Blizzard, Traill
- When
- December 31, 12:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Traill forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.454, -97.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in North Dakota, December 31, 1996
Strong south winds across the southern Red River Valley created blizzard conditions. In Fargo, a peak gust of 52 mph was reported.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 3
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.
Strong south winds across the southern Red River Valley created blizzard conditions. In Fargo, a peak gust of 52 mph was reported. Although just a trace of snow fell, there were whiteout conditions in blowing snow. Interstate 29 was closed from Hillsboro to the South Dakota border. Just before Interstate 29 was closed, traffic was backed up 1 mile due to a jackknifed truck near Argusville, ND.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Cass
- When
- December 31, 12:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cass forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.933, -97.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Richland
- When
- December 31, 12:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Richland forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.265, -96.948 (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
- Winter Weather in New York, December 31, 1996
- Flash Flood in California, December 31, 1996
- Heavy Rain in New Jersey, December 31, 1996
- Heavy Rain in New Jersey, December 31, 1996
- Dense Fog in Florida, December 31, 1996
- Heavy Rain in Pennsylvania, December 31, 1996
- Heavy Rain in Pennsylvania, December 31, 1996
- High Surf in Hawaii, December 31, 1996
- Heavy Rain in Maryland, December 31, 1996
- Heavy Rain in Maryland, December 31, 1996
- Heavy Rain in Delaware, December 31, 1996
- Heavy Rain in Delaware, December 31, 1996
More
Every storm in North Dakota in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, 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: 5576141, 5576142, 5576143.