Minnesota, 2012

Winter Storm in Minnesota, October 4, 2012

October 4, 2012 · NWS FGF · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

An area of surface low pressure tracked from eastern South Dakota on the evening of the 3rd, toward the Minnesota arrowhead on the morning of the 4th. A persistent area of snow fell across extreme northeast North Dakota into the northwest corner of Minnesota.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS FGF wrote it up.

An area of surface low pressure tracked from eastern South Dakota on the evening of the 3rd, toward the Minnesota arrowhead on the morning of the 4th. A persistent area of snow fell across extreme northeast North Dakota into the northwest corner of Minnesota. A little over four inches of snow fell in northeast North Dakota, while four to fourteen inches of snow fell in northwest Minnesota. The highest total, fourteen inches, fell northwest of Badger, in Roseau County, Minnesota. Wind speeds became quite gusty as the system passed to the east, with 35 to 45 mph gusts common. The snow was very wet and heavy, which caused a lot of tree damage and power outages. Some areas even closed down school for the day.

What forecasters said that day

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 Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 3, 6:27 PM CST, 5 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 3, 6:27 PM CST, 5 hours 33 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 3, 4:58 AM CST, 19 hours 2 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Kittson

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where
Kittson forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West Marshall

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where
West Marshall forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, East Marshall

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where
East Marshall forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Roseau

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where
Roseau forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pennington

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where
Pennington forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Red Lake

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where
Red Lake forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West Polk

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 2:20 PM CST
Where
West Polk forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, East Polk

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 2:20 PM CST
Where
East Polk forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Norman

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 2:20 PM CST
Where
Norman forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mahnomen

When
October 4, 12:00 AM CST to 2:20 PM CST
Where
Mahnomen forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, October 2012

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 412216, 412217, 412218, 412220, 412221, 412222, 412223, 412224, 412225, 412226.