Blizzard in Minnesota, January 9 to 10, 1997

Name: Blizzard in Minnesota, January 9 to 10, 1997
Start: 1997-01-09T14:00
End: 1997-01-10T17:00
Location: Minnesota

January 9 to 10, 1997 · NWS FGF · 25 events in 24 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 25 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 25

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.

An Alberta Clipper raced across northeast North Dakota and then stalled over the Red River Valley, due to a blocking low pressure system over the Great Lakes. Strong winds and snow produced blizzard conditions across the area. A total of 8.8 inches of snow was reported in Grand Forks, while Fargo reported 7.5 inches. The heaviest snow fell across the Red River Valley between Crookston and Moorhead. Many schools across the area were closed on the 9th and 10th. Transportation officials closed Interstate 94 from Moorhead to Sauk Centre, US Highway 10 from Moorhead to Detroit Lakes, and US Highway 2 from East Grand Forks to Crookston. Despite the road closures, many motorists did attempt to travel, and had to be rescued during dangerous rescue attempts. One man, who left his stranded car, died in the storm.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

25 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Hubbard

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Hubbard forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.109, -94.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Polk

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: West Polk forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Norman

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Norman forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Clay

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kittson

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Kittson forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Roseau

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Roseau forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lake of the Woods

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Lake of the Woods forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.771, -94.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Marshall

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 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 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: East Marshall forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, North Beltrami

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: North Beltrami forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.974, -94.938 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pennington

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 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 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 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 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: East Polk forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, North Clearwater

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: North Clearwater forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, South Beltrami

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: South Beltrami forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.974, -94.938 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Mahnomen

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Mahnomen forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, South Clearwater

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: South Clearwater forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hubbard

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Hubbard forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.109, -94.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Becker

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 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 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 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 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 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 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 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 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: East Otter Tail forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Wadena

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Wadena forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.586, -94.969 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Grant

When: January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Coordinates: 45.934, -96.012 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Blizzard, East Polk	1997-01-10	57	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

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

Every storm in Minnesota in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5586691, 5586692, 5586693, 5586694, 5586695, 5586696, 5586697, 5586698, 5586699, 5586700, 5586701, 5586702, 5586703, 5586704, 5586705, 5586706, 5586707, 5586708, 5586709, 5586710, 5586711, 5586894, 5586895, 5586896, 5586897.