Minnesota, 1998

Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 4, 1998

January 4, 1998 · NWS ARX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Widespread ice accumulations of 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch caused several accidents. However, no serious injuries were reported and only a few power outages occurred.

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
1
Property damage
$32,000
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.

Widespread ice accumulations of 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch caused several accidents. However, no serious injuries were reported and only a few power outages occurred.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Dodge

When
January 4, 3:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Dodge forecast zone
Coordinates
44.023, -92.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Fillmore

When
January 4, 3:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Fillmore forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
43.674, -92.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Houston

When
January 4, 3:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Houston forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
43.671, -91.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Mower

When
January 4, 3:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Mower forecast zone
Coordinates
43.672, -92.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Olmsted

When
January 4, 3:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Olmsted forecast zone
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
44.004, -92.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Wabasha

When
January 4, 3:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Wabasha forecast zone
Coordinates
44.284, -92.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Winona

When
January 4, 3:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Winona forecast zone
Property damage
$7,000
Coordinates
43.987, -91.779 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, January 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: 5628275, 5628276, 5628277, 5628278, 5628279, 5628280, 5628281.