Blizzard in Minnesota, October 25, 2001

Name: Blizzard in Minnesota, October 25, 2001
Start: 2001-10-25T09:00
End: 2001-10-25T14:30
Location: Minnesota

October 25, 2001 · NWS FGF · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Wind speeds intensified again on the morning of the 25th. Visibilities fell below a quarter mile due to blowing snow along the eastern edge of the Red River Valley.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: 9

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.

Wind speeds intensified again on the morning of the 25th. Visibilities fell below a quarter mile due to blowing snow along the eastern edge of the Red River Valley.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 25, 8:45 AM CST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 25, 8:45 AM CST, 15 minutes before

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
945 AM CDT THU OCT 25 2001

FORECAST CONCERNS HINGE ON HEADLINES FOR ONGOING STORM

STACKED STRONG LOW IN SOUTHEAST ONTARIO CONTINUES TO REMAIN ALMOST
STATIONARY...WITH A SLIGHT EASTWARD DRIFT OF THE UPPER LEVEL
FEATURE. IR SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS PARENT DEFORMATION ZONE IN FAR
NORTHEASTERN FA...WITH WRAPAROUND MOISTURE FEEDING INTO REGION.
EXPECT ANOTHER 1-3 INCHES IN BDE/ROS AREA THIS AFTERNOON.
ELSEWHERE...INTENSE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS CAUSING WINDS FROM 25-35 IN
WESTERN VALLEY...WITH 35 TO 45 MPH WINDS IN EASTERN VALLEY. IN
ADDITION...LIGHT SNOW JUST EAST OF VALLEY IS PRODUCING BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS IN OPEN COUNTRY FROM WARREN SOUTH TO ELBOW LAKE...PER
CALLS TO SPOTTERS. EXPECT PLENTY OF BLOWING SNOW AS 850MB WINDS FROM
50-60KT PERSIST INTO SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON WITH GOOD LINKAGE TO
AROUND 800MB. GRADIENT RELAXES A BIT TOWARDS 00Z...SO EXPECT
VISIBILITIES TO IMPROVE THIS EVENING. WILL KEEP THE WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY GOING FOR REST OF FA...WITH AN INCH OR LESS ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATION WITH WRAPAROUND LIGHT SNOW. WILL MONITOR WINDS IN
ADVISORY AREA FOR POSSIBLE UPDATE TO ADD HIGH WIND WARNING IF CONDITIONS
DEVELOPS. TEMPS TO REMAIN STEADY TODAY AS COLDEST 850MB AIR REMAINS
OVER REGION.

.FGF...BLIZZARD WARNING FOR EASTERN RED RIVER VALLEY IN MN FROM
WARREN TO ELBOW LAKE...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON FOR
REST OF FA.

KELLENBENZ

@RUKWBCe
.KDENFXUS63 KFGF 251445
AFDFAR

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
945 AM CDT THU OCT 25 2001

FORECAST CONCERNS HINGE ON HEADLINES FOR ONGOING STORM

STACKED STRONG LOW IN SOUTHEAST ONTARIO CONTINUES TO REMAIN ALMOST
STATIONARY...WITH A SLIGHT EASTWARD DRIFT OF THE UPPER LEVEL
FEATURE. IR SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS PARENT DEFORMATION ZONE IN FAR
NORTHEASTERN FA...WITH WRAPAROUND MOISTURE FEEDING INTO REGION.
EXPECT ANOTHER 1-3 INCHES IN BDE/ROS AREA THIS AFTERNOON.
ELSEWHERE...INTENSE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS CAUSING WINDS FROM 25-35 IN
WESTERN VALLEY...WITH 35 TO 45 MPH WINDS IN EASTERN VALLEY. IN
ADDITION...LIGHT SNOW JUST EAST OF VALLEY IS PRODUCING BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS IN OPEN COUNTRY FROM WARREN SOUTH TO ELBOW LAKE...PER
CALLS TO SPOTTERS. EXPECT PLENTY OF BLOWING SNOW AS 850MB WINDS FROM
50-60KT PERSIST INTO SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON WITH GOOD LINKAGE TO
AROUND 800MB. GRADIENT RELAXES A BIT TOWARDS 00Z...SO EXPECT
VISIBILITIES TO IMPROVE THIS EVENING. WILL KEEP THE WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY GOING FOR REST OF FA...WITH AN INCH OR LESS ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATION WITH WRAPAROUND LIGHT SNOW. WILL MONITOR WINDS IN
ADVISORY AREA FOR POSSIBLE UPDATE TO ADD HIGH WIND WARNING IF CONDITIONS
DEVELOPS. TEMPS TO REMAIN STEADY TODAY AS COLDEST 850MB AIR REMAINS
OVER REGION.

.FGF...BLIZZARD WARNING THIS AFTERNOON FOR EASTERN RED RIVER VALLEY IN MN
FROM WARREN TO ELBOW LAKE...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON
FOR REST OF FA.

KELLENBENZ

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, West Marshall

When: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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, West Polk

When: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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, Norman

When: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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, Clay

When: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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, Wilkin

When: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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, Mahnomen

When: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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, West Becker

When: October 25, 9:00 AM CST to 2:30 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)

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

Every storm in Minnesota in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, October 2001

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: 5270726, 5270727, 5270728, 5270794, 5270795, 5270796, 5270797, 5270798, 5270799.