Blizzard, Towner
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Towner forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.686, -99.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in North Dakota, January 9 to 10, 1997
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.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 17 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
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 17
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 Grand Forks and Fargo. Many schools across the area were forced to close on the 9th and 10th. Transportation officials closed Interstates 29 and 94 in North Dakota, reporting it to be the 6th time that one or both interstates had been closed so far this winter. US Highway 2 was also closed from Lakota to Grand Forks. Despite the road closures, many motorists did attempt to travel, and had to be rescued during dangerous rescue attempts. One woman, whose car got stuck in the snow, died in the storm. At the governor's request, President Clinton declared the state a disaster area, the first statewide wintertime disaster declaration for North Dakota.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
17 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Cavalier
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cavalier forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Pembina
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 48.768, -97.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Benson
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Benson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.069, -99.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Ramsey
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ramsey forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.269, -98.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Walsh
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Walsh forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.370, -97.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Eddy
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.718, -98.902 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Nelson
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Nelson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.922, -98.192 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Grand Forks
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.922, -97.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Griggs
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Griggs forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.457, -98.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Steele
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Steele forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.456, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Traill
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Traill forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.454, -97.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Barnes
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Barnes forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.936, -98.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Cass
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cass forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.933, -97.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Ransom
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ransom forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.456, -97.657 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Sargent
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sargent forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.108, -97.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Richland
- When
- January 9, 2:00 PM CST to January 10, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Richland forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.265, -96.948 (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, Pembina | 1997-01-10 | 40 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | 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
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 9 to 11, 1997
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 9 to 10, 1997
- Winter Weather in New York, January 9, 1997
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 9 to 10, 1997
- Cold in Ohio, January 9, 1997
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 9 to 11, 1997
- Ice Storm in North Carolina, January 9, 1997
- Blizzard in Iowa, January 9 to 11, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, January 9 to 10, 1997
- Ice Storm in South Carolina, January 9, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 9, 1997
- Blizzard in Iowa, January 9 to 10, 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5586674, 5586675, 5586676, 5586677, 5586678, 5586679, 5586680, 5586681, 5586682, 5586683, 5586684, 5586685, 5586686, 5586687, 5586688, 5586689, 5586690.