Heavy Snow, Cavalier
- When
- April 16, 6:00 PM CST to April 17, 6:00 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)
Heavy Snow in North Dakota, April 16 to 17, 2003
A very tight deformation band of 6 to 8 inches of snow fell across northwest Pembina, southwest Cavalier, and northeast Ramsey counties. An inverted surface trough extended into the Red River Valley and an upper level disturbance (vorticity maximum) helped to enhance the lift with this system.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 3
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.
A very tight deformation band of 6 to 8 inches of snow fell across northwest Pembina, southwest Cavalier, and northeast Ramsey counties. An inverted surface trough extended into the Red River Valley and an upper level disturbance (vorticity maximum) helped to enhance the lift with this system. The event started as rain, then changed over to heavy, wet snow.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Pembina
- When
- April 16, 6:00 PM CST to April 17, 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Pembina forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 48.768, -97.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Ramsey
- When
- April 16, 6:00 PM CST to April 17, 6:00 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)
What these are
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in Arkansas, April 16, 2003
- Strong Wind in New York, April 16, 2003
- Strong Wind in Massachusetts, April 16, 2003
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, April 16, 2003
- High Wind in Kansas, April 16, 2003
- High Wind in Oklahoma, April 16, 2003
- High Wind in Kansas, April 16, 2003
- Strong Wind in Arkansas, April 16, 2003
- High Wind in Texas, April 16, 2003
- Ice Storm in Wisconsin, April 16 to 17, 2003
- Ice Storm in Wisconsin, April 16 to 17, 2003
- Ice Storm in Minnesota, April 16 to 17, 2003
More
Every storm in North Dakota in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5351179, 5351180, 5351181.