Blizzard, Pembina
- When
- March 17, 8:00 AM CST to 2:00 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 in North Dakota, March 17, 1999
A strong area of low pressure along the North and South Dakota border brought an intense pressure gradient across eastern North Dakota. 2 inches of snow was reported at the NWS in Grand Forks along with north wind gusts to 48 mph.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 3
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 area of low pressure along the North and South Dakota border brought an intense pressure gradient across eastern North Dakota. 4.2 inches of snow was reported at the NWS in Grand Forks along with north wind gusts to 48 mph. This created whiteout conditions for several hours. Zero visibility 6 miles south of Buxton caused a 6 vehicle pileup on the northbound lane of Interstate 29, shutting down the Interstate for several hours. Several schools closed for the day.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Walsh
- When
- March 17, 8:00 AM CST to 2:00 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, Grand Forks
- When
- March 17, 8:00 AM CST to 2:00 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)
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
- High Wind in Iowa, March 17, 1999
- Winter Storm in New Mexico, March 17 to 19, 1999
- High Wind in Ohio, March 17 to 18, 1999
- Flooding in Montana, March 17 to 22, 1999
- High Wind in Minnesota, March 17, 1999
- Strong Wind in Wisconsin, March 17 to 18, 1999
- High Wind in Minnesota, March 17, 1999
- High Wind in South Dakota, March 17, 1999
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, March 17, 1999
- High Wind in Minnesota, March 17, 1999
- High Wind in South Dakota, March 17, 1999
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 17, 1999
More
Every storm in North Dakota in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, March 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: 5688015, 5688016, 5688017.