Cold in North Dakota, February 16 to 18, 2006

Name: Cold in North Dakota, February 16 to 18, 2006
Start: 2006-02-16T18:00
End: 2006-02-18T12:00
Location: North Dakota

February 16 to 18, 2006 · NWS BIS · 36 events in 36 counties and zones

Temperatures were in the 15 to 25 degree below zero range with wind speeds of 15 to 25 mph resulting in wind chills mainly in the 40s below. The lowest wind chills were -55 in Rolette County and -50 in Foster, Kidder, and Mountrail counties.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 32 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: 36

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.

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 Feb 16, 3:30 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 16, 3:30 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
330 PM CST THU FEB 16 2006

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.

...COLDEST WEATHER OF THE SEASON TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION...

MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW LARGE AND VERY COLD ARCTIC AIRMASS OVER
CENTRAL CANADA TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS TONIGHT AND
FRIDAY. THE NAM IS FORECASTING 500 MB TEMPERATURES WITH THIS AIRMASS
TO -46 C AND 850 MB AIR DOWN TO -40 C WHICH IS EXPECTED TO SINK INTO
THE STATE. THE GFS RUN IS VERY SIMILAR BUT AS NOT AS COLD. I AM
FAVORING THE NAM FOR THE FORECAST AS IT SEEMS TO HANDLE ARCTIC
OUTBREAKS BETTER. THE ARCTIC HIGH WAS NOTED ON THE LATEST SURFACE
ANALYSIS OVER SASKATCHEWAN WHERE LOW TEMPERATURES THIS MORNING
DIPPED TO -36 F. AN AREA OF LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES PRECEDES THIS
SURGE OF VERY COLD AIR AND WAS NOTED ON AREA RADARS OVER EASTERN
AREAS OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL CREATE ABOUT A DUSTING IN
SPOTS THIS EVENING WITH OTHER AREAS RECEIVING SCATTERED FLURRIES
TONIGHT. I AM EXPECTING WIND CHILLS DOWN TO 40 TO 50 BELOW BY FRIDAY
MORNING AS LOW TEMPERATURES DIP TO 15 TO 30 BELOW ZERO. MODEL
GUIDANCE SEEMS REASONABLE AND IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS FORECAST. FRIDAY
WILL BE A
VERY COLD DAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 5 TO 10 BELOW RANGE IN THE NORTH
TO NEAR ZERO IN THE SOUTH. BY FRIDAY NIGHT THE COLDEST PORTION OF
THE ARCTIC HIGH WILL HAVE SLIPPED JUST WEST OF THE BISMARCK/MANDAN
AREA AND MIN TEMPERATURES WILL BE NOT AS COLD WITH SOME WARMING
ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THOUGH STILL QUITE CHILLY. WILL DROP THE
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LATE AFTERNOON AND
GO WITH JUST THE WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON FRIDAY.

.LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...
MUCH UNCERTAINTY IN THE LONG TERM MODELS AGAIN TODAY. MAIN SCENARIO
IS NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE STATE IN THE UPPER LEVEL REGIME. SOME
SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW...BUT TIMING AND STRENGTH
OF THESE IMPULSES IS QUITE UNCERTAIN. KEPT PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY
AND WENT WITH FLURRIES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. TREND FOR THURSDAY LOOKS
LIKE THE PACIFIC HIGH TRYING TO BUILD AN UPPER RIDGE.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL WARNING WEST AND CENTRAL TONIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING

&&

JENSEN/JV

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 16, 4:55 AM CST, 13 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
455 AM CST THU FEB 16 2006

NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-171100-
DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-
MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-
FOSTER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-
STUTSMAN-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-
LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY-
455 AM CST THU FEB 16 2006 /355 AM MST THU FEB 16 2006/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY...AND A WIND CHILL
WARNING IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. COLD ARCTIC AIR
WILL MOVE DOWN OVER THE STATE TODAY. TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL
DROP TO 15 TO 30 BELOW. THE COLD TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH BRISK
WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL CAUSE WIND CHILLS OF 15 TO 30 BELOW
TODAY AND 40 TO 50 BELOW TONIGHT. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE FRIDAY
MORNING AS TEMPERATURES RISE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

36 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Adams

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.097, -102.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Billings

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Billings forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.023, -103.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Bottineau

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Bottineau forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.792, -100.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Bowman

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Bowman forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.113, -103.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Burke

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Burke forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.791, -102.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Burleigh

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Burleigh forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.977, -100.469 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Dickey

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Dickey forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.110, -98.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Divide

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Divide forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.815, -103.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Dunn

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Dunn forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.357, -102.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Emmons

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Emmons forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.285, -100.239 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Foster

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Foster forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.457, -98.883 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Golden Valley

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Golden Valley forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.940, -103.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Grant

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.358, -101.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Hettinger

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Hettinger forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.433, -102.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Kidder

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Kidder forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.980, -99.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, La Moure

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: La Moure forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.457, -98.535 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Logan

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.457, -99.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, McHenry

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: McHenry forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.235, -100.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, McIntosh

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: McIntosh forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.112, -99.441 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, McKenzie

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: McKenzie forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.740, -103.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, McLean

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Cold/Wind Chill, Mercer

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Mercer forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.309, -101.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Morton

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Morton forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Cold/Wind Chill, Mountrail

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Mountrail forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.201, -102.356 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Oliver

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Oliver forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.115, -101.340 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Pierce

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Pierce forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.250, -99.972 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Renville

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Renville forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.719, -101.658 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Rolette

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Rolette forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.772, -99.841 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Sheridan

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.575, -100.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Sioux

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Sioux forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Cold/Wind Chill, Slope

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Slope forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.447, -103.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Stark

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.811, -102.655 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Stutsman

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Stutsman forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.979, -98.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Ward

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Ward forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Cold/Wind Chill, Wells

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Wells forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.588, -99.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Williams

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 18, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Williams forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.344, -103.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Dakota in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, February 2006

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: 5491657, 5491658, 5491659, 5491660, 5491661, 5491662, 5491663, 5491664, 5491665, 5491666, 5491667, 5491668, 5491669, 5491670, 5491671, 5491672, 5492456, 5492457, 5492458, 5492459, 5492460, 5492461, 5492462, 5492463, 5492464, 5492465, 5492466, 5492467, 5492468, 5492469, 5492470, 5492471, 5492472, 5492473, 5492541, 5492542.