Blizzard, Benson
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Benson forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.069, -99.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in North Dakota, December 18, 1998
The second blizzard of the winter season was much like the first. It packed the very strong winds and little snowfall.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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
- 12
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 winter season was much like the first. It packed the very strong winds and little snowfall. The Grand Forks airport reported a peak gust to 45 mph from the north. Interstate 29 was closed briefly due to the number of accidents reported. The NWS in Grand Forks only reported 1.2 inches of new snow for the 18th, so snow totals were quite low.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
12 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Cavalier
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cavalier forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Eddy
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.718, -98.902 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Towner
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Towner forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.686, -99.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Pembina
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.768, -97.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Ramsey
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ramsey forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.269, -98.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Walsh
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Walsh forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 48.370, -97.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Nelson
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Nelson forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.922, -98.192 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Grand Forks
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.922, -97.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Griggs
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Griggs forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.457, -98.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Steele
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Steele forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.456, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Traill
- When
- December 18, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Traill forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.454, -97.162 (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
- 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
- Blizzard in Minnesota, December 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 18, 1998
- Frost and Freeze in Florida, December 18, 1998
More
Every storm in North Dakota in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, 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: 5677535, 5677536, 5677537, 5677538, 5677539, 5677540, 5677541, 5677542, 5677543, 5677544, 5677545, 5677546.