North Dakota, 2002

Winter Storm in North Dakota, April 18, 2002

April 18, 2002 · NWS BIS · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A strong low pressure system moved rapidly across central South Dakota during the day moving into Minnesota that evening. The system brought rain, sleet and snow across much of western and central North Dakota.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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
12

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 BIS wrote it up.

A strong low pressure system moved rapidly across central South Dakota during the day moving into Minnesota that evening. The system brought rain, sleet and snow across much of western and central North Dakota. Colder air on the back side of thestorm system turned the mixed precipitation to all snow. A narrow band of heavy wet snow fell from the southwest corner ofthe state through central North Dakota. Up to 7 inches of snow accumulated within this band. Along with the mixed precipitation, northerly winds to 35 mph reduced visibilities to near zero at times and travel was not advised. The snow endedby the early evening hours as the storm system moved through Minnesota.

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 18, 1:55 AM CST, 7 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 1:55 AM CST, 7 hours 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
255 AM CDT THU APR 18 2002

A STRONG SURFACE LOW NOW CENTERED IN SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA WILL
MOVE EAST INTO MINNESOTA BY NOON AND OUT OF THE REGION BY EVENING.
THE MODELS ALL AGREE PRETTY WELL ON THE TRACK.  THE PROBLEM LIES AT
700 MB WHERE THE AVN IS SLOW TO MOVE A SHORT WAVE/CLOSED LOW ACROSS
THE STATE AND THE ETA IS FASTER.  PREFER THE ETA SOLUTION BECAUSE IT
FITS BETTER WITH THE CURRENT CONDITIONS...WHICH KEEPS THE MAIN BAND
OF PRECIP ACROSS SOUTHERN NORTH DAKOTA. CONSEQUENTLY WILL DROP THE
ADVISORIES ACROSS THE NORTH PART OF THE STATE...BECAUSE THERE SHOULD
BE LESS PRECIP. THERE CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM WITH WHEN THE RAIN
WILL CHANGE TO SNOW ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL...BUT
BOTH THE ETA AND AVN INDICATE THE CHANGE IN THE SOUTHWEST AROUND
SUNRISE...AND BY NOON SOUTH CENTRAL.  1 TO 3 INCHES STILL A
POSSIBILITY.  THE 700 MB TROUGH WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA
IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AND THE ETA SHOWS GOOD SUBSIDENCE BEHIND
THE SHORT WAVE.  WILL GO FOR IMPROVING CONDITIONS IN THE AFTERNOON.
CONTINUE TO EXPECT WINDY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE MORNING DUE TO THE
STRENGTH OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...BUT THE WINDS SHOULD DROP OFF
THIS AFTERNOON AS THE LOW MOVES EAST OF THE AREA.  TEMPS TODAY WILL
BE A PROBLEM.  EXPECT TO SEE FALLING TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE
MORNING SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL...WITH SOME RECOVERY IN THE
AFTERNOON.

COLD ADVECTION TONIGHT...AND CLEAR SKIES SHOULD DROP THE TEMPS BELOW
FREEZING MOST AREAS AND WILL STAY WITH PREVIOUS FORECAST WHICH HAS A
GOOD TREND.

.BIS...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL...THIS
       MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. (DIK..BOW..BIS)
TSW

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Adams

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Adams forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.097, -102.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Billings

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Billings forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.023, -103.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bowman

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Bowman forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.113, -103.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dunn

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Dunn forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.357, -102.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Golden Valley

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Golden Valley forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.940, -103.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hettinger

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Hettinger forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.433, -102.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McLean

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
McLean forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Mercer

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.309, -101.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Oliver

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Oliver forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.115, -101.340 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sheridan

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.575, -100.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Slope

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Slope forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.447, -103.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stark

When
April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where
Stark forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.811, -102.655 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, April 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: 5290267, 5290268, 5290269, 5290270, 5290271, 5290272, 5290273, 5290274, 5290275, 5290276, 5290277, 5290278.