Blizzard, East Polk
- When
- March 8, 5:00 PM CST to 11:00 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 in Minnesota, March 8, 2000
As colder air filtered south out of Canada, the freezing precipitation changed over to snow. With the wind already gusty from the north, blizzard conditions quickly developed.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
- 5
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.
As colder air filtered south out of Canada, the freezing precipitation changed over to snow. With the wind already gusty from the north, blizzard conditions quickly developed. People travelling in this area ran into problems quickly, some ending up in the ditch.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, North Clearwater
- When
- March 8, 5:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
- Where
- North Clearwater forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Norman
- When
- March 8, 5:00 PM CST to 11:00 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
- March 8, 5:00 PM CST to 11:00 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
- March 8, 5:00 PM CST to 11:00 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)
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 in California, March 8, 2000
- Tornado and Hail in Wisconsin, March 8, 2000
- Wildfire in Missouri, March 8 to 10, 2000
- High Wind in Iowa, March 8 to 9, 2000
- High Wind in Missouri, March 8, 2000
- Lightning Strikes in Michigan, March 8 to 9, 2000
- High Wind in Kansas, March 8, 2000
- Lightning Strike in Minnesota, March 8, 2000
- Excessive Heat in West Virginia, March 8, 2000
- High Wind in Kansas, March 8, 2000
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, March 8, 2000
- Hail in Michigan, March 8, 2000
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, March 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: 5133236, 5133237, 5133238, 5133239, 5133240.