A spring storm system brought moderate to heavy rain and snow to portions of the Northern Plains from Thursday morning of May 6th, through early Friday evening of May 7th. Rain and snow developed across southwestern North Dakota on Thursday morning, then spread north and east Thursday daytime into Friday.
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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 spring storm system brought moderate to heavy rain and snow to portions of the Northern Plains from Thursday morning of May 6th, through early Friday evening of May 7th.
Rain and snow developed across southwestern North Dakota on Thursday morning, then spread north and east Thursday daytime into Friday. Accumulating snowfall was limited over most locations due to warm ground and surface temperatures. Still, several inches of wet snow was realized from the southwest corner of the state east across the south central and into the James River Valley. The highest amounts occurred where heavy snow bands developed, over the higher terrain of the far southwest and across Grant and Morton Counties.
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 May 5, 3:20 PM CST, 13 hours 40 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Several inches of heavy wet snow fell across Bowman County. Eight inches of snow was reported at Bowman.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Slope County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Hettinger County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Adams County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Grant County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts, with seven inches of snow reported at Elgin over a twenty-four hour period.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Morton County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts, with four to five inches of snow reported near Mandan and New Salem over a twenty-four hour period.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Mercer County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Oliver County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Sioux County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Burleigh County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts, with around three inches of snowfall reported just north of Bismarck.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of McLean County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts, with four inches of total snowfall reported at Wilton.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Logan County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Kidder County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts, with five inches of total snowfall reported south of Tuttle.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of McIntosh County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Stutsman County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of LaMoure County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts.
A spring storm system brought several inches of wet snow to portions of Dickey County. Accumulations remained under warning criteria amounts, with four inches of snowfall reported at Forbes.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, May 2010
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 225114, 225115, 225116, 225117, 225118, 225119, 225120, 225121, 225122, 225123, 225124, 225125, 225127, 225128, 225129, 225130, 225131.