This devastating flooding continued into April, and in some cases worsened. Western and central North Dakota experienced a snowy winter of 2008-2009.
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.
This devastating flooding continued into April, and in some cases worsened.
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.
A warm up over the southwest early in March resulted in flooding there. Much more significant and widespread warming came toward the middle of March. It occurred ahead of a storm that brought thunderstorms and heavy rain that resulted in rapid snow melt and ice jams, followed by heavy snow and a blizzard.
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 April 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 5, 3:02 PM CST, 8 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 302 PM CST THU MAR 5 2009 .SYNOPSIS...DIFFUSE LOW PRESSURE OVER MUCH OF NORTHERN PLAINS FROM CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN...SOUTH THROUGH THE DAKOTAS AND EASTERN MONTANA. COMPLEX FRONTAL SYSTEM PUSHING THROUGH WITH STRONG PRESSURE RISES IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND WESTERN SASKATCHEWAN. TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING OVER FORECAST AREA WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES REMAIN PUSHING SOUTH THROUGH ALBERTA. .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT... MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT AND WILL USE MODEL BLEND FOR GRIDS. FRONTAL SYSTEM PUSHES THROUGH FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT. LIGHT PRECIITATION WILL CHANGE FROM RAIN TO SNOW AROUND MIDNIGHT. WEAK SHORTWAVES IN SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH CHANCE LIGHT PRECIPITATION. AS MID LEVEL FLOW TRANSITIONS TO SPLIT FLOW ON SATURDAY STRONG SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH CENTRAL PLAINS ON SATURDAY. HIGH LATITUDE TROUGHING BUILDS OVER WESTERN CANADA AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND MOVES EAST. 1040 HIGH OVER ALBERTA WILL SLOWLY MODIFY AND WEAKEN BUT SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED BY END OF SHORT TERM. .LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... A RETURN TO BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD AS ANOTHER SURGE OF ARCTIC AIR TAKES CONTROL OVER THE CWA. THE TREND IN BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF IS TO PUSH THE SOUTHERN STREAM SFC/UPPER LOW FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST...THEREBY NEGATING THE CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOWS OVER THE CWA. STILL ADVISORY CRITERIA MAY PAN OUT MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT AS SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE NORTHERN STREAM UPPER TROUGH WILL PROBABLY BRING A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS THE CWA. THEREAFTER...BOTH MODELS SHOW A COUPLE OF DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH THE WEST/NORTHWESTERLY FLOW TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY BRINGING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO GROW COLDER WITH WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT LOOKING LIKE THE COLDEST TIME PERIOD. && .AVIATION... THE LEADING EDGE OF A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED OVER NORTHEASTERN MONTANA THIS AFTERNOON. THIS FRONT WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT SOUTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. COLDER AIR WITH MAINLY MFVR CEILINGS SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED OVER THE AERODROMES ALONG AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY. AN ISOLATED RAIN SNOW SHOWER IS POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. AS THE COLDER AIR ARRIVES...ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. && HW/KS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 346 AM CST THU MAR 5 2009 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-061100- 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- 346 AM CST THU MAR 5 2009 /246 AM MST THU MAR 5 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 CONTINUED UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN WILL RESULT IN CHANCES FOR LIGHT RAIN...LIGHT FREEZING RAIN...AND LIGHT SNOW THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. ANY PRECIPITATION IN THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW TONIGHT. AREAS OF FOG CAN BE EXPECTED AS WELL THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON ACROSS WEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...WITH VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE QUARTER OF A MILE AT TIMES IN SOME AREAS. THOSE TRAVELING OR PLANNING TRAVEL TODAY AND TONIGHT ARE ADVISED TO USE CAUTION. SLIPPERY ROADWAY CONDITIONS AND LOW VISIBILITIES MAY BE ENCOUNTERED DUE TO FREEZING PRECIPITATION AND FREEZING FOG. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM MAY IMPACT COMMERCE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS REGION NEXT WEEK MONDAY AND TUESDAY. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. HEINERT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
29 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. No homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Ice jams on the Missouri River caused river water to flood parts of south Bismarck and southeast Burleigh County, around Fox Island, including about 15 homes. Apple Creek also flooded. Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. Flooding continued into April.
Significant overland flooding damaged county and township roads. One home was flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged many county and township roads. Thirty five homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Heavy overland flooding from the Heart River damaged state, county, and township roads. Eleven homes were flooded. Ice jams on the Heart contributed to flood severity. The Cannonball River also contributed to overland flooding along the Sioux County line. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. No homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. The James River spilled and flooded two homes. Flooding continued into April.
Beaver creek at Linton flooded due to snow melt from heavy rain, and ice jams just west of Linton. Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. Seventy three homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. No structures were flooded in March. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. No homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. No homes were flooded in March. Flooding continued into April.
The upper Willow Creek flooded due to thunderstorms with heavy rain causing snow melt. County and township roads were damaged along with twenty two homes. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged township roads. No homes were flooded in March. Flooding continued and worsened into April.
The James River did major flood damage. Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. Two hundred and thirty homes were flooded, five were complete losses. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. Four homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. No homes were flooded in March. Flooding continued and worsened into April.
Flooding of the James River and Pipestem Creek, along with overland flooding, damaged county and township roads. Several homes were flooded in March. Flooding continued and worsened into April.
Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. No homes were flooded in March. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. No homes were flooded in March. Flooding continued and worsened into April.
Rapid snowmelt created overland flooding and flooding along Cedar Creek. This flooding damaged 16 homes along with county and local roads. Flooding continued into April.
Ice jams on the Little Missouri River led to flooding near Medora which inundated two homes.
Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. Three homes were flooded.
Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. Several homes were flooded around Watford City as Cherry Creek spilled along with the Little Missouri River.
Spring Creek and the Knife River flooded due to snow melt and ice jams. The Knife, through Beulah, did significant damage to structures. Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. Fifty five homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. The Knife River was also in flood. No homes were flooded.
The Cannonball River caused extensive flooding due to rain, snow melt, and ice jams. Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. Nineteen homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Cedar Creek and the Cannonball River flooded. Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. Two homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April.
Overland flooding damaged some county and township roads. No homes were flooded in March. Worse flooding continued into April.
The Green River and the Heart River flooded. Overland flooding also occurred and damaged county and township roads. Four homes were flooded.
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: 161194, 161200, 161206, 161211, 161220, 161222, 161223, 161292, 161294, 161299, 161300, 161301, 161306, 161307, 161308, 161309, 161311, 161312, 161313, 161187, 161192, 161196, 161208, 161215, 161290, 161296, 161303, 161304, 161310.