Winter Storm in North Dakota, April 1 to 2, 2003

Name: Winter Storm in North Dakota, April 1 to 2, 2003
Start: 2003-04-01T15:30
End: 2003-04-02T09:50
Location: North Dakota

April 1 to 2, 2003 · NWS FGF · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 6

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.

Nearly stationary low pressure systems set up from eastern Montana to southern South Dakota, while a tight thermal gradient lined up over North Dakota and Minnesota. Periodic upper level disturbances rode over this low level feature and helped set the stage for an early April winter storm. 8 inches of snow fell over southeast Towner and northwest Ramsey counties, while 4 to 6 inches fell from this area into Grand Forks county. A dry northeast flow from high pressure to the north kept this area from expanding in coverage. Northeast winds gusted from 25 to 35 mph. With the snow somewhat wet, blowing snow did not become much of a problem.

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 Apr 1, 3:25 PM CST, 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 1, 3:25 PM CST, 5 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 1, 6:15 AM CST, 9 hours 15 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Towner

When: April 1, 3:30 PM CST to April 2, 9:50 AM CST
Where: Towner forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.686, -99.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cavalier

When: April 1, 3:30 PM CST to April 2, 9:50 AM CST
Where: Cavalier forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Benson

When: April 1, 3:30 PM CST to April 2, 9:50 AM CST
Where: Benson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.069, -99.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ramsey

When: April 1, 3:30 PM CST to April 2, 9:50 AM CST
Where: Ramsey forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.269, -98.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Walsh

When: April 1, 3:30 PM CST to April 2, 9:50 AM CST
Where: Western Walsh forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.370, -97.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nelson

When: April 1, 3:30 PM CST to April 2, 9:50 AM CST
Where: Nelson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.922, -98.192 (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

Every storm in North Dakota in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, April 2003

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5351154, 5351155, 5351156, 5351157, 5351158, 5351159.