High Wind in Minnesota, February 11, 2002

Name: High Wind in Minnesota, February 11, 2002
Start: 2002-02-11T12:00
End: 2002-02-11T22:00
Location: Minnesota

February 11, 2002 · NWS FGF · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

A strong area of surface low pressure moved across Ontario, with a tight surface pressure gradient across northwest and west central Minnesota. Record warmth early in the day was followed by the gusty wind.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 24 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: 24

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.

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 Feb 11, 10:30 AM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 11, 10:30 AM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1030 AM CST MON FEB 11 2002

UPR LVL TROF OVR MT WITH A THERMAL TROF LAGGING ABT A QUARTER
WAVELENGTH. UPR AIR CHART SHOWS 200+ MTR HGT FALLS OVR MT THIS MORN
AS COLD AIR MOVS IN ALF. ETA MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE GOOD COOLING
TO OCCUR TDY FM JUST OFF THE SFC TO 300 HPA WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE
COOLING TO TAKE PLACE ARND 800 HPA THIS MORN. THE COOLING AT LOW
LVLS WL PRODUCE A RELATIVELY ADIABATIC LYR IN THE W THIS AFTN AND IN
THE E LATER THIS AFTN. SFC WNDS INCRG IN WRN ND. SURPRISINGLY 88D
VAD WNDS ARE NOT VRY IMPRESSIVE AT KMBX AND KBIS BUT ARE 50+ KTS OFF
THE SFC AT KMVX AND KGGW. ETA FCSTG A BOMB WITH SFC PRES FALLING 10
MB TDY. WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS GOOD DRYING HAS MOVD INTO ALL OF ND
XCP THE SE. DRY BAND WAS MOVG E.  MESOSCALE ANLYS SHOW RISE-FALL
PRES COUPLET CNTRD OVR SRN SASK AND WRN ONT WITH A 3 HR PRES
DIFFERENCE OF 16 MB. PAT WAS SHFTG E. TEMPS ARE RISING FAST WL
UPDATE FOR NR OR RECORD HIGHS TDY.

.FGF...HIGH WIND WARNING THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FOR EASTERN
NORTH DAKOTA AND EXTREME NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.
NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054-MNZ001>004-007-008-
013>015-022-027-029-030-040.
WIND ADVISORY LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR REMAINDER OF NORTHWEST AND
WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA (ROSEAU-BEMIDJI-PARK RAPIDS). MNZ005-006-009-
016-017-023-024-028-031-032.

HOPPES

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Kittson

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Kittson forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Roseau

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Roseau forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lake of the Woods

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Lake of the Woods forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.771, -94.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, West Marshall

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: West Marshall forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, East Marshall

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: East Marshall forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, West Polk

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: West Polk forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Pennington

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Pennington forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Red Lake

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Red Lake forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, East Polk

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: East Polk forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, North Beltrami

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: North Beltrami forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.974, -94.938 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, South Beltrami

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: South Beltrami forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.974, -94.938 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, North Clearwater

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: North Clearwater forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, South Clearwater

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: South Clearwater forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Norman

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Norman forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mahnomen

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Mahnomen forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Clay

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, West Becker

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: West Becker forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, East Becker

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: East Becker forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hubbard

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Hubbard forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.109, -94.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wilkin

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Wilkin forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, West Otter Tail

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: West Otter Tail forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, East Otter Tail

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: East Otter Tail forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wadena

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Wadena forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.586, -94.969 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Grant

When: February 11, 12:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 45.934, -96.012 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, February 2002

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: 5283043, 5283044, 5283045, 5283046, 5283047, 5283048, 5283049, 5283050, 5283051, 5283052, 5283053, 5283054, 5283055, 5283056, 5283057, 5283058, 5283059, 5283060, 5283061, 5283062, 5283063, 5283064, 5283065, 5283066.