S. brought heavy snow to the James River Basin in southeast North Dakota on the 10th.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
Low pressure lifting northeast across the central U.S. brought heavy snow to the James River Basin in southeast North Dakota on the 10th. Storm total snow accumulations ranged from around four inches over the western James River Basin of Logan and McIntosh counties to as much as ten inches at Oakes in Dickey County.
In addition to the snow, winds gusting to near forty miles per hour for up to twelve hours resulted in prolonged blizzard conditions. County officials issued no travel advisories, and Interstate 94 from Jamestown to Fargo was closed due to near zero visibility.
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 10, 9:55 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 955 AM CST SUN FEB 10 2013 .DISCUSSION...LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL NEBRASKA WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO NORTHERN IOWA TODAY. DEFORMATION ZONE WILL REMAIN OVER FAR SOUTH CENTRAL INTO EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA TODAY WITH PERIODS OF SNOW CONTINUING. HEAVIEST SNOW WILL OCCUR OVER DICKEY AND LAMOURE COUNTIES WITH LESSER AMOUNTS AS YOU MOVE NORTH AND WEST. NO CHANGES TO CURRENT HAZARDS. FARTHER WEST...SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A WEAK SECONDARY INVERTED TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. WX CAMS OUT WEST INDICATE SOME ICING AND RECENT REPORTS FROM THE DICKINSON AREA CONFIRM SOME PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE. COLD AIR SPILLING SOUTH INTO FAR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD PUT AN END TO THE FREEZING DRIZZLE FROM WEST TO EAST LATE THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. DID MENTION SOME PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE WEST AND CENTRAL LATE THIS MORNING AND CENTRAL THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. && .AVIATION...LIFR/IFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN SNOW AND BLOWING OVER KJMS THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. IT APPEARS A NARROW BAND OF FREEZING DRIZZLE HAD DEVELOPED OVER THE SOUTHWEST EARLIER THIS MORNING...MAINLY FROM WEST OF KHEI TO THE KDIK AREA TO THE KILLDEER MOUNTAINS. THIS HAS NOW CHANGED OVER TO SNOW AT KDIK WITH INCREASING NORTHWEST WINDS BRINGING IN COLDER AIR FROM THE NORTHWEST. EAST OF THERE TO NEAR KBIS THINK THERE IS A CHANCE OF FZDZ BEFORE CHANGING TO SNOW AS WELL...SO INTRODUCED A TEMPO CATEGORY AT KBIS SINCE LOW CLOUDS HAVE NOW INVADED AT KBIS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATED THAT KBIS SHOULD BE THE ONLY MAJOR AIRPORT WITH THE THREAT OF FZDZ...AND EXPECT ALL OTHERS TO REPORT SNOW...AND EVENTUALLY BLOWING SNOW AS WINDS INCREASE. KISN WILL BECOME MVFR/IFR AS APPROACHING SYSTEM FROM THE WEST MOVES IN. A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT TO VFR WILL DEVELOP WEST (KISN/KDIK) AFTER 06Z MONDAY. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL NOON CST MONDAY FOR NDZ037-047-048-050- 051. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST MONDAY FOR NDZ023-025-036- 045-046. && TWH/JV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 443 AM CST SUN FEB 10 2013 NDZ037-047-048-050-051-111045- STUTSMAN-LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 443 AM CST SUN FEB 10 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ALONG WITH NORTHERLY WINDS TO 40 MPH WILL PRODUCE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES...ESPECIALLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE BLIZZARD WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SNOW AND SLEET WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT THEIR SNOW TOTALS AND WIND GUSTS TO THE BISMARCK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AT 1-800-247-0212. NDZ023-025-036-045-046-111045- WELLS-FOSTER-KIDDER-SIOUX-EMMONS- 443 AM CST SUN FEB 10 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. EXPECT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH BLOWING SNOW REDUCING VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES. PLEASE REFER TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SNOW AND SLEET WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT THEIR SNOWFALL TOTALS TO THE BISMARCK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AT 1-800-247-0212. NDZ001>005-009>013-017>022-031>035-040>044-111045- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD- MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN- GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON-BURLEIGH-SLOPE-HETTINGER- GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS- 443 AM CST SUN FEB 10 2013 /343 AM MST SUN FEB 10 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF SNOW AND AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL GENERALLY REMAIN AROUND ONE INCH OR LESS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SNOW AND SLEET WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. KS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
614 AM CST SUN FEB 10 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0611 AM SNOW ELLENDALE 46.00N 98.53W
02/10/2013 E4.0 INCH DICKEY ND EMERGENCY MNGR
FINGER DRIFTS AROUND ONE FOOT WERE ALREADY DEVELOPING
ON HIGHWAY 11 BETWEEN PHEASANT LAKE AND ELLENDALE.
&&
TMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
833 AM CST SUN FEB 10 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0832 AM SNOW LA MOURE 46.36N 98.29W
02/10/2013 M2.5 INCH LAMOURE ND EMERGENCY MNGR
STILL SNOWING AT TIME OF OBSERVATION.
&&
MMATHEWSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
1054 AM CST SUN FEB 10 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 AM SNOW ELLENDALE 46.00N 98.53W
02/10/2013 E5.0 INCH DICKEY ND EMERGENCY MNGR
QUARTER MILE VISIBILITY. SUSTAINED WINDS 25 MPH. STILL
SNOWING
&&
HAMILTONThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to eight inches of new snowfall combined with frequent wind gusts to near forty miles per hour to result in prolonged blizzard conditions across LaMoure County. County officials advised no travel due to near zero visibilities.
Up to ten inches of new snowfall combined with frequent wind gusts to near forty miles per hour to result in prolonged blizzard conditions across Dickey County. County officials advised no travel due to near zero visibilities.
Up to six inches of new snowfall combined with frequent wind gusts to near forty miles per hour to result in prolonged blizzard conditions across Logan County. County officials advised no travel due to near zero visibilities.
Up to five inches of new snowfall combined with frequent wind gusts to near forty miles per hour to result in prolonged blizzard conditions across McIntosh County. County officials advised no travel due to near zero visibilities.
Up to six inches of new snowfall combined with frequent wind gusts to near forty miles per hour to result in prolonged blizzard conditions across Stutsman County. County officials advised no travel due to near zero visibilities, and Interstate 94 from Jamestown to Fargo was closed.
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, February 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: 424535, 424536, 424531, 424533, 424534.