Heavy Snow, Norman
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Minnesota, January 4, 1997
A strong low pressure system tracked across southern Minnesota into Wisconsin, producing a band of heavy snow across west central Minnesota. 27 inches fell near Wadena, 24 inches at Orwell Dam, 20 inches in Elbow Lake, Fergus Falls, and New York Mills, 17 inches in Nevis, 15 inches in Detroit Lakes, and 13 inches fell in Dent.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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
- 12
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 strong low pressure system tracked across southern Minnesota into Wisconsin, producing a band of heavy snow across west central Minnesota. 27 inches fell near Wadena, 24 inches at Orwell Dam, 20 inches in Elbow Lake, Fergus Falls, and New York Mills, 17 inches in Nevis, 15 inches in Detroit Lakes, and 13 inches fell in Dent. Due to the weight of the snow, numerous reports of collapsed roofs were received.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
12 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Clay
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Mahnomen
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mahnomen forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, South Clearwater
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- South Clearwater forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Hubbard
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hubbard forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.109, -94.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, West Becker
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, East Becker
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Becker forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Wilkin
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Wilkin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, West Otter Tail
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Otter Tail forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, East Otter Tail
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- East Otter Tail forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Wadena
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Wadena forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.586, -94.969 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Grant
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Grant forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.934, -96.012 (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
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 4 to 5, 1997
- Tornado in Kentucky, January 4, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, January 4, 1997
- Blizzard in Nebraska, January 4, 1997
- Cold in Illinois, January 4, 1997
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 4 to 5, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, January 4, 1997
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 4 to 5, 1997
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 4 to 22, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, January 4, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, January 4, 1997
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 4 to 5, 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5586480, 5586648, 5586649, 5586650, 5586651, 5586652, 5586653, 5586654, 5586655, 5586656, 5586657, 5586658.