A potent Canadian storm moving south through the Northern Plains dragged a strong cold front across the region during the daytime hours of the 28th. Winds gusting to 50 miles per hour combined with falling snow and new snow accumulations of two inches to create a blizzard from the late morning across the north and into the evening across the James River Valley.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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 potent Canadian storm moving south through the Northern Plains dragged a strong cold front across the region during the daytime hours of the 28th. Winds gusting to 50 miles per hour combined with falling snow and new snow accumulations of two inches to create a blizzard from the late morning across the north and into the evening across the James River Valley. Numerous no-travel advisories were issued by state and county officials as conditions deteriorated.
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 28, 10:40 AM CST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 1040 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1040 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 IN PROCESS OF UPGRADING WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TO BLIZZARD WARNING ACROSS THEN NORTH BASED ON SURFACE OBS...SPOTTER REPORTS AND WEB CAMS. ALSO EXPANDING WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TO JAMES RIVER AREA. UPDATE ISSUED AT 628 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 HAVE BECOME CONCERNED WITH WIND GUST POTENTIAL ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST THIS MORNING. WITH PRESSURE RISE BUBBLE MOVING THROUGH SEE A FEW HOURS OF 45 MPH WIND GUST POTENTIAL. ISSUED A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR THIS. BELIEVE WIND WILL SETTLE DOWN A BIT AFTER THE BUBBLE MOVES THROUGH BY MID TO LATE MORNING. THEN THE WIND CHILLS WILL BECOME THE PRIMARY THREAT ACROSS THE SOUTH. WARM TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE WINDS MIXING DOWN SO NOW EXPECT A BRIEF HIGH CLOSE TO 40 SOUTHWEST...THEN FALLING TEMPERATURES. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 445 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 POWERFUL COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING WITH INCREASING WIND...FALLING TEMPERATURES...SOME SNOW...AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW WHERE IT IS FALLING. THEN COMES THE DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS. LATEST SURFACE PLOT SHOWS 12MB/3HR PRESSURE RISES MOVING INTO NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA BEHIND FRONT. THIS WAS FORECAST VERY WELL BY THE NAM12 MODEL. NAM ALSO FORECAST PRECIPITATION AREA WELL AND SO IT WAS LEANED ON FOR DETAILS THIS FORECAST CYCLE. AM NOT CONCERNED WITH LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE VISIBILITY FOR 3 HOURS AND LONGER (BLIZZARD) AS TOP HALF OF SNOW DEPTH LAYER BECAME VERY WET ON FRIDAY AND WILL FREEZE AS TEMPERATURE DROP TODAY...PREVENTING SIGNIFICANT BLOWING OF IT. REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL COME WHERE SNOW IS FALLING...AND MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO MEET BLIZZARD DEFINITIONS WITHOUT CONSIDERABLE LOOSE FRESH SNOW PACK. THE MAJORITY OF THE SNOW WILL FALL NORTH OF THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER...AND IN EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. HAVE MAINTAINED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BUT LOWERED THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS FROM 2 INCHES... DOWN TO ONE TO TWO INCHES. NAM FORECASTS THE SNOW OUT OF THE AREA FASTER THAN PREVIOUS...AND DECREASED WIND ALSO FASTER THAN PREVIOUS. FOR THOSE REASONS WE HAVE CUT THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY OFF THIS EVENING RATHER THAN KEEPING IT GOING UNTIL MIDNIGHT. AS FAR AS WIND CHILLS GO...HAVE KEPT THE ADVISORY IN PLACE. HAVE ALSO ADDED AN ADVISORY NORTHWEST (WILLISTON) AFTER THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY EXPIRES...AND HAVE ADDED A WIND CHILL WARNING FOR THE NORTHEAST WHERE APPARENT TEMPERATURES (IN THIS CASE TEMPERATURE AND WIND SPEEDS) SATURDAY NIGHT ARE COMING OUT IN THE 40S BELOW ZERO. AS A SIDE NOTE...THE STRONGEST PRESSURE FALLS CROSS THROUGH THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA TODAY WITH STRONGEST WINDS FORECAST THERE. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 445 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL BE DOMINATED BY A PERSISTENT COLD UPPER LOW OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CANADA AND A WARMER BROAD RIDGE ACROSS THE EASTERN PACIFIC INTO THE SOUTHWEST US. THE COLD UPPER LOW WILL MAINTAIN THE SOURCE OF ARCTIC AIR EITHER OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS OR A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY READY TO RETURN. THIS FLOW PATTERN WILL BRING SOME SHORTWAVE ENERGY THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND SUPPORT AN ACTIVE SNOW PATTERN...MAINLY OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA...THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK. MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PARTICULARLY SHOULD SEE SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. BUT FIRST...ON SUNDAY...DEEP ARCTIC AIR OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL RESULT IN COLD LOW TEMPERATURES NEAR 25 BELOW NORTH CENTRAL TO AROUND 10 BELOW SOUTHWEST. A STRONG TEMPERATURE GRADIENT FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST WILL BE CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS WEATHER PATTERN WITH HIGHS FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE TO THE TEENS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST YET HIGHS REMAINING CLOSE TO 10 BELOW NORTH CENTRAL MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MILDER AIR WILL EVENTUALLY PUSH INTO NORTH DAKOTA BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE PACIFIC RIDGE NUDGES THE ARCTIC AIR NORTH. HOWEVER...LONGER RANGE TRENDS SUGGEST THE COLD AIR WILL RETURN AGAIN NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 628 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 FAST MOVING ARCTIC FRONT WILL BRING MULTIPLE HAZARDS TO AVIATION INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS...AND IFR CONDITIONS IN BLOWING SNOW. JUST BEFORE 13Z/28TH...LOW PRESSURE CENTER WAS NEAR KISN WITH A POWERFUL COLD FRONT EXTENDING THROUGH EASTERN MONTANA...WITH SYSTEM PROGRESSING SOUTHEAST. VERY STRONG PRESSURE RISES WERE BEHIND THE FRONT RESULTING IN WIND GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS. A BAND OF SNOW POST FRONTAL HAD MVFR/IFR CIGS AND VSBYS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THESE AVIATION HAZARDS WILL MOVE THROUGH WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TODAY. WHERE SNOW IS FALLING EXPECT IFR VSBYS...POSSIBLY LIFR...IN BLOWING SNOW. CONDITIONS IMPROVING AT KISN BY 22Z/28TH AND AT KJMS BY 00Z/29TH. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM MST/ SUNDAY FOR NDZ018>020-031>035-040>046. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM MST/ TODAY FOR NDZ017-018- 031>033-040-041-043-044. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NDZ017- 021>023-025-036-037-047-048-050-051. WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST SUNDAY FOR NDZ001-002-009-010-017-021>023-025-036-037-047-048-050-051. WIND CHILL WARNING FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST SUNDAY FOR NDZ003>005-011>013. BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NDZ001>005- 009>013. && UPDATE...JNS SHORT TERM...JPM LONG TERM...WAA AVIATION...WAA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 957 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051-291600- 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- 957 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 /857 AM MST SAT DEC 28 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HARSH WINTER WEATHER RETURNS TO WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TODAY. SNOW WILL FALL ACROSS THE AREA...LESS THAN AN INCH SOUTH...AND UP TO TWO INCHES ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 2. BLUSTERY NORTHERLY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW WHERE FRESH SNOW FALLS. STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY MORNING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS WILL CONTINUE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT. MAINLY NORTH AND EAST. THERE IS A CHANCE OF SNOW MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CALL WEATHER REPORTS IN TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 701-223-4582. INCLUDE SNOW AMOUNTS...VISIBILITY...AND LOCAL TEMPERATURE IF POSSIBLE. JNS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 607 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 NDZ017>020-031>034-040>045-281500- MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON- SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WATFORD CITY...KILLDEER...BEULAH... HAZEN...CENTER...BEACH...MEDORA...DICKINSON...MANDAN...MARMARTH... MOTT...ELGIN...BOWMAN...HETTINGER...FORT YATES 607 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 /507 AM MST SAT DEC 28 2013/ ...GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE EARLY THIS SATURDAY MORNING... WINDS WILL GUST TO NEAR 45 MPH BRIEFLY THIS MORNING AS COLD AIR RETURNS TO NORTH DAKOTA. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL ARRIVE AROUND SUNRISE ACROSS THE FAR WEST...REACHING THE FAR SOUTH CENTRAL AFTER 9 OR 10 AM CST. THE WINDS MAY CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...BUT THE RELATIVELY MILD TEMPERATURES THE PAST FEW DAYS HAS PUT A CRUST ON THE SNOW...SO EXTENSIVE BLOWING SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES MAY EVEN RISE INTO THE LOWER 40S FOR A SHORT TIME WITH THE INITIAL WIND GUSTS...BUT WILL TURN SHARPLY COLDER LATER IN THE MORNING. THOSE TRAVELING AND WORKING OUTDOORS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST...SHOULD PREPARE FOR SEVERAL HOURS OF STRONG WINDS THIS MORNING WITH THE INITIAL SURGE OF COLD AIR. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY COLDER TEMPERATURES THAT WILL REDUCE WIND CHILLS TO DANGEROUS LEVELS BY NOON. WAA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 854 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 NDZ017>020-031>034-040>045-281800- MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON- SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WATFORD CITY...KILLDEER...BEULAH... HAZEN...CENTER...BEACH...MEDORA...DICKINSON...MANDAN...MARMARTH... MOTT...ELGIN...BOWMAN...HETTINGER...FORT YATES 854 AM CST SAT DEC 28 2013 /754 AM MST SAT DEC 28 2013/ ...GUSTY WINDS AND TURNING SHARPLY COLDER THIS MORNING... WINDS WILL GUST TO NEAR 45 MPH BRIEFLY THIS MORNING AS COLD AIR RETURNS TO NORTH DAKOTA. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL SPREAD FROM THE FAR WEST EARLY THIS MORNING TO THE FAR SOUTH CENTRAL AFTER 10 AM CST. THE WINDS MAY CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...BUT THE RECENT RELATIVELY MILD TEMPERATURES HAVE PUT A CRUST ON THE SNOW...SO EXTENSIVE BLOWING SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES WILL TURN SHARPLY BY LATE MORNING. THOSE TRAVELING AND WORKING OUTDOORS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST...SHOULD PREPARE FOR SEVERAL HOURS OF STRONG WINDS THIS MORNING WITH THE INITIAL SURGE OF COLD AIR. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY COLDER TEMPERATURES THAT WILL REDUCE WIND CHILLS TO DANGEROUS LEVELS BY NOON. JNS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the late morning and afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the late morning and afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the late morning and afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the late morning and afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the late morning and afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
Snow combined with northwest winds gusting to 50 miles per hour resulted in a blizzard during the afternoon. No travel was advised.
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 485287, 485288, 485289, 485290, 485291, 485292, 485293, 485301, 485295, 485294, 485296, 485297, 485298, 485299, 485300.