Heavy Snow in North Dakota, November 9 to 11, 2012

A complex winter weather event materialized across the Northern Plains November 8th through early November 11th. Three waves of winter weather impacted west and central North Dakota, the third wave being the most severe.

The first round of winter weather came in the form of snow, impacting northwestern North Dakota during the evening of the 8th through the morning of the 9th, as a lead short wave impulse tracked east across south central Canada. Snowfall reports with this first wave were well below six inches.

As the main upper level low approached North Dakota early on the 9th, the second wave of winter weather moved into the south. Mid level dry air advection combined with a moist upslope low level flow to result in a large area of freezing drizzle developing across southwest and south central North Dakota, which continued for several hours into the afternoon of the 9th. This resulted in an extensive area of icy travel conditions prompting the North Dakota Department of Transportation to issue numerous travel advisories.

The third and most severe wave of winter weather arrived later on the 9th and continued through the 10th. Two heavy snow bands developed, the first extending across west central into northwest North Dakota from the evening of the 9th through the morning hours of the 10th. A three day storm total of eighteen inches was reported in Divide County. The second heavy snow band developed in the afternoon of the 10th and continued into the evening, extending from south central North Dakota to the Turtle Mountains. The storm total snowfall for this second heavy snow band ranged from six to ten inches central, and up to seventeen inches in Rolette County.