero temperatures to northwest Minnesota. 16 inches of snow fell in Moorhead with most areas reporting 8 to 13 inches.
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.
A strong low pressure system over the Central Plains brought a combination of heavy snow, strong wind, and subzero temperatures to northwest Minnesota. 16 inches of snow fell in Moorhead with most areas reporting 8 to 13 inches. A northwest wind gusting up to 55 mph created drifts up to 10 feet high. Law enforcement officials advised no travel and 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 Crookston. The Clay County Sheriff threatened to arrest any non-emergency travellers. At the height of the blizzard, a National Guard tank was dispatched from Crookston to find a missing snowmobiler and a motorist. 4 people in 3 vehicles were stranded on the night of the 17th. The 4 occupants survived unharmed for several hours before they were found. Many schools closed at noon on the 17th and did not re-open until the 22nd. Several minor power outages were reported in Clay County.
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
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Clay
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Kittson
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Kittson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Roseau
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Roseau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Marshall
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 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
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Pennington
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pennington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Red Lake
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 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
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Mahnomen
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mahnomen forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Becker
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Wilkin
- When
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 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
- January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 2:00 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
- 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 Texas, January 17, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 17 to 18, 1996
- High Wind in Kansas, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Dust Storm in Arizona, January 17, 1996
- High Wind in Iowa, January 17 to 19, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- High Wind in Texas, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 1996
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, January 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: 5576369, 5576370, 5576371, 5576372, 5576373, 5576374, 5576375, 5576376, 5576377, 5576378, 5576379, 5576380, 5576381, 5576382.