A significant and complex spring storm impacted southwest and south central North Dakota beginning Sunday, March 29th, and lasting into Tuesday, March 31st. Winter storm warnings and blizzard warnings were posted well in advance of the storm.
Every event with a place to put it; 26 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 significant and complex spring storm impacted southwest and south central North Dakota beginning Sunday, March 29th, and lasting into Tuesday, March 31st. Winter storm warnings and blizzard warnings were posted well in advance of the storm. Warning lead time averaged around 18 hours.
Surface low pressure developed across the central Rockies early on Sunday, then moved into the central plains Monday into Tuesday. As this occurred, a band of moderate to heavy snow developed over southwestern North Dakota early Sunday afternoon, spreading into the south central later Sunday afternoon and evening where strong frontogenetical forcing coincided with large scale ascent ahead of the parent upper level low. This area of forcing remained quasi-stationary along the Interstate 94 corridor from Dickinson to just east of Bismarck, where snowfall rates early Monday morning ranged from one to two inches per hour. Snow gradually ended across the southwest Monday night, but continued well into Tuesday over the south central.
Additionally, strong northwest winds of 20 to 45 mph accompanyed the snow and produced widespread blizzard conditions mainly south of Interstate 94 closer to the North Dakota and South Dakota border.
Widespread 14 inch or greater storm total snowfall amounts were common across southwest and south central North Dakota during this event, with a few isolated reports greater than 20 inches. No travel advisories, road closures, including Interstate 94 from Bismarck to the Montana border, and school and business closures were common during this significant spring storm.
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 29, 3:20 AM CST, 8 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 420 AM CDT SUN MAR 29 2009 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT... FORECAST CONCERNS/HIGHLIGHTS IN THE SHORT TERM PERIOD WILL CENTER ON A SIGNIFICANT SPRING STORM SYSTEM SET TO IMPACT THE LOCAL REGION TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT. SPECIFIC CHALLENGES ARE QPF/SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF PRECIP CHANCES...AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THE PLACEMENT OF HEAVIEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. BOTH THE LATEST 12Z AND 00Z ECMWF MODEL RUNS HAVE TRENDED NORTH...STILL NOT AS FAR NORTH AS THE 00Z GFS SOLUTION THOUGH. HPC WWD SNOW GRAPHICS HAVE CAUGHT ON TO THIS TREND AS WELL. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS. CURRENTLY...A SHORT WAVE MID LEVEL RIDGE IS BUILDING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS REGION...AHEAD OF A POTENT UPPER LEVEL TROUGH NOW OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND MOVING INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. CYCLOGENESIS IS OCCURRING AS A RESULT UNDERNEATH MASS UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE OVER THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL ROCKIES OF MT/WY AHEAD OF THE TROUGH...WITH A LARGE ARE OF PRECIP COVERING THE NORTHWESTERN SECTOR OF THE CONUS. RESULTANT WEATHER OVER WEST/CENTRAL ND IS INCREASING SOUTHEASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW WITH TEMPERATURES STEADY ANYWHERE FROM THE TEENS NORTH CENTRAL TO 30 SOUTHWEST. LOW DEW POINT DEPRESSIONS AND YESTERDAYS SNOW MELT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO AREAS OF FG DEVELOPING ALONG WITH SOME LOW/MID CIGS SCT ABOUT. LEE SIDE SFC CYCLOGENESIS RAMPS UP EARLY TODAY OVER THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS OF WY AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH AS IT MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. CHANCES FOR PRECIP OVER WESTERN ND WILL INCREASE 12-18Z THIS MORNING...SPREADING EAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A LARGE AREA OF DIVERGENCE/LARGE SCALE ASCENT SPREADS NORTH AND EAST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS COINCIDES WITH STRONG 850-650MB FRONTOGENESIS DEVELOPING/INCREASING OVER SOUTHWEST ND 15Z-21Z TODAY AS THE SFC CYCLONE DEVELOPS AND MOVES INTO WESTERN SD/NB...THEN OVER MY SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES 21Z-06Z LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE OVER MY SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE TO SAY THE LEAST LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS FOR DIK AND BIS DEPICT STRONG OMEGA IN THE DENDRITIC GROWTH REGION (00Z MON - 15Z MON FOR DIK...AND AROUND 03Z MON - 15Z FOR BIS). NEEDLESS TO SAY WE HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR ANOTHER MAJOR STORM. THE CHALLENGE COMES WITH THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF PRECIP CHANCES...AND OF COURSE WHERE I EXPECT THE HEAVY SNOW TO FALL. ALL INDICATIONS RIGHT NOW PUT WARNING CRITERIA SNOWFALL ALONG THE I-94 CORRIDOR FROM THE MT/ND BORDER THROUGH JMS AND POINTS SOUTH. SNOW AMOUNTS WILL DIMINISH RAPIDLY AS YOU PROGRESS NORTH OF THIS LINE...AND INCREASE AS YOU GO SOUTH TOWARDS SOUTH DAKOTA. EXPECTED ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 6-10 INCHES ALONG THE INTERSTATE (DIK-BIS-JMS)...10-12 INCHES ALONG THE ND/SD BORDER...AND 1-2 INCHES MAYBE FROM SIDNEY MT EAST THROUGH GARRISON AND CARRINGTON. AGAIN...THIS IS FROM LATEST GUIDANCE AND MAY STILL SHIFT. FURTHER NORTH FROM ISN-MOT-RUGBY WILL SEE LITTLE IF ANYTHING WITH THIS STORM. MAY ALSO SEE 12+ INCHES BETWEEN THE INTERSTATE AND THE SD BORDER WITH LIKELY HEAVY SNOW BANDS DEVELOPING (CONVECTIVE??) GIVEN THE VERTICAL MOTION WITH THIS MONSTER AND WITH THE STRONG OMEGA PRESENT IN THE DENDRITIC GROWTH REGION. OVERALL USED A BLEND OF THE LATEST EC/GFS/HPC QPF GUIDANCE. MIGHT AS WELL THROW SOME STRONG WINDS IN. THE SFC CYCLONE IS ALREADY WELL WRAPPED BY 18Z TODAY AS IT MOVES INTO EASTERN WY...WITH THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ONLY INCREASING THIS EVENING AND INTO MONDAY MORNING OVER MY SOUTHERN COUNTIES AS THE LOW SLIDES EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN SD. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF MY SOUTHWEST...WHERE WE COULD SEE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 35-45 MPH AND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. LESSER WINDS BUT STILL INTENSE FURTHER NORTH AND EAST WHERE I EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 30 AND GUSTS 40-50. AS YOU MOVE NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE...WINDS DECREASE RAPIDLY BUT STILL STRONG ENOUGH TO CAUSE REDUCED VIS IN ANY FALLING/BLOWING SNOW. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE THUS LIKELY ALONG THE INTERSTATE AND SOUTH...AND WILL UPGRADE THE ENTIRE WATCH TO A WARNING. WILL THROW A WINTER WEATHER ADV NORTH OF THIS WARNING TO ACCOUNT FOR POSSIBLE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS 1-5 AND AREAS OF BLSN. I AM STILL UNCERTAIN WHAT TO DO WITH STUTSMAN COUNTY. DESPITE THE NORTHWARD TREND...AM WEARY THAT MODELS WILL PUSH SOUTH AGAIN OVER THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS. ALSO AM NOT EXPECTING BLIZZARD CRITERIA WINDS FOR THIS AREA. GIVEN THAT GRAND FORKS WILL BE GOING WITH A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE SOUTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY...WILL DO THE SAME FOR THIS ONE COUNTY FOR NOW...AND LET THE DAY CREW REEVALUATE TODAYS 12Z GUIDANCE TO DETERMINE A PROPER COURSE OF ACTION. UNCERTAINTY INCREASES AROUND AND AFTER 00Z TUESDAY AS TO HOW FAST THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL LIFT OUT...AS MODELS ARE HINTING THE EASTERN CONUS RIDGE SLOWING IT DOWN. GIVEN THE CONSENSUS WITH MODELS...WILL TREND IN THIS DIRECTION. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... AFTER OUR SPRING STORM IN THE SHORT TERM...THE DAY 4-5 PERIOD WILL BE MUCH MORE TRANQUIL. WE WILL STILL BE UNDER THE LONG WAVE ON WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH WILL PRODUCE SOME LIGHT QPF MAINLY OVER EASTERN MONTANA...WE HAVE BEEN CARRYING SOME SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN THE FAR WEST AND THIS STILL LOOKS GOOD. IN THE EAST...RIDGING AHEAD OF OUR EXITING STORM SYSTEM IS ACTING TO SLOW ITS EASTWARD PROGRESSION. WE MAY SEE A LINGERING OF LIGHT SNOW IN THE FAR EAST EARLY WEDNESDAY..BUT THIS WILL BE NOTHING MORE THAN SOME SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. WE WILL STILL BE COOL...ESPECIALLY OVER AREAS WITH FRESH SNOW COVER. LOWERED TEMPERATURES JUST A BIT SOUTH AND EAST. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WE TRANSITION INTO A MORE ZONAL FLOW. STILL SOME SHORTWAVE ENERGY TRAVERSING THE AREA THOUGH AND SEE NO REASON TO REMOVE OUR SLIGHT CHANCE POPS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. DEFINITELY NOT ANY STRONG UPPER SUPPORT BUT ENOUGH SUPPORT WITH CONTINUED COLD UPPER TEMPERATURES TO JUSTIFY SOME LIGHT RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SLIGHTLY ON THURSDAY. LATE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD...ANOTHER LOW TRAVERSING THE MEAN LONGWAVE TROUGH COULD BRING ANOTHER SHOT OF PRECIPITATION FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THIS SYSTEM WILL BE TAKING A FARTHER SOUTH TRACK THAN OUR CURRENT STORM SYSTEM...BUT BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF DO BRING SOME QPF INTO THE SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. AGAIN...IT STILL LOOKS TO BE COLD ENOUGH FOR MAINLY SNOW. BEYOND THIS...BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF DEVELOP AN OMEGA BLOCKING PATTERN AND WE COULD ACTUALLY SEE SOME TEMPERATURES REPRESENTATIVE OF SPRING TIME AS THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL BE UNDER THE HIGH. && .AVIATION... WEAK HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING. AN AREA OF MVFR CLOUDINESS OVER THE EAST HAS CLEARED THE JMS AREA. MID LEVEL WARM ADVECTION CLOUDINESS IS ALREADY DEVELOPING IN THE WEST AHEAD OF OUR BIG SYSTEM THAT MOVE INTO THE PLAINS TONIGHT. BETWEEN THESE TWO AREAS OF CLOUDINESS WE HAVE CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS. THIS HAS LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOG AROUND MOT AND BIS. MINOT AFB WAS DOWN TO A QUARTER MILE FOR A WHILE...SO THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME IFR VSBYS ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TODAY. EASTERLY FLOW WILL STEADILY INCREASE TODAY AND BY TONIGHT WE WILL SEE WIDESPREAD MVFR-IFR CIGS AND VSBYS SPREAD WEST TO EAST ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN TAF SITES. WILL PROBABLY KEEP SOME MVFR CIGS ACROSS THE NORTH TONIGHT BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ISN AND MOT WILL SEE VERY LITTLE PRECIPITATION. && .HYDROLOGY... WE CONTINUE TO SEE FLOODING ACROSS THE LOWER JAMES RIVER BASIN AT LAMOURE AND LUDDEN...AND AT PINGREE IN THE UPPER JAMES BASIN. BEAVER CREEK AT LINTON ALSO REMAINS ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. WE WILL NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH RUNOFF OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE CLIMB ABOVE FREEZING THROUGH WEDNESDAY. QPF ESTIMATES OF AN INCH OR MORE ALONG THE SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS COULD LEAD TO RUNOFF PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING TO 7 AM CDT /6 AM MDT/ TUESDAY FOR NDZ019>021. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT MONDAY FOR NDZ031>033-040-041-043-044. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT MONDAY FOR NDZ017-018. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR NDZ037. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 7 AM CDT TUESDAY FOR NDZ036- 047-048-050-051. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING TO 7 AM CDT /6 AM MDT/ TUESDAY FOR NDZ034-035-042-045-046. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 7 AM CDT TUESDAY FOR NDZ022-023-025. && NH/TWH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 620 AM CDT SUN MAR 29 2009 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-301130- 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- 620 AM CDT SUN MAR 29 2009 /520 AM MDT SUN MAR 29 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 A POTENT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS TODAY. SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA THIS MORNING...THEN SPREAD EAST INTO SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE LIKELY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 94 CORRIDOR AND POINTS SOUTH. IN ADDITION...VERY STRONG WINDS OF 25 TO 45 MPH...ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL...AND CONTINUE INTO MONDAY. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS LIKELY. ALTHOUGH LESSER SNOW AMOUNTS AND LIGHTER WINDS ARE EXPECTED FURTHER TO THE NORTH...ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW ARE POSSIBLE. FLOOD WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES CONTINUE SOUTH CENTRAL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DUE TO FALLING SNOW AND CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ON MONDAY. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. FLOOD WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY CONTINUE SOUTH CENTRAL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO LOCAL MEDIA...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT...OR TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BISMARCK. HEINERT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 blizzard, 11 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The cooperative observer at Beach reported a storm total snow amount of 13 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 12.5 inches in Dickinson and 15 inches at Richardton. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions into Monday afternoon. Afterwards the winds subsided but snow continued to fall into Monday evening.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of eight inches in Fairfield and 12.5 inches at Medora. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at Marmarth reported a storm total snow amount of 16 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at Bowman reported a storm total snow amount of 15.9 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at Mott reported a storm total snow amount of 15 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 14 inches in Hettinger and 11 inches in Reeder. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 15.1 inches in Carson, 22 inches in Elgin, and 20 inches at Heart Butte. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at Fort Yates reported a storm total snow amount of 18 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 17 inches in Hague, 17.4 inches in Hazelton, and 20 inches at Linton. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 16 inches in Flasher and 22 inches at Glen Ullin. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at Napoleon reported a storm total snow amount of 14.5 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 13.7 inches in Ashley and 19 inches at Wishek. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office at Bismarck reported a storm total snow amount of 17.1 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at Steele reported a storm total snow amount of nine inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of eight inches in Jamestown, 11 inches at Montpelier, and 13 inches in Courtenay. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at LaMoure reported a storm total snow amount of 15 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at Forbes reported a storm total snow amount of 16 inches. The heavy snow combined with strong northwest winds resulting in widespread blizzard conditions.
The cooperative observer at Center reported a storm total snow amount of seven inches.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 12.5 inches in Dickinson and 15 inches at Richardton.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office at Bismarck reported a storm total snow amount of 17.1 inches.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 16 inches in Flasher and 22 inches at Glen Ullin.
The cooperative observer at Steele reported a storm total snow amount of nine inches.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of eight inches in Jamestown, 11 inches at Montpelier, and 13 inches in Courtenay.
Cooperative observers reported storm total snow amounts of 13.7 inches in Ashley and 19 inches at Wishek.
The cooperative observer at Napoleon reported a storm total snow amount of 14.5 inches.
The cooperative observer at Forbes reported a storm total snow amount of 16 inches.
The cooperative observer at LaMoure reported a storm total snow amount of 15 inches.
The cooperative observer at Carrington reported a storm total snow amount of 8.5 inches.
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, March 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: 160446, 160447, 160448, 160451, 160452, 160453, 160454, 160457, 160456, 160458, 160578, 160705, 160706, 160577, 160699, 160702, 160709, 160710, 160450, 160449, 160579, 160580, 160700, 160703, 160707, 160708, 160711, 160712, 160701.