Blizzard, West Polk
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Minnesota, January 21 to 22, 1997
A combination of strong winds and snow created another blizzard across northwest Minnesota. 2 to 5 inches of new snow was reported.
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
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.
A combination of strong winds and snow created another blizzard across northwest Minnesota. 2 to 5 inches of new snow was reported. Many schools were forced to close on the 22nd, with some reporting this to be the 8th closure so far this winter. Several motorists that became stranded in the snow had to be rescued.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
17 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Norman
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Clay
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Kittson
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Kittson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Roseau
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Roseau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Marshall
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, East Marshall
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Pennington
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pennington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Red Lake
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Red Lake forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, East Polk
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Mahnomen
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mahnomen forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Becker
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, East Becker
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Wilkin
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Wilkin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Otter Tail
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Otter Tail forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, East Otter Tail
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Otter Tail forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Grant
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST to January 22, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Grant forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.934, -96.012 (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
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 21 to 22, 1997
- Debris Flow in Puerto Rico, January 21, 1997
- Winter Weather in New York, January 21 to 22, 1997
- High Wind in Colorado, January 21, 1997
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 21 to 22, 1997
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 21 to 22, 1997
- Winter Storm in Montana, January 21, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 21, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Montana, January 21, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Utah, January 21, 1997
- Flooding in Illinois, January 21 to 31, 1997
- High Wind in Hawaii, January 21, 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: 5586949, 5586950, 5586951, 5586952, 5586953, 5586954, 5586955, 5587092, 5587093, 5587094, 5587095, 5587096, 5587097, 5587098, 5587099, 5587100, 5587101.