Minnesota, 1997

Winter Storm in Minnesota, March 12 to 14, 1997

March 12 to 14, 1997 · NWS ARX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

10 to 20 inches of snow was accompanied by strong winds, creating drifts as high as 6 feet. Considerable blowing and drifting caused whiteouts in open country and blocked many rural roads.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 ARX wrote it up.

10 to 20 inches of snow was accompanied by strong winds, creating drifts as high as 6 feet. Considerable blowing and drifting caused whiteouts in open country and blocked many rural roads.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Wabasha

When
March 12, 10:00 PM CST to March 14, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Wabasha forecast zone
Coordinates
44.284, -92.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dodge

When
March 12, 10:00 PM CST to March 14, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Dodge forecast zone
Coordinates
44.023, -92.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Olmsted

When
March 12, 10:00 PM CST to March 14, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Olmsted forecast zone
Coordinates
44.004, -92.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Winona

When
March 12, 10:00 PM CST to March 14, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Winona forecast zone
Coordinates
43.987, -91.779 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mower

When
March 12, 10:00 PM CST to March 14, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Mower forecast zone
Coordinates
43.672, -92.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Fillmore

When
March 12, 10:00 PM CST to March 14, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Fillmore forecast zone
Coordinates
43.674, -92.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Houston

When
March 12, 10:00 PM CST to March 14, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Houston forecast zone
Coordinates
43.671, -91.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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, March 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: 5597167, 5597168, 5597169, 5597170, 5597171, 5597172, 5597173.