Blizzard in Minnesota, January 15 to 16, 1997

Name: Blizzard in Minnesota, January 15 to 16, 1997
Start: 1997-01-15T16:00
End: 1997-01-16T10:00
Location: Minnesota

January 15 to 16, 1997 · NWS MPX · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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: 19

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 MPX wrote it up.

A strong cold front swept through the area increasing wind speeds to 25 to 40 mph with occasional gusts to 50 mph. Simultaneouly, temperatures plummeted well below zero resulting in wind chills of 40 to 65 below zero. The strong winds dropped visibilities to near zero at times in blowing snow. Interstates 90 and 35 closed in vicinity of Albert Lea. Interstate 35 was closed north of Albert Lea. Highway 67 closed between Clarkfield and Granite Falls.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Douglas

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.934, -95.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Stevens

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Stevens forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.586, -96.000 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pope

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Pope forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.586, -95.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lac Qui Parle

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Lac Qui Parle forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.996, -96.173 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Swift

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Swift forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.283, -95.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Chippewa

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Chippewa forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.022, -95.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kandiyohi

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Kandiyohi forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.152, -95.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Yellow Medicine

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Yellow Medicine forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.716, -95.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Renville

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Renville forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.727, -94.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Redwood

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Redwood forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.404, -95.254 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Brown

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Brown forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.242, -94.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Nicollet

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Nicollet forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.350, -94.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Watonwan

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Watonwan forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.978, -94.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Blue Earth

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Blue Earth forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.035, -94.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Waseca

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Waseca forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.022, -93.587 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Steele

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Steele forecast zone
Coordinates: 44.022, -93.226 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Martin

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Martin forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.674, -94.551 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Faribault

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Faribault forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.674, -93.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Freeborn

When: January 15, 4:00 PM CST to January 16, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Freeborn forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.674, -93.349 (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

Every storm in Minnesota in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5589207, 5589208, 5589209, 5589210, 5589211, 5589212, 5589213, 5589214, 5589215, 5589216, 5589217, 5589218, 5589219, 5589220, 5589221, 5589222, 5589223, 5589224, 5589225.