A strong storm system which lifted out of the central Rockies and into the upper Mississippi Valley brought heavy snow to parts of south central and southeastern North Dakota from the evening of the 28th through the morning hours of the 29th. The highest snowfall totals occurred over far south central North Dakota where moderate to heavy wrap around snow fell underneath the storm system's TROWAL…
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 strong storm system which lifted out of the central Rockies and into the upper Mississippi Valley brought heavy snow to parts of south central and southeastern North Dakota from the evening of the 28th through the morning hours of the 29th. The highest snowfall totals occurred over far south central North Dakota where moderate to heavy wrap around snow fell underneath the storm system's TROWAL (Trough Of Warm Air Aloft). A storm total of eleven inches was reported near Strasburg, in Emmons 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 Feb 28, 6:59 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 659 PM CST TUE FEB 28 2012 .SHORT TERM...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AS PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO EDGE NORTHWARD THROUGH OAKES AND LIKELY ELLENDALE TO ASHELEY. STILL SEVERAL HOURS SOUTH OF I-94 BUT CLOSE TO ONGOING FORECAST. .AVIATION... A POTENT WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY THE SOUTHERN AERODROMES KDIK/KBIS/KJMS NEXT 24 TO 36HR. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS FORECAST FOR KBIS AND KJMS BETWEEN 03Z AND 12Z WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN VLIFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES FOR BOTH THESE AERODROMES. KDIK WILL EXPERIENCE IFR TO LIFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WITH SNOW THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. KMOT WILL REMAIN ON THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF THIS STORM SYSTEM BUT WILL ALSO RECEIVE MVFR VISIBILITIES AND IFR CEILINGS. KISN SHOULD BE TOTALLY REMOVED FROM THE PRECIPITATION...HOWEVER MVFR CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED THERE. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ WEDNESDAY FOR NDZ012-013-018-019-021-031>033-040-043. BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR NDZ037-045>048-050- 051. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ WEDNESDAY FOR NDZ020-022-023-025-034>036-041-042-044. && SHORT TERM...HW AVIATION...HW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 514 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012 NDZ037-045>048-050-051-291115- STUTSMAN-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 514 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. MONITOR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST AND UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MONITOR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST AND UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN SNOWFALL REPORTS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. NDZ020-022-023-025-034>036-041-042-044-291115- OLIVER-SHERIDAN-WELLS-FOSTER-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-HETTINGER- GRANT-ADAMS- 514 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012 /414 AM MST TUE FEB 28 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. MONITOR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST AND UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MONITOR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST AND UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN SNOWFALL REPORTS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. NDZ012-013-018-019-021-031>033-040-043-291115- MCHENRY-PIERCE-DUNN-MERCER-MCLEAN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK- SLOPE-BOWMAN- 514 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012 /414 AM MST TUE FEB 28 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. MONITOR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST AND UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MONITOR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST AND UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN SNOWFALL REPORTS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. NDZ001>005-009>011-017-291115- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- MCKENZIE- 514 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A POWERFUL WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN...CENTRAL...AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA LATER TODAY...TONIGHT...AND INTO WEDNESDAY. MONITOR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST AND UPDATES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY LIGHT SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. HEINERT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Six inches of snow was reported at both Fullerton and Forbes.
Seven inches of snow was reported at Wishek.
Seven to eleven inches of snow was reported across Emmons County. Linton reported nine inches of snow while Strasburg reported eleven inches.
Seven to nine inches of snow was reported across central and eastern Sioux County.
Eight inches of snow was reported at Edgeley.
Six inches of snow was reported at Napoleon.
Six to eight inches of snow was estimated across far southeastern Grant County.
Six to eight inches of snow was reported across southern Stutsman County.
Six inches of snow was reported across southern Kidder County.
Six inches of snow was reported across southeastern Burleigh County near Driscoll.
Six inches of snow was estimated across southeastern Morton County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, February 2012
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: 364791, 364792, 364795, 364796, 364793, 364794, 364810, 364803, 364806, 364808, 364809.