North Dakota, 1999

Blizzard in North Dakota, December 19, 1999

December 19, 1999 · NWS BIS · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A strong low pressure system moved rapidly out of Alberta Canada and raced along the southern Canadian border. Behind thesystem a strong arctic cold front was ejected south into the northern plains and produced gradient winds out of the northwestat 40 to 60 mph.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 BIS wrote it up.

A strong low pressure system moved rapidly out of Alberta Canada and raced along the southern Canadian border. Behind thesystem a strong arctic cold front was ejected south into the northern plains and produced gradient winds out of the northwestat 40 to 60 mph. Snowfall with the system ranged from 1 to 3 inches. The strong winds produced visibilities less than 1/4 milein most areas to near zero in open country. Temperatures fell to the single digits by mid afternoon. The cold air combinedwith the wind generated wind chills of 40 to 60 below zero.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Bottineau

When
December 19, 3:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Bottineau forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.792, -100.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McHenry

When
December 19, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where
McHenry forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.235, -100.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pierce

When
December 19, 4:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where
Pierce forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.250, -99.972 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Rolette

When
December 19, 4:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Rolette forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.772, -99.841 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Wells

When
December 19, 4:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Wells forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.588, -99.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Foster

When
December 19, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Foster forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.457, -98.883 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McLean

When
December 19, 10:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
McLean forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Renville

When
December 19, 10:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Renville forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.719, -101.658 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sheridan

When
December 19, 10:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.575, -100.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ward

When
December 19, 10:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Ward forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, December 1999

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: 5720985, 5720987, 5720989, 5721091, 5721094, 5720986, 5720988, 5720990, 5721092, 5721093.