Low pressure moved through Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada, on January 30 and 31. The cold front associated with the low moved into northwest North Dakota Saturday morning, January 31, with high winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 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.
Low pressure moved through Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada, on January 30 and 31. The cold front associated with the low moved into northwest North Dakota Saturday morning, January 31, with high winds. It moved through the central part of the state that afternoon. Winds were sustained over 40 mph across the north and central. The highest wind gust was measured at 60 mph in Ward County.
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 31, 3:36 AM CST, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 336 AM CST SAT JAN 31 2009 .SYNOPSIS... AN ELONGATED BELT OF POLAR LOWS IS FORECAST TO STRETCH FROM NORTHWEST ALASKA INTO THE NORTHERN HUDSON BAY AREA. THIS WILL RESULT IN PROGRESSIVE FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER AS SPLIT FLOW PHASING CONCERNS AND EASTERN PACIFIC REX BLOCKING ACT TO MODULATE THE DOWNSTREAM AMPLIFICATION OF WAVES OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF CONUS. .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT... FORECAST CONCERNS/HIGHLIGHTS IN THE SHORT TERM PERIOD WILL BE HIGH WINDS TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AREA WIDE...WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS BEING A MAJOR CONCERN PRIMARILY OVER PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ND. HAVE LEANED TOWARDS A GFS/SREF/EC COMPROMISE. CURRENTLY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS...BEING PUSHED EAST BY A SIGNIFICANT S/WV TROUGH NOW OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES REGION. A STRONG SFC LOW IS DEVELOPING IN RESPONSE TO THE INCOMING S/WV AND IS CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER NORTHERN ALBERTA/NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN. RESULTANT WEATHER OVER THE FORECAST AREA IS CONTINUED WAA AND BREEZY SOUTHWEST TO WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE WINDS IN THE SFC LOWS WARM SECTOR...HELPING TO KEEP TEMPERATURES VERY MILD EARLY THIS MORNING IN THE LOW TO MID 30S...WITH LOWER 40S OVER FAR SOUTHWEST ND AND OVER EASTERN MT. FURTHER UPSTREAM AROUND AND BEHIND THIS SYSTEMS COLD FRONT ACROSS ALBERTA...REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON WITH GUSTS ALREADY IN EXCESS OF 50KTS. THE CLIPPER SYSTEM WILL QUICKLY PUSH EAST-SOUTHEAST ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA TODAY WITH ALL ASSOCIATED PRECIP STAYING WELL TO THE NORTH OF ND. PRIMARY CONCERN OVER WEST/CENTRAL ND WILL BE THE VERY STRONG WINDS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS MORNING AS THE SYSTEMS COLD FRONT RAPIDLY PUSHES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA 12-18Z. STRONG POST FRONTAL WINDS WILL THEN CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS WITH STRONG PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE COLD FROPA. FORECAST BUFFER SOUNDINGS ACROSS THE STATE AND OBSERVATIONS UPSTREAM INDICATING WE SHOULD EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS ANYWHERE FROM 25-35KTS (30-40 MPH) AND PEAK GUSTS FROM 35-40KTS SOUTH (40-50 MPH) TO 45-50KTS NORTH (50-60 MPH) LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST PRESSURE RISE/FALL COUPLET SLIDES ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA AND WILL GRAZE NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA 18Z-00Z TODAY SO EXPECTING THE STRONGER WINDS THERE. GEOSTROPHIC BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS SUPPORTS THIS SCENARIO. THUS EXPECTED HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA NORTH AND MEDIUM-HIGH END ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS SOUTH. QUESTION THEN IS HOW MUCH SNOW DO WE EXPECT TO BLOW AND DRIFT (WSW VERSUS NPW). NOT MUCH WITH MOST AREAS CRUSTED OVER OR WET WITH TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING NOW THE PAST 8-15 HOURS AND CONTINUED MILD THROUGH THIS MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL OVER MY NORTHEASTERN COUNTIES WHERE TEMPS HAVE BEEN COOLER...PIERCE AND MCHENRY COUNTIES AND POINTS NORTH...HOWEVER LACK OF ANY RECENT SNOWFALL (NO LOOSE SNOW COVER) REALLY MINIMIZES THE BLSN POTENTIAL. STILL...WINDS WILL LIKELY BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK THE SNOW CRUST IN AREAS AND WE WILL PROBABLY SEE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN SOME RURAL AREAS TODAY...BUT NOTHING WIDESPREAD. A BETTER SCENARIO WILL BE THE STRONG WINDS CAUSING JUST ENOUGH BLOWING AND DRIFTING WHERE THERE IS SNOW TO MAKE ROADWAY CONDITIONS VERY TREACHEROUS. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME ROADS BLOCKED LATER TODAY ALONG WITH NO TRAVEL ADVISORIES POSTED DUE TO SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADWAYS. YOU THROW IN THE VERY STRONG CROSS WINDS WITH THE SLIPPERY ROADWAY CONDITIONS AND YOU HAVE A DAY WHERE TRAVEL SHOULD PROBABLY BE RECONSIDERED. WILL THUS GO WITH A HIGH WIND WARNING NORTH AND A WIND ADVISORY SOUTH...AND WILL STRONGLY WORD IN THE BLSN SCENARIO. THE DAY CREW WILL WANT TO MONITOR THINGS CLOSELY IN CASE AN UPGRADE TO A BLIZZARD WARNING IS NEEDED. BEST CHANCE FOR THIS WOULD AGAIN BY OVER OUR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN COUNTIES. HAVE THEN GONE WITH A WIND ADV OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA 00Z-06Z TONIGHT AS WINDS MAY STILL BE PRETTY GUSTY THIS EVENING. MOST OF THE COOLING TODAY BEHIND THE COLD FROPA WILL TAKE PLACE OVER OUR NORTHERN ZONES LATER ON THEN SHIFT SOUTH THIS EVENING AND LATER TONIGHT. THUS ANOTHER MILD DAY EXPECTED. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT SURGES SOUTH SUNDAY EVENING/NIGHT...BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE CORE OF THE COLDEST H85 AIR SLIDES OVER NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND INTO MINNESOTA. WINDS MAY ABATE SOMEWHAT SATURDAY NIGHT BUT WILL INCREASE AGAIN ON SUNDAY AS THE NEXT FRONT NEARS. ANOTHER NPW (WIND ADVISORY) WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED SUNDAY. WILL CONTINUE WITH A SLIGHT CHC/CHC SNOW SUNDAY AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES. WEAKER WINDS ON MONDAY WILL TAKE CONTROL AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXES AS A 1032MB HIGH SLIDES OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. WARM AIR ADVECTION BEGINS TO TAKE CONTROL AGAIN LATER MONDAY AND INTO MONDAY NIGHT UNDER A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT BRINGING IN MID/HIGH CLOUDINESS. LATEST MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE DEPICTING AN EMBEDDED S/WV RIDING THROUGH THE LOCAL AREA MONDAY NIGHT WHICH MAY BRING SOME SNOW TO OUR AREA. HAVE INTRODUCED SCT FLURRIES FOR NOW. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... MODELS/ENSEMBLES WERE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THIS MORNING WITH TIMING AND AMPLITUDE OF WAVES AFFECTING THE NORTHERN PLAINS UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF THE 00 UTC ECMWF. NOW...PROGRESSION OF THE TUESDAY-THURSDAY CYCLONE ACROSS SOUTHERN...OR NORTHERN...CANADA AND ITS ASSOCIATED FRONTAL STRUCTURE IS IN QUESTION. AM NOT ONE TO IMMEDIATELY BELIEVE LARGE JUMPS IN CONTINUITY...SO HAVE STUCK WITH THE 12 UTC/30 ECMWF BLENDED WITH THE 00 UTC GFS/MOS AND CONTINUITY FOR THIS FORECAST. CONCERNING TEMPERATURES...PASSAGE OF A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO OUR EAST WILL RESULT IN RETURN FLOW AHEAD OF THE AFOREMENTIONED TUESDAY-THURSDAY WAVE. REGARDLESS OF FRONTS AND THE TIMING OF THE WAVE...WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD STILL EXPERIENCE WARM AIR ADVECTION ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIDGE. THIS WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO WARM BACK UP TO ABOVE AVERAGE ONCE AGAIN. NO PRECIPITATION IS ANTICIPATED DURING THE PERIOD. .AVIATION... A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO SLIDE EASTWARD ON THE CANADIAN SIDE OF THE BORDER TODAY. VERY STRONG/GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA...WITH BLOWING SNOW FORECAST IN AREAS WHERE TEMPERATURES HAVE STAYED NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING OVER THE PAST COUPLE DAYS. MINOT AND JAMESTOWN HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF EXPERIENCING IFR VISIBILITIES THIS AFTERNOON AS WINDS GUST TO OVER 40 KNOTS. OTHERWISE...CONDITIONS SHOULD BE VFR AND BREEZY. EXPECT WINDS TO DECREASE ONLY SLIGHTLY AFTER SUNSET. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 9 AM CST /8 AM MST/ THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS AFTERNOON FOR NDZ018>020-031>034-040>046. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR NDZ001-002- 009-010-017. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR NDZ003>005-011>013-021>023-025. WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR NDZ003>005-011>013-021>023-025. WIND ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR NDZ035>037-047-048-050-051. && HEINERT/SCHECK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 532 AM CST SAT JAN 31 2009 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-011145- 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- 532 AM CST SAT JAN 31 2009 /432 AM MST SAT JAN 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 HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA TODAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT...ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN SOUTHERN CANADA...WILL MOVE ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THIS MORNING. BEHIND THIS FRONT...STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 60 MPH...WILL DEVELOP. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. IN ADDITION...AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL LIKELY DEVELOP IN THE OPEN COUNTRY...WHICH MAY REDUCE VISIBILITIES AND RESULT IN SNOW COVERED AND ICY ROADWAY CONDITIONS. THIS WILL ESPECIALLY BE TRUE OVER NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WHERE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED SUNDAY..ALTHOUGH NOT AS STRONG AS WE WILL SEE TODAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
This report was from the North Dakota Department of Transportation observation site near Crosby.
The highest sustained wind speed was measured at 41 mph at the Automated Surface Observing System site at the Minot Air Force Base in Ward County. A peak gust of 60 mph was measured at 11:39 AM CST.
This report was from the North Dakota Department of Transportation observation site near Coleharbor.
This report was from the North Dakota Department of Transportation observation site near Denhoff. The peak gust was 54 mph.
This report was from the North Dakota Department of Transportation observation site near Rugby.
This report was from the North Dakota Department of Transportation observation site near Rolla. The peak gust was 54 mph.
This report was from the North Dakota Department of Transportation observation site near Medina.
This report was forwarded through the North Dakota State Radio Communications Division of the Department of Emergency Services. It was from the Wells County Sheriff. A newspaper report indicated that damage was done about three miles northeast of Harvey on a cattle farm. The roof of a 96 by 40 foot poll barn collapsed, pinning 40 cattle inside.
This report was from the North Dakota Department of Transportation observation site near Wishek.
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: 150942, 150946, 150947, 150948, 150980, 150943, 150950, 150962, 150960, 150957, 150959, 150961, 150977, 150964, 150965, 150976, 150966, 150967, 150968, 150969, 150970, 150978, 150979.