Western and central North Dakota experienced a snowy winter of 2008-2009. 3 inches of snow in December 2008.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BIS wrote it up.
Western and central North Dakota experienced a snowy winter of 2008-2009. Bismarck, for example, had the snowiest December on record, which was also the snowiest month ever on record, with 33.3 inches of snow in December 2008. March 2009 was the fifth snowiest month on record with 29.7 inches. For the entire season Bismarck ended up the second snowiest on record with 100.3 inches. A similar scenario played out all across the west and central parts of North Dakota with locations receiving two to three times the normal snowfall. This set the stage for devastating flooding.
Continued moderating temperatures, along with additional heavy snowfall in late March across southern North Dakota, and April snowfall in northern South Dakota, resulted in a second round of flooding over much of west and central North Dakota during the month of April.
For most areas the flooding, some of it river and stream related and some overland flooding away from rivers and streams, was the worst in a dozen years, rivaling and in some cases surpassing that following the winter of 1996-1997. For a few places it was the worst flooding ever. Ice jams, which occur most springs in North Dakota, were more numerous and severe than what would be considered normal.
Losses were tremendous with hundreds of homes flooded, some completely destroyed, and many roads and some bridges washed out. County and township roads, already damaged by the winter plowing of snow, suffered more damage by the flooding. Sections of major state highways were closed due to flooding, including interstate 94.
Agriculture was hard hit. It has been estimated by the Farm Services Agency that because of the flooding over west and central North Dakota, around 1.7 million acres would not be planted in 2009. Using an average value of $300 an acre, that amounts to a potential loss through non planting of around $490 million.
The ranching industry was also hard hit. It has been estimated by the Farm Services Administration that the harsh winter, including blizzards, and the flooding, resulted in 78,000 calves being killed, along with 19,100 cows, 180 horses, and 3,000 other farm and ranch animals. It was estimated that this number of beef cows, had they lived to slaughter, could have fed 800,000 people for one year. The cost loss would be around $50 million. Economic impact to society, impact on communities, uses a multiplier of four to seven times the loss, so $200 million to $350 million.
See entries for the month of March as well.
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 Mar 31, 3:15 PM CST, 8 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 415 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT... WINTER STORM CONTINUES TO BRING IN MOISTURE AS IT MOVES INTO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. SYSTEM BEGINNING TO CUT OFF BUT PRETTY DECENT TROWEL EVIDENT ON WATER VAPOR IMAGE OVER EAST HALF OF THE STATE. WILL LEAVE THE WINTER STORM WARNING GOING THROUGH 4 AM CDT WEDNESDAY MORNING. I EXPECT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT. ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW LOOKS LIKELY FOR A STORM TOTAL OF 10 TO 16 INCHES FROM JAMESTOWN TO THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER. WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY TRIES TO MOVE THROUGH WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA LATE TONIGHT BUT BUMPS UP TO UPPER LOW. SUBSIDENCE ALOFT ON WESTERN EDGE OF UPPER CIRCULATION LIKELY WILL KEEP CENTRAL SECTIONS DRY WHILE THE WEST MAY SEE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW AND SOME INCREASE IN CLOUDS. AS WE MOVE THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE WINTER STORM WILL EXIT THE REGION WHILE THE NEXT MAJOR LOW MOVES ON SHORE IN NORTHWEST US THEN DEEPENS OVER COLORADO. IT APPEARS THE LOW WILL TRACK ACROSS THE CENTRAL STATES AND WILL BRING SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW TO SOUTHERN NORTH DAKOTA FRIDAY NIGHT. GENERALLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES THOUGH THE SHORT TERM. .AVIATION...RADAR SHOWS A BAND OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS MOST OF THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE. THE WEST EDGE OF THE PRECIP EXTENDS FROM ROLLA THROUGH LINTON. RADAR INDICATES THE PRECIP MOVING WEST...BUT ERODING ON THE WEST EDGE. BISMARCK AND MINOT COULD SEE SOME LIGHT SNOW EARLY TONIGHT WITH REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS LIKELY BETWEEN JAMESTOWN AND DEVILS LAKE WHERE IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBLITIES CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF TONIGHT. THE WESTERN END OF THE STATE SHOULD HAVE VFR CONDITIONS...ALTHOUGH THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR FOG TOWARD MORNING...DUE TO CLEARING SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL PASS SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA OVER THE WEEKEND BUT THE ASSOCIATED LOW CONTINUES TO BE FORECAST TO BE FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO ONLY BRUSH THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE STATE WITH PRECIPIATION. YET ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH/LOW MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTWEST AND INTO THE PLAINS ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...BUT THIS APPEARS TO BE EVEN FURTHER SOUTH SO CHANCE OF PRECIP WILL REMAIN SMALL. THE NET EFFECT OF BOTH SYSTEMS IS TO KEEP THE FORECAST AREA COOL AS REFLECTED IN THE THICKNESSES. CONSEQUENTLY...WILL KEEP THE TEMPS WELL BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. .HYDROLOGY AREAL FLOOD WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR COUNTIES IN THE JAMES RIVER BASIN...NAMELY FOSTER...STUTSMAN...LAMOURE...DICKEY. AREAL FLOOD WARNINGS ALSO CONTINUE FOR LOGAN...EMMONS...AND SIOUX COUNTIES IN THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN - INCLUDING BEAVER CREEK. AREAL FLOOD WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR BOTTINEAU AND MCHENRY COUNTY DUE TO SNOW MELT AND RIVER FLOODING FROM WILLOW CREEK. RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR THE JAMES RIVER AND PIPESTEM CREEK...AND FOR WILLOW CREEK IN THE SOURIS RIVER BASIN WEST OF WILLOW CITY. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR NDZ025-037-047- 048-050-051. && ABELING
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 535 AM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-011045- 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- 535 AM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009 /435 AM MDT TUE MAR 31 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW REMAINS OVER MOST OF CENTRAL TODAY...WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO MIDDAY OVER THE SOUTHEAST ZONES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER STORM IS FORECAST TO PASS SOUTH OF NORTH DAKOTA THIS WEEKEND...BUT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR RAIN OR SNOW WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ALONG THE NORTH DAKOTA/SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER. FLOODING HAZARDS WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO THE MONTH OF APRIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. SCHECK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
843 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0838 PM HEAVY SNOW WISHEK 46.26N 99.56W
03/31/2009 M26.0 INCH MCINTOSH ND PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL. REPORT FROM A RANCH NEAR WISHEK.
RELAYED BY MEDIA.
&&
PJAThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Rapid snowmelt caused the Souris River and overland areas to flood, washing out county and township roads.
Heavy overland flooding and flooding along Apple Creek resulted in damage to 19 homes and numerous state, county, and local roads.
A second round of overland flooding due to snowmelt resulted in additional damages to several county and local roads.
Heavy overland flooding occurred as the result of rapid runoff from snowmelt. Flooding damaged many county and township roads along with 35 homes.
Heavy overland flooding and flooding on the Heart River from snowmelt damaged numerous state, county, and local roads along with eleven homes.
Overland flooding resulted in damage to local and county roads.
Rapid snowmelt created overland flooding and flooding along the James River resulting in damage to numerous county and local roads and two homes.
A second round of overland flooding and flooding along Beaver Creek resulted in additional damages to several county and local roads, and to numerous homes in and around Linton.
Rapid snowmelt caused heavy overland flooding and flooding along the James River. This resulted in flood damage to numerous county and local roads, railroad bridges, and seven homes.
Heavy overland flooding associated with snowmelt resulted in damage to county and township roads.
Heavy runoff generated from snowmelt caused overland flooding which washed out several county roads.
Heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt caused overland flooding and flooding of the upper Willow Creek area.
Heavy overland flooding from snowmelt damaged two homes and numerous state, county, and local roads.
A second round of overland flooding and continued flooding along the James River resulted in additional damage to several county and local roads and 16 homes.
Heavy runoff from snowmelt resulted in additional overland flooding which further damaged several county and local roads.
Flooding along both the Willow Creek and the Souris River, in addition to overland flooding, resulted in washed out roads and damage to eight homes.
Heavy overland flooding and flooding along the James River and Pipestem Creek due to snowmelt resulted in damage to numerous state, county, and local roads. Damage was also reported to local infrastructure in the city of Jamestown along with ten homes.
An extremely snowy winter and rapid snowmelt caused overland flooding and flooding along the Souris River resulting in washed out roads and flood damage to eight homes.
Rapid snowmelt created heavy overland flooding and flooding in the upper James River basin. This resulted in flood damage to numerous county and township roads along with 201 homes.
Rapid snowmelt upstream in South Dakota created a second round of overland flooding and flooding in the Cedar Creek. Additional property damages were reported.
A second round of flooding along the Knife River and Spring Creek resulted in additional damage to homes near Beulah and Hazen. State, county, and township roads were also damaged.
Additional overland flooding and flooding on the Cannonball River resulted in further flood damage. Flooding in April was less severe than March due to no ice jams.
Additional overland flooding and flooding along the Cedar Creek from snowmelt resulted in further damage to local and county roads.
Heavy overland flooding along with flooding on the Cannonball River damaged a total of eleven homes, some located in the community of Mott. River and overland flooding also damaged several county and local roads.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, April 2009
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: 162651, 162652, 162653, 162654, 162656, 162657, 162658, 162659, 162660, 162662, 162663, 162664, 162667, 162668, 162670, 162671, 162672, 162673, 162675, 162650, 162655, 162661, 162665, 162666.