Winter Storm, Wabasha
- When
- January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 4:00 AM CST
- Where
- Wabasha forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.284, -92.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Minnesota, January 15 to 16, 1997
Strong winds gusting to 40 mph caused considerable blowing and drifting snow. Travel was impossible in areas west of Rochester due to whiteout conditions.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
- 7
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 ARX wrote it up.
Strong winds gusting to 40 mph caused considerable blowing and drifting snow. Travel was impossible in areas west of Rochester due to whiteout conditions.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Dodge
- When
- January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 4:00 AM CST
- Where
- Dodge forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.023, -92.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Olmsted
- When
- January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 4:00 AM CST
- Where
- Olmsted forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 44.004, -92.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Winona
- When
- January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 4:00 AM CST
- Where
- Winona forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.987, -91.779 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Mower
- When
- January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 4:00 AM CST
- Where
- Mower forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.672, -92.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Fillmore
- When
- January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 4:00 AM CST
- Where
- Fillmore forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.674, -92.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Houston
- When
- January 15, 7:00 PM CST to January 16, 4:00 AM CST
- Where
- Houston forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.671, -91.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 18, 1997
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Cold in South Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 17, 1997
- Cold in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Mississippi, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- High Wind in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
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: 5584794, 5584795, 5584796, 5584797, 5584798, 5584799, 5584800.