Minnesota, 2000

Blizzard in Minnesota, December 16, 2000

December 16, 2000 · NWS FGF · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

An inverted trough extended into the Red River Valley from an area of surface low pressure over Iowa. Little new snowfall occurred, with most locations reporting one to two inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 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
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

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.

An inverted trough extended into the Red River Valley from an area of surface low pressure over Iowa. Little new snowfall occurred, with most locations reporting one to two inches. However, as the low pulled away, a strong pressure gradient formed over eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley portion of northwest Minnesota. Peak wind speeds of 45 mph occurred at both Devils Lake, North Dakota and Crookston, Minnesota. These strong wind speeds whipped the fresh snow around, with widespread visibilities reported below a quarter mile, especially outside city limits.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Kittson

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Kittson forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Roseau

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Roseau forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Marshall

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
West Marshall forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, East Marshall

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
East Marshall forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Polk

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
West Polk forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, East Polk

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
East Polk forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pennington

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Pennington forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Red Lake

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Red Lake forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Norman

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Norman forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Mahnomen

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Mahnomen forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Clay

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Becker

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
West Becker forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Wilkin

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Wilkin forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Otter Tail

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
West Otter Tail forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Grant

When
December 16, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Grant forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
45.934, -96.012 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, East Otter Tail

When
December 16, 3:25 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
East Otter Tail forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.409, -95.708 (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

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, December 2000

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: 5177188, 5177189, 5177276, 5177277, 5177278, 5177279, 5177280, 5177281, 5177282, 5177283, 5177284, 5177285, 5177286, 5177287, 5177288, 5177289.