Blizzard, Towner
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Towner forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.686, -99.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in North Dakota, March 13, 1998
A strong cold front moved south from Canada across eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, creating ground blizzard conditions. The front moved quickly from north to south, driven by a strong pressure gradient, but dropped little snow.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
- 14
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 cold front moved south from Canada across eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, creating ground blizzard conditions. The front moved quickly from north to south, driven by a strong pressure gradient, but dropped little snow. Near zero visibilities were created as the wind picked up the top crust of snow. After the initial burst of intense wind, visibilities slowly improved. Devils Lake had a gust to 48 mph and Fargo had a gust to 53 mph.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Cavalier
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cavalier forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Pembina
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pembina forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.768, -97.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Benson
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Benson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.069, -99.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Ramsey
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ramsey forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.269, -98.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Walsh
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Walsh forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 48.370, -97.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Eddy
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Eddy forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.718, -98.902 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Nelson
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Nelson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.922, -98.192 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Grand Forks
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.922, -97.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Griggs
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Griggs forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.457, -98.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Steele
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Steele forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.456, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Traill
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Traill forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.454, -97.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Barnes
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Barnes forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.936, -98.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Cass
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cass forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.933, -97.248 (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
- Flooding and Hail in California, March 13, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, March 13 to 14, 1998
- Blizzard in Minnesota, March 13, 1998
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 13 to 16, 1998
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 13 to 15, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, March 13 to 14, 1998
- Waterspouts in California, March 13, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, March 13 to 14, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, March 13, 1998
- High Wind in South Dakota, March 13, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, March 13 to 14, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, March 13 to 14, 1998
More
Every storm in North Dakota in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, March 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: 5634763, 5634764, 5634765, 5634766, 5634767, 5634768, 5634769, 5634770, 5634771, 5634772, 5634773, 5634774, 5634775, 5634776.