Minnesota, 1997

Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 1 to 2, 1997

January 1 to 2, 1997 · NWS DLH · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Freezing rain left up to a quarter inch of ice on area roads. There were numerous traffic accidents, but no reported injuries.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 DLH wrote it up.

Freezing rain left up to a quarter inch of ice on area roads. There were numerous traffic accidents, but no reported injuries. In Lake County, vehicles could not get up hills and were blocking roads. State Highway 61 along the North Shore between Two Harbors and Silver Bay was closed for several hours.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Northern St. Louis

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Northern St. Louis forecast zone
Coordinates
47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Coordinates
47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Itasca

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Itasca forecast zone
Coordinates
47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Central St. Louis

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Central St. Louis forecast zone
Coordinates
47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Lake

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Lake forecast zone
Coordinates
47.557, -91.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Cook

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Cook forecast zone
Coordinates
47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Cass

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Cass forecast zone
Coordinates
46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Itasca

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Itasca forecast zone
Coordinates
47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Koochiching

When
January 1, 6:30 PM CST to January 2, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Koochiching forecast zone
Coordinates
48.245, -93.783 (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

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, January 1997

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: 5600003, 5600004, 5600005, 5600006, 5600007, 5600008, 5600009, 5600010, 5600011.