Heavy Snow, Cass
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cass forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.933, -97.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in North Dakota, January 4, 1997
A strong low pressure system tracking through southern Minnesota into Wisconsin produced a heavy snow band across southeast North Dakota. 11 inches of snow fell in Fargo and 12 inches fell in Forman.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
- 4
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 tracking through southern Minnesota into Wisconsin produced a heavy snow band across southeast North Dakota. 11 inches of snow fell in Fargo and 12 inches fell in Forman. Falling on top of an already deep snow cover, numerous reports of roofs collapsing under the weight of the snow were received.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Ransom
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ransom forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.456, -97.657 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Sargent
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sargent forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.108, -97.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Richland
- When
- January 4, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Richland forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.265, -96.948 (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 North Dakota in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5586476, 5586477, 5586478, 5586479.