Blizzard in Minnesota, January 16, 2014

Name: Blizzard in Minnesota, January 16, 2014
Start: 2014-01-16T11:00
End: 2014-01-16T19:00
Location: Minnesota

January 16, 2014 · NWS ABR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABR wrote it up.

A clipper system passing across the region brought light snowfall and very strong northwest winds gusting in excess of 50 mph resulting in blizzard conditions. The highest wind gusts include; 55 mph near Graceville and 46 mph in Ortonville. Blizzard conditions ended during the late afternoon hours. The blizzard led to the cancellation of several area activities and schools along with dangerous travel conditions.

What forecasters said that day

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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 16, 10:25 AM CST, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 16, 10:25 AM CST, 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
1025 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

.UPDATE...
BASED ON REPORTS AND RADAR HAVE CANCELLED HIGH WIND WARNING FOR A
ROW OF COUNTIES WEST OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY AND UPGRADED TO A
BLIZZARD WARNING. HAD MANY REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS ALONG WITH SOME
BLIZZARD REPORTS. ARCTIC BOUNDARY HEADING SOUTH TODAY...THUS
EXPECT FALLING TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH CONTINUED VERY STRONG WINDS
ALONG WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS. ADJUSTED GRIDS AND
BLIZZARD AND HIGH WIND WARNINGS.

&&
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY
SHORTWAVE MOVING OVERHEAD THIS AM...WITH SCATTERED COVERAGE OF
SNOW ON RADAR. MEANWHILE WIND GUSTS HAVE RUN BETWEEN 50 AND 70MPH.
WILL CONTINUE THE CURRENT HEADLINES. EAST OF THE JAMES
VALLEY...RADAR RETURNS AND WEBCAMS SUGGEST MUCH HIGHER CONFIDENCE
ON IMPACTS TO TRAVEL. AS FOR BROWN/SPINK COUNTIES...BRIEF BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS WERE OBSERVED AT THE OFFICE...HOWEVER THE MAJORITY OF
THE TIME HAS BEEN JUST WINDY. RETURNS UPSTREAM ARE LESS
IMPRESSIVE...AND SYNOPTIC FORCING IS ON A DOWNWARD TREND. THAT
SAID...ANY LIGHT SNOW WILL STILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL SO
WILL LEAVE BLIZZARD WARNING IN PLACE. MIXED DOWN TOOL SUGGESTS NOW
THAT COLD ADVECTION HAS ARRIVED...WILL CONTINUE TO SEE PEAK WINDS
NEAR 70MPH. MIX DOWN TOOL ALSO SUGGESTS WINDS REMAINING HIGH ALL
DAY...FALLING ABRUPTLY THIS EVENING. COLD ADVECTION WILL ALSO
LIMIT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES...WITH HIGHS HAVING OCCURRED THIS
MORNING.

HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVERHEAD TONIGHT...WITH IDEAL RADIATIONAL
CONDITIONS ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO BOTTOM OUT IN THE JAMES
VALLEY. WARM ADVECTION BECOMES REESTABLISHED FOR FRIDAY...WITH
H925 TEMPERATURES WARMING TO ONLY -8C IN MINNESOTA BUT ALL THE WAY
TO +4C IN WESTERN COUNTIES. THIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER
CLIPPER SYSTEM. WARM ADVECTION QPF LOOKS UNLIKELY...WITH SOME WRAP
AROUND WINDS AND QPF FOR NORTHEASTERN COUNTIES.

.LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY
UPPER LEVEL NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BE DOMINANT THROUGH THE MAJORITY
OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WITH A COUPLE OF SHORTWAVES SET TO TRACK
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS...ONE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AND
ANOTHER TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THE SURFACE PATTERN WILL
FEATURE HIGH PRESSURE THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD...WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF WEDNESDAY WHEN THERE MAY BE A LITTLE LIGHT SNOW
ACROSS THE AREA IN ASSOCIATION WITH A WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM TRACKING
JUST TO THE EAST OF THE REGION.

SUNDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE PERIOD AS WAA SETS UP AHEAD
OF AN APPROACHING DRY FRONTAL BOUNDARY. COOLER AIR THEN SETTLES IN
OVER THE STATE WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE TEENS AND 20S TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...
12Z TAFS FOR THE KABR...KATY...KPIR AND KMBG TERMINALS

STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS. LIGHT SNOW WILL TRACK ACROSS
THE EAST AS WELL...AND IN COMBINATION WITH THE STRONG WINDS...OFF
AND ON IFR/MVFR VSBYS IN BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR...POSSIBLY
AFFECTING KABR AND KATY AT TIMES. THE SNOW WILL COME TO AN END AND
THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING...WITH VFR CONDITIONS THEN
EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD.

&&

.ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST /11 PM MST/ TONIGHT FOR
     BUFFALO-CAMPBELL-CORSON-DEWEY-HUGHES-HYDE-JONES-LYMAN-
     POTTER-STANLEY-SULLY-WALWORTH.

     BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR BROWN-CLARK-
     CODINGTON-DAY-DEUEL-EDMUNDS-FAULK-GRANT-HAMLIN-HAND-
     MARSHALL-MCPHERSON-ROBERTS-SPINK.

MN...BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR BIG STONE-
     TRAVERSE.

&&

UPDATE...MOHR
SHORT TERM...CONNELLY
LONG TERM...PARKIN
AVIATION...PARKIN

WEATHER.GOV/ABERDEEN

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 16, 9:59 AM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
959 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

MNZ039-046-SDZ005>008-010-011-017>023-037-171600-
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-MCPHERSON-BROWN-MARSHALL-ROBERTS-EDMUNDS-DAY-
FAULK-SPINK-CLARK-CODINGTON-GRANT-HAMLIN-DEUEL-HAND-
959 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 70 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. THESE
STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH FALLING SNOW TO PRODUCE WHITE OUT
CONDITIONS. IMPROVING WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED LATER THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED...HOWEVER ANY REPORTS WOULD
BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

SDZ003-004-009-015-016-033>036-045-048-051-171600-
CORSON-CAMPBELL-WALWORTH-DEWEY-POTTER-STANLEY-SULLY-HUGHES-HYDE-
JONES-LYMAN-BUFFALO-
959 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 /859 AM MST THU JAN 16 2014/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL SOUTH
DAKOTA AND NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WIND GUSTS OF 55 TO 70 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. POCKETS
OF LIGHT SNOW PASSING THROUGH THE AREA THIS MORNING WILL RESULT IN
BRIEF PERIODS OF WHITE OUT CONDITIONS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED...HOWEVER ANY REPORTS WOULD
BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

SD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 16, 10:13 AM CST, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
1013 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0950 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 E PRESHO              43.91N 100.04W
01/16/2014  M61 MPH          LYMAN              SD   MESONET

            PEAK WIND GUST THUS FAR AT THE PRESHO CWOP MESONET
            STATION.

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1400063

FOWLE

Local storm report, Jan 16, 10:25 AM CST, 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
1025 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0900 AM     BLIZZARD         BRITTON                 45.79N  97.75W
01/16/2014                   MARSHALL           SD   EMERGENCY MNGR

            VISIBILITY REDUCED TO LESS THAN A BLOCK IN TOWN

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1400064

NWS ABR

Local storm report, Jan 16, 10:27 AM CST, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
1027 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1000 AM     BLIZZARD         CRAVEN CORNER           45.45N  98.93W
01/16/2014                   EDMUNDS            SD   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            VISIBILITY BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE...AT TIMES NEAR
            ZERO...ALONG US 12 NEAR CRAVEN CORNER PER REPORTS AND
            SDDOT WEBCAM.

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1400065

FOWLE

Local storm report, Jan 16, 10:36 AM CST, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
1036 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1010 AM     BLIZZARD         FAULKTON                45.03N  99.13W
01/16/2014                   FAULK              SD   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            VISIBILITY HAS DROPPED TO NEAR ZERO MORE THAN ONCE SO
            FAR THIS MORNING IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WINDS 35 TO
            45 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1400066

NWS ABR

Local storm report, Jan 16, 10:46 AM CST, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
1046 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0950 AM     BLIZZARD         LEOLA                   45.72N  98.94W
01/16/2014                   MCPHERSON          SD   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY MULTIPLE TIMES THIS MORNING IN
            SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OF
            35 TO 45 MPH...PEAK WIND GUST THUS FAR AT SDSU LEOLA
            STATION HAS BEEN 56 MPH

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1400067

NWS ABR

Local storm report, Jan 16, 10:55 AM CST, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
1055 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1030 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 E HARROLD             44.52N  99.72W
01/16/2014  M64 MPH          HUGHES             SD   MESONET

            PEAK WIND GUST THUS FAR AT THE HARROLD RWIS.

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1400068

FOWLE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Traverse

When: January 16, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Traverse forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 45.772, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Big Stone

When: January 16, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Big Stone forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 45.426, -96.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, January 2014

Sources

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: 487939, 487940.