Blizzard in North Dakota, January 4 to 22, 1997

Name: Blizzard in North Dakota, January 4 to 22, 1997
Start: 1997-01-04T06:00
End: 1997-01-22T17:00
Location: North Dakota

January 4 to 22, 1997 · NWS BIS · 35 events in 35 counties and zones

The economic impact these 4 blizzards had on North Dakota were staggering. 7 million for extra feed consumption, and $50,000 worth of dumped milk when transporters couldn't get to the farms.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 31 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: 35

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 BIS wrote it up.

The economic impact these 4 blizzards had on North Dakota were staggering. On the agricultural side alone, it is estimated that over 6 million was lost for buildings and machinery, 4.7 million in livestock deaths, 21.7 million for extra feed consumption, and $50,000 worth of dumped milk when transporters couldn't get to the farms. In addition, its estimated that $600,000 was spent by the Game and Fish Dept. to help farmers battle the deer that was eating their hay reserves. Also, its estimated thta the National Guard spent $800,000 in January to help with snow removal. Many communities spent up to 10 times their snow removal budget just in January alone, with the state itself spending an estimated additional $125,000 in salaries and operating expenses. Damage totals are still coming in as of this writing. The January of 1997 will be long remembered in the minds of many North Dakotans.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

35 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Divide

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Divide forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.815, -103.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Burke

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Burke forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.791, -102.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Renville

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Renville forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.719, -101.658 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Bottineau

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Bottineau forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.792, -100.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Rolette

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Rolette forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.772, -99.841 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Williams

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Williams forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.344, -103.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Mountrail

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Mountrail forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.201, -102.356 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ward

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Ward forecast zone

Blizzard, McHenry

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: McHenry forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.235, -100.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pierce

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Pierce forecast zone
Coordinates: 48.250, -99.972 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McKenzie

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: McKenzie forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.740, -103.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Dunn

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Dunn forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.357, -102.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Mercer

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Mercer forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.309, -101.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Oliver

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Oliver forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.115, -101.340 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McLean

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone

Blizzard, Sheridan

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.575, -100.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Wells

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Wells forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.588, -99.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Golden Valley

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Golden Valley forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.940, -103.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Billings

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Billings forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.023, -103.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Stark

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.811, -102.655 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Morton

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Morton forecast zone

Blizzard, Burleigh

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Burleigh forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.977, -100.469 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kidder

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Kidder forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.980, -99.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Stutsman

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Stutsman forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.979, -98.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Slope

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Slope forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.447, -103.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Hettinger

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Hettinger forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.433, -102.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Grant

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.358, -101.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Bowman

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Bowman forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.113, -103.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Adams

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.097, -102.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sioux

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Sioux forecast zone

Blizzard, Emmons

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Emmons forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.285, -100.239 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Logan

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.457, -99.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, La Moure

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: La Moure forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.457, -98.535 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McIntosh

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: McIntosh forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.112, -99.441 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Dickey

When: January 4, 6:00 AM CST to January 22, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Dickey forecast zone
Coordinates: 46.110, -98.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 North Dakota in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, 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: 5585953, 5585954, 5585955, 5585956, 5585957, 5585958, 5585959, 5585960, 5585961, 5585962, 5585963, 5585964, 5585965, 5585966, 5585967, 5585968, 5585969, 5585970, 5585971, 5585972, 5585973, 5585974, 5586528, 5586529, 5586530, 5586531, 5586532, 5586533, 5586534, 5586535, 5586536, 5586537, 5586538, 5586539, 5586540.