Minnesota, 1997

Heavy Snow in Minnesota, January 23 to 24, 1997

January 23 to 24, 1997 · NWS DLH · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Heavy snow fell across the Iron Range and Arrowhead regions of northeastern Minnesota. 5 inches near Two Harbors, 9 on the Gunflint Trail, and 6-8 in the Duluth metro area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
8

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.

Heavy snow fell across the Iron Range and Arrowhead regions of northeastern Minnesota. Some of the greater amounts were 9.5 inches near Two Harbors, 9 on the Gunflint Trail, and 6-8 in the Duluth metro area. Other locations had around 6 inches.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When
January 23, 4:00 PM CST to January 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Coordinates
47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Central St. Louis

When
January 23, 4:00 PM CST to January 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Central St. Louis forecast zone
Coordinates
47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Lake

When
January 23, 4:00 PM CST to January 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Lake forecast zone
Coordinates
47.557, -91.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Cook

When
January 23, 4:00 PM CST to January 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Cook forecast zone
Coordinates
47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Itasca

When
January 23, 4:00 PM CST to January 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Itasca forecast zone
Coordinates
47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Aitkin

When
January 23, 4:00 PM CST to January 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Aitkin forecast zone
Coordinates
46.608, -93.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Aitkin

When
January 23, 4:00 PM CST to January 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Aitkin forecast zone
Coordinates
46.608, -93.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern St. Louis / Carlton

When
January 23, 4:00 PM CST to January 24, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Southern St. Louis / Carlton forecast zone
Coordinates
47.091, -92.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5600042, 5600043, 5600044, 5600045, 5600046, 5600047, 5600048, 5600049.