Ice Storm, Clay
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 30, 1997
05 inches of freezing rain fell across northwest Minnesota, causing numerous vehicle accidents. Many vehicles slid off roads, while others could not travel up slopes.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
- 14
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.
0.05 inches of freezing rain fell across northwest Minnesota, causing numerous vehicle accidents. Many vehicles slid off roads, while others could not travel up slopes. Emergency officials could not reach accident scenes or help stranded motorists.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice Storm, East Marshall
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- East Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, East Polk
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- East Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Kittson
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Kittson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Mahnomen
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Mahnomen forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Norman
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Pennington
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Pennington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Red Lake
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Red Lake forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Roseau
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Roseau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, West Becker
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- West Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, West Marshall
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- West Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, West Otter Tail
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- West Otter Tail forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, West Polk
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- West Polk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Wilkin
- When
- January 30, 7:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Wilkin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.357, -96.468 (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
- High Surf in Hawaii, January 30 to 31, 1997
- Ice Storm in North Dakota, January 30, 1997
- High Wind in Wyoming, January 30 to 31, 1997
- High Wind in Montana, January 30, 1997
- Flooding in Illinois, January 30 to 31, 1997
- High Wind in Washington, January 30, 1997
- High Wind in Arizona, January 30, 1997
- Winter Weather in Ohio, January 30, 1997
- High Wind in Montana, January 30, 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: 5613502, 5613503, 5613504, 5613505, 5613506, 5613507, 5613508, 5613509, 5613510, 5613511, 5613512, 5613513, 5613514, 5613515.