North Dakota, 1996

Blizzard in North Dakota, November 16 to 17, 1996

November 16 to 17, 1996 · NWS FGF · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

Heavy snow, strong winds, and cold temperatures gripped the area during the first blizzard of the season. Northwest winds gusted from 25 to 45 mph, with the station at Fargo, ND reporting numerous gusts to 42 knots.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
17

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.

Heavy snow, strong winds, and cold temperatures gripped the area during the first blizzard of the season. Northwest winds gusted from 25 to 45 mph, with the station at Fargo, ND reporting numerous gusts to 42 knots. 8 to 13 inches of snow fell over the entire area, with 13.5 inches total in Fargo and 11 inches in Grand Forks. Interstate 29 was closed and Interstate 94 was closed from Valley City to Fargo. Although not included as a storm death, a University of North Dakota student died from exposure in this storm. Other factors contributed to his death.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Towner

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Towner forecast zone
Coordinates
48.686, -99.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Cavalier

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Cavalier forecast zone
Coordinates
48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pembina

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Pembina forecast zone
Coordinates
48.768, -97.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Benson

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Benson forecast zone
Coordinates
48.069, -99.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ramsey

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Ramsey forecast zone
Coordinates
48.269, -98.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Eastern Walsh

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Eastern Walsh forecast zone
Coordinates
48.370, -97.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Eddy

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Eddy forecast zone
Coordinates
47.718, -98.902 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Nelson

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Nelson forecast zone
Coordinates
47.922, -98.192 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Grand Forks

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Grand Forks forecast zone
Coordinates
47.922, -97.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Griggs

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Griggs forecast zone
Coordinates
47.457, -98.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Steele

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Steele forecast zone
Coordinates
47.456, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Traill

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Traill forecast zone
Coordinates
47.454, -97.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Barnes

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Barnes forecast zone
Coordinates
46.936, -98.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Cass

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Coordinates
46.933, -97.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ransom

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Ransom forecast zone
Coordinates
46.456, -97.657 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sargent

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Sargent forecast zone
Coordinates
46.108, -97.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Richland

When
November 16, 4:00 PM CST to November 17, 2:00 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

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, November 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5575439, 5575440, 5575441, 5575442, 5575443, 5575444, 5575445, 5575446, 5575447, 5575448, 5575449, 5575450, 5575451, 5575452, 5575453, 5575454, 5575455.