Blizzard, Kittson
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Kittson forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Minnesota, December 18, 1998
The second blizzard of the season hit with powerful wind speeds and light snow amounts. Whiteout conditions were reported in the Red River Valley, with a rapid improvement just east in the treed areas of northwest Minnesota.
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.
The second blizzard of the season hit with powerful wind speeds and light snow amounts. Whiteout conditions were reported in the Red River Valley, with a rapid improvement just east in the treed areas of northwest Minnesota. The Crookston airport reported a wind gust to 51 mph. US Highway 2 was closed from East Grand Forks to Crookston.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, West Marshall
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Marshall forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, West Polk
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- West Polk forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Norman
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Norman forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.327, -96.455 (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
- Cold in Colorado, December 18 to 24, 1998
- Dense Fog in California, December 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Oregon, December 18, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New York, December 18, 1998
- Blizzard in North Dakota, December 18, 1998
- Cold in Montana, December 18 to 24, 1998
- Cold in Oregon, December 18 to 24, 1998
- Cold in Washington, December 18 to 24, 1998
- High Surf in Hawaii, December 18 to 19, 1998
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 18 to 19, 1998
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 18, 1998
- Frost and Freeze in Florida, December 18, 1998
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, December 1998
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: 5677547, 5677548, 5677549, 5677550.