High Wind in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 2014

Name: High Wind in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 2014
Start: 2014-01-15T20:00
End: 2014-01-16T15:00
Location: North Dakota

January 15 to 16, 2014 · NWS BIS · 32 events in 32 counties and zones

Deep low pressure moving from south central Canada into North Dakota brought a prolonged period of high winds across the entire region. Peak wind gusts as high as 75 miles per hour were recorded, with many locations gusting in excess of 60 miles per hour.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 28 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: 32

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 BIS wrote it up.

Brief power outages accompanied the high winds.

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 Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 15, 7:03 PM CST, 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 15, 7:03 PM CST, 57 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
703 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 703 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

NO MAJOR UPDATES WERE REQUIRED TO THE ONGOING FORECAST. ROLLA HAS
ALREADY GUSTED TO 62 MPH AND THE OB AT CROSBY HAD SUSTAINED WINDS
AT 40 MPH WITHIN THE LAST HOUR. THE HIGHER WINDS WILL SLOWLY MOVE
SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AS A DEEP SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SLIDES SOUTH INTO
NORTHERN MINNESOTA OVERNIGHT. THE CURRENT HEADLINES ARE IN GOOD
SHAPE. ONLY ISSUED AN UPDATE TO THE NPW TO FRESHEN UP THE EVENING
WORDING.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 345 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

MAIN ISSUE THIS FORECAST IS THE STRONG WINDS AND POTENTIAL FOR
BLOWING SNOW. BASED ON MANY HOURS OF SURFACE OBS ACROSS CANADA SO
FAR TODAY...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER 40S...AND WINDS
GUSTING TO 60 MPH ACROSS SASKATCHEWAN AND WESTERN MANITOBA...
BELIEVE THE POTENTIAL FOR BLOWING SNOW IS LOW ACROSS WEST AND CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA. HIGH TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED INTO THE LOWER 40S
OVER MOST IF THE AREA. AS A RESULT A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES
FOR WEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WEST OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY.
IN THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY FROM CARRINGTON SOUTH TO ELLENDALE...THE
POTENTIAL FOR BLOWING SNOW IS GREATER AS THE SNOW COVER IS LESS
CRUSTED. GFS-NAM MODELS FORECAST A H850 WIND FIELD OF 65 TO 75 KTS
ACROSS WEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 345 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST IS THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG
WINDS FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

THE 12 UTC DETERMINISTIC SUITE IS IN AGREEMENT ON ANOTHER CLIPPER
PROPAGATING ACROSS WINNIPEG FRIDAY EVENING AND INTO MINNESOTA BY
SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WOULD SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER
ROUND OF STRONG WINDS IN THE WAKE OF ITS ASSOCIATED OCCLUDING
FRONT FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY MORNING. 0.5 KM WINDS OF 45-50
KTS ARE FORECAST WITH ISALLOBARIC FORCING VIA A 10-12MB/6 HR
PRESSURE RISE BUBBLE. AT THIS TIME IS APPEARS BORDERLINE FOR HIGH
WIND WARNING CRITERIA...HOWEVER...A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED.
THEREAFTER...THE PATTERN REMAINS THE SAME ON NEAR TO SLIGHTLY
ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND A FAVORABLE SETUP FOR CLIPPERS
DOWNSTREAM OF THE WESTERN CONUS UPPER LEVEL RIDGE.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY EVENING)
ISSUED AT 703 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

THE MAIN AVIATION IMPACT WILL BE NORTHWESTERLY WINDS POSSIBLY
GUSTING UP TO 60 KNOTS AT TIMES OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL
BE POSSIBLE OVER KJMS LATER TONIGHT/THURSDAY MORNING.
ELSEWHERE...MVFR CIGS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT/THURSDAY
MORNING. VFR CONDITIONS WILL THEN DEVELOP AND WINDS WILL BEGIN TO
SUBSIDE FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THURSDAY FOR
NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-031>036-040>047-050.

BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THURSDAY FOR NDZ025-037-048-051.

&&

UPDATE...TM
SHORT TERM...WAA
LONG TERM...AYD
AVIATION...TM

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 15, 4:00 PM CST, 4 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
400 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-031>036-040>047-050-162200-
DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-
MCHENRY-PIERCE-MCKENZIE-DUNN-MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-WELLS-
GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON-BURLEIGH-KIDDER-SLOPE-
HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-MCINTOSH-
400 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014 /300 PM MST WED JAN 15 2014/

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...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR
DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

NDZ025-037-048-051-162200-
FOSTER-STUTSMAN-LA MOURE-DICKEY-
400 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH
DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR
DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

WAA/AYD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 15, 3:03 PM CST, 4 hours 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
303 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

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

0301 PM     HIGH SUST WINDS  1 N CROSBY              48.93N 103.30W
01/15/2014  M40 MPH          DIVIDE             ND   AWOS

            SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 MPH. GUSTS TO 52 MPH.

&&

ABELING

Local storm report, Jan 15, 4:01 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
401 PM CST WED JAN 15 2014

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

0355 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N ROLLA               48.88N  99.62W
01/15/2014  M62 MPH          ROLETTE            ND   AWOS

&&

AYD

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

32 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Williams

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Williams forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 48.344, -103.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, McKenzie

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: McKenzie forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.740, -103.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Dunn

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Dunn forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.357, -102.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Golden Valley

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Golden Valley forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.940, -103.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Billings

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Billings forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.023, -103.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Divide

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Divide forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 48.815, -103.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Burke

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Burke forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 48.791, -102.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mountrail

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Mountrail forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 48.201, -102.356 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ward

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Ward forecast zone
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS

High Wind, McLean

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS

High Wind, Mercer

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Mercer forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 47.309, -101.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Renville

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Renville forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.719, -101.658 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Burleigh

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Burleigh forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.977, -100.469 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Morton

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Morton forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS

High Wind, Oliver

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Oliver forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.115, -101.340 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Grant

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.358, -101.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hettinger

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Hettinger forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.433, -102.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Slope

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Slope forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.447, -103.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Stark

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.811, -102.655 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Adams

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.097, -102.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Bowman

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Bowman forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.113, -103.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sioux

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Sioux forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

High Wind, Emmons

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Emmons forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 46.285, -100.239 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, McIntosh

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: McIntosh forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.112, -99.441 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Logan

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.457, -99.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Kidder

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Kidder forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.980, -99.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sheridan

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.575, -100.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wells

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Wells forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 47.588, -99.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Pierce

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Pierce forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 48.250, -99.972 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, McHenry

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: McHenry forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.235, -100.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Rolette

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Rolette forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 48.772, -99.841 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Bottineau

When: January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Bottineau forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.792, -100.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Dakota in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, 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: 488263, 488264, 488265, 488266, 488267, 488268, 488269, 488270, 488271, 488272, 488273, 488274, 488275, 488276, 488277, 488278, 488279, 488280, 488281, 488282, 488283, 488284, 488285, 488286, 488287, 488288, 488289, 488290, 488291, 488292, 488293, 488294.