Winter Storm in North Dakota, April 2 to 3, 2003

Name: Winter Storm in North Dakota, April 2 to 3, 2003
Start: 2003-04-02T11:50
End: 2003-04-03T15:15
Location: North Dakota

April 2 to 3, 2003 · NWS FGF · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

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: 11

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 strong thermal gradient remained over the northern plains, while surface low pressure areas stayed over southeast Montana and eastern Nebraska. As was the case with the April 1-2 winter storm, a fairly strong surface high was anchored just west of Hudson Bay. An upper level trough over the Rocky Mountains fed several upper level disturbances over the area in the upper southwest jetstream. 4 to 8 inches of snow fell across the area along with northeast 25 to 35 mph wind gusts. Slippery roads were reported along with a few school closures. The winter storm warning was issued first (at 11:50 am CST) for the Devils Lake region, including Towner, Cavalier, Benson, Ramsey, and Eddy counties. The winter storm warning was issued later (at 3:30 pm CST) for the other counties.

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 2, 9:38 AM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 2, 9:38 AM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes before

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
935 PM CST WED APR 2 2003

MAIN UPDATE CHALLENGE WILL BE THE CURRENT HEADLINES. STILL HAVE A
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE DEVILS LAKE AREA AND A SNOW ADVISORY
FOR THE NORTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY UNTIL NOON. KMVX 88D NOT SHOWING
MUCH ANYMORE AND THE KMBX 88D SHOWS A NARROW LINE OF PCPN MOSTLY
WEST OF KMOT...MOVING NORTHEAST. NORTHEAST WINDS STILL BLOWING
PRETTY GOOD FROM THE VALLEY AND WEST...BUT SNOW STILL WET ENOUGH
THAT IT IS NOT BLOWING. WITH NO VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS...WILL BE
ABLE TO CANCEL BOTH HEADLINES A BIT EARLY. OTHERWISE THE LONGER TERM
HEADLINES WILL CONTINUE (WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF
THE FA) FOR TONIGHT THRU THURSDAY NIGHT. INHERITED ZONES IN GOOD
SHAPE WITH BETTER CHANCES OF PCPN WEST OF THE VALLEY FOR THE REST OF
THE AFTERNOON. STRONG THERMAL GRADIENT REMAINS STRETCHED ACROSS THE
NORTHERN PLAINS...SO WILL AGAIN HAVE A BIG NORTH TO SOUTH GRADIENT
IN HIGHS FOR THE FA. WITH THIS ALSO COVERED...NOT EXPECTING ANY BIG
CHANGES TO TEMPS EITHER.

.FGF...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR NORTHEAST ND AND NORTHWEST MN TONIGHT
THROUGH THU NIGHT.

GODON

FXUS63 KFGF 021538 CCA
AFDFAR

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
935 AM CST WED APR 2 2003

...CORRECTED TIME...

MAIN UPDATE CHALLENGE WILL BE THE CURRENT HEADLINES. STILL HAVE A
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE DEVILS LAKE AREA AND A SNOW ADVISORY
FOR THE NORTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY UNTIL NOON. KMVX 88D NOT SHOWING
MUCH ANYMORE AND THE KMBX 88D SHOWS A NARROW LINE OF PCPN MOSTLY
WEST OF KMOT...MOVING NORTHEAST. NORTHEAST WINDS STILL BLOWING
PRETTY GOOD FROM THE VALLEY AND WEST...BUT SNOW STILL WET ENOUGH
THAT IT IS NOT BLOWING. WITH NO VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS...WILL BE
ABLE TO CANCEL BOTH HEADLINES A BIT EARLY. OTHERWISE THE LONGER TERM
HEADLINES WILL CONTINUE (WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF
THE FA) FOR TONIGHT THRU THURSDAY NIGHT. INHERITED ZONES IN GOOD
SHAPE WITH BETTER CHANCES OF PCPN WEST OF THE VALLEY FOR THE REST OF
THE AFTERNOON. STRONG THERMAL GRADIENT REMAINS STRETCHED ACROSS THE
NORTHERN PLAINS...SO WILL AGAIN HAVE A BIG NORTH TO SOUTH GRADIENT
IN HIGHS FOR THE FA. WITH THIS ALSO COVERED...NOT EXPECTING ANY BIG
CHANGES TO TEMPS EITHER.

.FGF...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR NORTHEAST ND AND NORTHWEST MN TONIGHT
THROUGH THU NIGHT.

GODON

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 2, 5:35 AM CST, 6 hours 15 minutes before

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-021500-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS
535 AM CST WED APR 2 2003

...WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES THIS MORNING FOR THE DEVILS LAKE
REGION...

...SNOW ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR NORTH CENTRAL RED RIVER VALLEY THIS
MORNING...

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA
INTO NORTHWEST MINNESOTA TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT FOR
SIGNIFICANT SNOW POTENTIAL...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...WEST
CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

OCCASIONAL SNOW WILL CONTINUE EARLY THIS MORNING FOR NORTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA INTO NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. THIS WILL PRODUCE ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 2 INCHES. THIS WILL BRING TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS
FROM 3 TO AS MUCH AS 6 INCHES IN THE DEVILS LAKE BASIN. FOR
TONIGHT...SNOW WILL DEVELOP IN THE DEVILS LAKE AREA AND SPREAD EAST
INTO NORTHWEST MINNESOTA BY THURSDAY MORNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION ACROSS
NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA THURSDAY AND THURSDAY
NIGHT. SNOW MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY
NIGHT...AND MAY RESULT IN ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 INCHES OR MORE. IN
ADDITION...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL ACCOMPANY THE FALLING
SNOW. AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE OHIO VALLEY ON FRIDAY...SNOW
WILL TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SNOW FALL REPORTS FROM SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY NIGHT.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/FGF/INDEX.HTML (ALL LOWER CASE)

KELLENBENZ

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Towner

When: April 2, 11:50 AM CST to April 3, 3:05 PM 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 2, 11:50 AM CST to April 3, 3:05 PM 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 2, 11:50 AM CST to April 3, 3:05 PM 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 2, 11:50 AM CST to April 3, 3:05 PM 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, Eddy

When: April 2, 11:50 AM CST to April 3, 3:05 PM CST
Where: Eddy forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.718, -98.902 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pembina

When: April 2, 3:30 PM CST to April 3, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Pembina forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.768, -97.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Western Walsh

When: April 2, 3:30 PM CST to April 3, 3:15 PM 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, Eastern Walsh

When: April 2, 3:30 PM CST to April 3, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Eastern 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 2, 3:30 PM CST to April 3, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Nelson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.922, -98.192 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Grand Forks

When: April 2, 3:30 PM CST to April 3, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Grand Forks forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.922, -97.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Griggs

When: April 2, 3:30 PM CST to April 3, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Griggs forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.457, -98.237 (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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5351160, 5351161, 5351162, 5351163, 5351164, 5351165, 5351166, 5351167, 5351168, 5351169, 5351170.