Temperatures in the 20s below zero combined with winds of around 10 miles per hour to produce wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero during the evening of the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd.
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.
Temperatures in the 20s below zero combined with winds of around 10 miles per hour to produce wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero during the evening of the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd.
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 Dec 22, 3:28 PM CST, 4 hours 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 328 PM CST SUN DEC 22 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 328 PM CST SUN DEC 22 2013 MAIN FORECAST ISSUE IN THE SHORT TERM PERIOD IS THE CONTINUATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES. FORECAST MODELS ARE MAINLY DRY TONIGHT AND MONDAY. HOWEVER...WITH SUCH A COLD AIRMASS OVER THE AREA... SCATTERED FLURRIES OR BRIEF SNOW SHOWERS CANNOT BE RULED OUT THIS AFTERNOON...OR AGAIN MONDAY...BUT NO SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY WAS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...AND FOR TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT FOR CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. AFTER UPDATING HOURLY TEMPERATURES WE ARE GETTING A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA DROPPING INTO THE 40 TO 45 BELOW RANGE FOR WIND CHILLS LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. HAVE DECIDED TO UPGRADE THE NORTHERN TIER COUNTIES TO A WIND CHILL WARNING. ALTHOUGH THE SUB -40 WIND CHILLS DO NOT BEGIN UNTIL LATE THIS EVENING...AND END BY MID TO LATE MORNING MONDAY...WILL JUST KEEP THE CURRENT START AND END TIMES TO AVOID UNNECESSARY CONFUSION. FORECAST LOWS TONIGHT ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO BE 20 TO 30 BELOW. THE WEST IS EXPECTED TO WARM UP LATE MONDAY IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT SYSTEM THAT ENTERS THE WEST MONDAY EVENING. EASTERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA COULD SEE HIGHS MONDAY AROUND 10 BELOW. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 328 PM CST SUN DEC 22 2013 HIGHLIGHTS IN THE LONG TERM REVOLVE AROUND POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING RAIN WEST MONDAY NIGHT/EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...FOLLOWED BY BRISK WINDS AND BLOWING/DRIFTING SNOW TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN ACTIVE PERIOD CONTINUES THROUGH THE EXTENDED WITH ANOTHER ARCTIC FRONT FORECAST TO SWEEP THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW FOLLOWED BY FRIGID AIR. FOR MONDAY NIGHT...AN APPROACHING WARM FRONT WILL RESULT IN THE PRODUCTION OF A WINTRY MIX WEST...AND LIGHT SNOW CENTRAL. ANALYZED THE H85 ISOTHERM PATTERN PER NAM/GFS/ECMWF/GEM/SREF. THE NAM IS THE COLDEST MODEL BY FAR KEEPING ANY POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING RAIN/SLEET IN THE FAR WEST AND ONLY IN A NARROW RIBBON. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM ITS PREVIOUS WARMER SOLUTIONS. THE GFS/GEM/SREF/ECMWF ARE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR WITH EACH OTHER WITH ADVERTISING A POCKET OF +2C TO +4C IN THE SOUTHWEST MONDAY NIGHT. THE GFS/ECMWF ALSO SHOW A +3C TO +5C H85 WARM POCKET IN THE FOUR SOUTHWEST COUNTIES OF SLOPE/BOWMAN/ADAMS/HETTINGER. OVERALL...MODELS ARE SIMILAR IN GENERATING A BRIEF WARMUP TO AROUND +2C THROUGH 06Z IN THE WEST...THEN QUICKLY COLLAPSING THE WARMTH FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH 12Z. HAVE UTILIZED A BLEND OF THE ABOVE SOLUTIONS EXCEPT THE NAM...AND THIS RESULTS IN SLEET IN THE +2C TO +3C AREA WHICH ENCOMPASSES MOST OF THE FAR WEST. HAVE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN FREEZING RAIN FOR THE SOUTHWEST...MIXING WITH SLEET MONDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER WOULD LIKE ANOTHER CYCLE OR TWO OF H85 TEMPERATURE SOLUTIONS TO SOLIDIFY AN ACCURATE ADVISORY AREA. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS ON HOW FAR NORTH THE MELTING LAYER WILL GET...IN ADDITION TO BETTER CONSISTENCY ON THE AREAL EXTENT OF THE WARMEST H85 TEMPERATURES IN THE WARM SECTOR. BELIEVE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO HAVE THE EVENING/MIDNIGHT SHIFTS TAKE ANOTHER LOOK...AND EVEN POSSIBLY HAVING THE DAYSHIFT MONDAY MAKING A FINAL DECISION FOR A POTENTIAL ADVISORY. FOR TUESDAY...AS THE WARM FRONT PROPAGATES THROUGH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...EXPECT LIGHT SNOW DURING THE MORNING THEN TAPERING OFF IN THE AFTERNOON WITH AROUND ONE INCH OF SNOWFALL FORECAST FOR MOST OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THE HIGHER TOTALS OF AROUND ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES FAVORS THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY. COLD AIR ADVECTION BEGINS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AS COLD FRONT SLIDES THROUGH. TUESDAY NIGHT/CHRISTMAS DAY...WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHC/CHC OF SNOW MENTION WITH NEUTRAL TO WEAK COLD AIR ADVECTION IN COMBINATION WITH A JET STREAK AND A COUPLE OF WEAK SHORTWAVES TRAVERSING THROUGH. BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WILL PRODUCE PATCHY BLOWING SNOW. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...MAINLY A DRY PERIOD OR AT THE VERY LEAST THE MOST INACTIVE PERIOD FOR PRECIPITATION. WARM AIR ADVECTION ENSUES WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY. PER GFS/ECMWF...H85 TEMPS WARM TO +6C TO +8C FOR MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NORTH DAKOTA FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL RESULT IN HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 25F NORTH TO 35 ABOVE SOUTHWEST FRIDAY AFTERNOON. FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...ANOTHER ARCTIC SURGE WITH A BAND OF SNOW IS FORECAST TO WORK ITS WAY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. THE COLDEST AIR ARRIVES SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO TEENS. COULD BE SOME BLOWING SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE SNOW AS THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 328 PM CST SUN DEC 22 2013 FOR THE 00Z TAF ISSUANCE...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THE 00 UTC TAFS AS CLOUDS HAVE SCATTERED THIS AFTERNOON AS ARCTIC HIGH SETTLES OVER NORTH DAKOTA. HOWEVER...SCATTERED MVFR-IFR CLOUD BASES AND SCATTERED FLURRIES CANNOT BE RULED OUT DUE TO THE ARCTIC AIR. ALSO CANNOT RULE OUT PATCHY/INTERMITTENT FOG LATE TONIGHT...BUT NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO EITHER IN TAFS. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM CST /NOON MST/ MONDAY FOR NDZ017>020-031>034-040>045. WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL 1 PM CST MONDAY FOR NDZ001>005-009>013. WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 1 PM MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR NDZ003>005-011>013. WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR NDZ021>023-025- 035>037-046>048-050-051. && SHORT TERM...TWH LONG TERM...KS AVIATION...TWH
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</html>PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
225 PM CST SUN DEC 22 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM SNOW N WILLISTON 48.15N 103.63W
12/22/2013 M2.0 INCH WILLIAMS ND PUBLIC
&&
AJPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
242 PM CST SUN DEC 22 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0200 PM SNOW HAZEN 47.29N 101.62W
12/22/2013 M1.0 INCH MERCER ND PUBLIC
&&
AJSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 319 PM CST SUN DEC 22 2013 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-230700- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROSBY...BOWBELLS...MOHALL... BOTTINEAU...ROLLA...WILLISTON...NEW TOWN...MINOT...TOWNER... RUGBY...WATFORD CITY...KILLDEER...BEULAH...HAZEN...CENTER... GARRISON...MCCLUSKY...HARVEY...CARRINGTON...BEACH...MEDORA... DICKINSON...MANDAN...BISMARCK...STEELE...JAMESTOWN...MARMARTH... MOTT...ELGIN...BOWMAN...HETTINGER...FORT YATES...LINTON... NAPOLEON...EDGELEY...ASHLEY...OAKES 319 PM CST SUN DEC 22 2013 /219 PM MST SUN DEC 22 2013/ ...WINTRY MIX AND BLOWING SNOW MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY... A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW IS POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. THIS INCLUDES LOCATIONS SUCH AS WILLISTON...DICKINSON...KILLDEER... BEACH...BOWMAN AND HETTINGER. AT THIS TIME...FREEZING RAIN IS MORE LIKELY IN THE SOUTHWEST WITH MINOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. ELSEWHERE...LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TUESDAY MORNING...TAPERING OFF FROM WEST TO EAST IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE FOR MOST OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS MAY CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...WITH REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND SLICK ROADS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. THOSE WITH CHRISTMAS TRAVEL PLANS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POTENTIAL SLICK ROAD CONDITIONS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. STAY UP TO DATE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS KS/TM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
Wind chill temperatures as low as 45 below zero were observed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, December 2013
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: 484705, 484706, 484707, 484708, 484709, 484710, 484711, 484712, 484713, 484714.