A departing Alberta Clipper brought very strong northwest winds of 25 to 45 mph across portions of west central and southwestern North Dakota during the evening hours of Tuesday, January 13th. Blizzard conditions quickly developed due to falling snow and existing loose snow cover, reducing visibilities to zero and prompting the issuance of no travel advisories.
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.
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.
A departing Alberta Clipper brought very strong northwest winds of 25 to 45 mph across portions of west central and southwestern North Dakota during the evening hours of Tuesday, January 13th. Blizzard conditions quickly developed due to falling snow and existing loose snow cover, reducing visibilities to zero and prompting the issuance of no travel advisories. Conditions improved later on Tuesday evening as the strong winds subsided.
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 Jan 13, 3:36 PM CST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 336 PM CST TUE JAN 13 2009 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT THE MODELS WERE IN GOOD AGREEMENT TODAY WITH PLACEMENT OF TODAYS ALBERTA CLIPPER MOVING THROUGH THE AREA AND THE ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE THAT FOLLOWS THE LOW. THE GFS AND NAM DIFFER ON FRIDAY...WHEN ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS CENTRAL CANADA. THE ALBERTA CLIPPER WAS OVER THE WESTERN DAKOTAS THIS AFTERNOON AND IS MOVING SOUTHEAST TOWARDS MISSOURI. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL BEGAN LATE THIS MORNING OVER CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND CONTINUED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. IT SHOULD BEGIN TAPERING OFF LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AS A STRONG VORT MAX MOVES QUICKLY SOUTHEAST ON A TRACK JUST NORTH OF THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW. PLENTY OF LIFT AND A CONVECTIVE LOOK TO MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION THIS AFTERNOON. JUST SOUTH AND WEST OF THE LOW TEMPERATURES HAD RISEN INTO THE UPPER 30S OVER SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA WITH A VERY TIGHT THERMAL GRADIENT EAST OF THERE. AS THE LOW MOVES SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHERLY AND USHER IN VERY COLD ARCTIC AIR. HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY WILL LIKELY OCCUR AT MIDNIGHT...WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING DURING THE DAY...AND CONTINUING TO FALL TO SOME OF THE COLDEST READINGS SO FAR THIS SEASON BY THURSDAY MORNING...WHEN THE ARCTIC HIGH IS POSITIONED JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. WILL KEEP THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY GOING FOR NORTHWEST AND SOUTHERN NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH 9PM TONIGHT...THEN TRANSITION THE NORTHERN COUNTIES - ALL OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL - TO A WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 9PM TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL...WILL KEEP THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY GOING TONIGHT WITH SNOW CONTINUING SOUTH AND BLOWING SNOW IN THE SOUTHWEST...THEN TRANSITION TO WIND CHILL ADVISORY ON WEDNESDAY. WIND CHILLS OF 25 TO 45 BELOW TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT - BELOW 10 MPH - BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ON THURSDAY THE ARCTIC HIGH MOVES QUICKLY OUT OF THE AREA AND WE SEE A RETURN TO POLAR AIR...WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES THURSDAY LIKELY TO BE THURSDAY EVENING. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WIND DEVELOP THURSDAY EVENING IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM - BUT THIS ONE MOVES EAST ACROSS CENTRAL CANADA AND SHOULD HAVE LITTLE EFFECT PRECIP-WISE OVER NORTH DAKOTA. HAVE FLURRIES OVER MUCH OF THE AREA FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT HOWEVER THE MODELS INDICATE THIS LOW THEN DROPPING SOUTHEAST OVER THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF NORTH DAKOTA AND INTO MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN BY SATURDAY MORNING. WILL HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE OVER CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA FRIDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... MEDIUM/LONG RANGE FORECAST MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A MAJOR PATTERN CHANGE ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA OVER THE EXTENDED PERIOD...TRANSITIONING FROM A VERY ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN TO A MORE QUIET ONE. THE CULPRIT BEHIND THIS CHANGE IS THE WESTERN CONUS UPPER RIDGE FINALLY BUILDING EAST INTO CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA THIS WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...PUSHING THE UPPER JET STREAM/PRIMARY STORM TRACK FURTHER TO THE EAST TOWARDS THE GREAT LAKES REGION AND THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THUS A PROLONGED DRY PERIOD CAN BE EXPECTED SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. HOW LONG THIS LASTS IS UNCERTAIN. THE LATEST ECMWF DEPICTS THE RIDGE BREAKING DOWN LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...WHICH IS FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH ITS PREVIOUS VERSIONS. IN ADDITION TO DRY CONDITIONS...A NICE MODERATION IN TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED...WELL ABOVE SEASONAL BY 10-15 DEGREES. AS USUAL THE WARMEST AIR WILL RESIDE WEST WITH COOLER CONDITIONS AS YOU PROGRESS EASTWARD. MORE SEASONAL AIR MAY RETURN LATER NEXT WEEK WHEN THE RIDGE IS FORECAST TO BREAK APART. && .AVIATION... WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS AND LOWER WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON. MVFR-IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WEST. CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE THIS EVENING AS PRECIPITATION ENDS NORTH TO SOUTH ONCE THE CLIPPER SYSTEM PUSHES WELL TO OUR SOUTHEAST. VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS WILL START TO BECOME MORE COMMON LATER TONIGHT AND AFTER DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY MORNING ONCE COLD ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CST /8 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ001>003-009>011-017>023-025. WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 9 PM CST /8 PM MST/ THIS EVENING TO 3 PM CST /2 PM MST/ WEDNESDAY FOR NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST /5 AM MST/ WEDNESDAY FOR NDZ031>037-040>048-050-051. WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 6 AM CST /5 AM MST/ TO 3 PM CST /2 PM MST/ WEDNESDAY FOR NDZ031>037-040>048-050-051. && JV/NH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 503 AM CST TUE JAN 13 2009 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-141115- 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- 503 AM CST TUE JAN 13 2009 /403 AM MST TUE JAN 13 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 AN ALBERTA CLIPPER WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE TODAY AND EARLY TONIGHT. THE CLIPPER WILL SPREAD MORE SNOW ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES LIKELY IN THE SOUTHWEST AND 3 TO 5 INCHES IN CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. WIND CHILLS IN CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WILL DROP TO 25 TO 40 BELOW TONIGHT AS ARCTIC AIR MOVES INTO THE STATE BEHIND THE CLIPPER. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND WIND CHILL ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT TODAY AND CENTRAL TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
241 PM CST TUE JAN 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM SNOW 2 SW MINOT 48.21N 101.33W
01/13/2009 E3.5 INCH WARD ND BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
KBIRKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
332 PM CST TUE JAN 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0332 PM SNOW DICKINSON 46.88N 102.79W
01/13/2009 M1.5 INCH STARK ND BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
KBIRKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
530 PM CST TUE JAN 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0332 PM SNOW LANSFORD 48.63N 101.38W
01/13/2009 M3.8 INCH BOTTINEAU ND CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
KBIRKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
531 PM CST TUE JAN 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 PM SNOW BISMARCK 46.81N 100.78W
01/13/2009 M5.3 INCH BURLEIGH ND OFFICIAL NWS OBS
STORM TOTAL...AS OF 5 PM CST.
&&
KBIRKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
537 PM CST TUE JAN 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM SNOW WILLISTON 48.15N 103.63W
01/13/2009 M1.1 INCH WILLIAMS ND OFFICIAL NWS OBS
&&
KBIRKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
538 PM CST TUE JAN 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 AM SNOW CARSON 46.42N 101.57W
01/13/2009 M2.0 INCH GRANT ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS 2.0 INCHES NEW SNOW.
0800 AM SNOW HALLIDAY 47.35N 102.34W
01/13/2009 M1.5 INCH DUNN ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.5 INCHES.
0800 AM SNOW 1 E DUNN CENTER 47.35N 102.60W
01/13/2009 M2.0 INCH DUNN ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 2.0 INCHES. SNOW
DEPTH 18 INCHES.
0800 AM SNOW UNDERWOOD 47.46N 101.14W
01/13/2009 M1.4 INCH MCLEAN ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.4 INCHES. SNOW
DEPTH 40 INCHES.
0800 AM SNOW WATFORD CITY 47.80N 103.28W
01/13/2009 M1.0 INCH MCKENZIE ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.0 INCHES. SNOW
DEPTH 19 INCHES.
0800 AM SNOW JAMESTOWN 46.91N 98.71W
01/13/2009 M1.0 INCH STUTSMAN ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.0 INCH. SNOW
DEPTH 16 INCHES.
0800 AM SNOW WILTON 47.16N 100.78W
01/13/2009 M1.0 INCH MCLEAN ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.0 INCHES. SNOW
DEPTH 36 INCHES.
0800 AM SNOW NOONAN 48.89N 103.01W
01/13/2009 M3.5 INCH DIVIDE ND PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORT OF 3.5 INCHES NEW SNOW. SNOW DEPTH 19
INCHES.
0900 AM SNOW GARRISON 47.65N 101.42W
01/13/2009 M1.5 INCH MCLEAN ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.5 INCHES.
0900 AM SNOW 1 N MOTT 46.39N 102.33W
01/13/2009 M1.5 INCH HETTINGER ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.5 INCHES.
0900 AM SNOW FLASHER 46.46N 101.23W
01/13/2009 M1.0 INCH MORTON ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.0 INCH. SNOW
DEPTH 12 INCHES.
1000 AM SNOW 2 NW BEULAH 47.28N 101.81W
01/13/2009 M1.0 INCH MERCER ND CO-OP OBSERVER
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS NEW SNOW 1.0 INCH. SNOW
DEPTH 24 INCHES.
1053 AM SNOW MCCLUSKY 47.49N 100.44W
01/13/2009 E3.5 INCH SHERIDAN ND TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM SPOTTER REPORTS NEW SNOW 3.5 INCHES DURING PAST 6
HOURS. VISIBILITY NEAR ZERO.
0230 PM SNOW 2 SW MINOT 48.21N 101.33W
01/13/2009 E3.5 INCH WARD ND BROADCAST MEDIA
0332 PM SNOW DICKINSON 46.88N 102.79W
01/13/2009 M1.5 INCH STARK ND BROADCAST MEDIA
0332 PM SNOW LANSFORD 48.63N 101.38W
01/13/2009 M3.8 INCH BOTTINEAU ND CO-OP OBSERVER
0500 PM SNOW WILLISTON 48.15N 103.63W
01/13/2009 M1.1 INCH WILLIAMS ND OFFICIAL NWS OBS
0530 PM SNOW BISMARCK 46.81N 100.78W
01/13/2009 M5.3 INCH BURLEIGH ND OFFICIAL NWS OBS
STORM TOTAL...AS OF 5 PM CST.
&&
KBIRKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to near 45 mph, combined with falling snow and loose snow cover to create several hours of blizzard conditions across Stark County.
Strong northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to near 45 mph, combined with falling snow and loose snow cover to create several hours of blizzard conditions across Hettinger County. A no travel advisory was also issued by law enforcement.
Strong northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to near 45 mph, combined with falling snow and loose snow cover to create several hours of blizzard conditions across Billings County.
Strong northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to near 45 mph, combined with falling snow and loose snow cover to create several hours of blizzard conditions across Golden Valley County.
Strong northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to near 45 mph, combined with falling snow and loose snow cover to create several hours of blizzard conditions across Dunn County.
Strong northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to near 45 mph, combined with falling snow and loose snow cover to create several hours of blizzard conditions across McKenzie County. A no travel advisory was also issued by law enforcement.
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, January 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: 146944, 146945, 146946, 146947, 146948, 146949.