Blizzard and High Wind in North Dakota, January 25 to 26, 2014

Name: Blizzard and High Wind in North Dakota, January 25 to 26, 2014
Start: 2014-01-25T22:00
End: 2014-01-26T20:00
Location: North Dakota

January 25 to 26, 2014 · NWS BIS · 36 events in 36 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 32 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: 36

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.

A baroclinic zone over western North Dakota moved slowly east across the state during the day on the 25th. Coupled with a mid level shortwave trough up to three inches of snow fell over the area through the early evening. Gusty west to northwest winds developed during the evening hours of the 25th behind the front as it continued south and east. A secondary and much stronger cold front moved in during the morning hours of the 26th. Additional light snow and high winds over 50 miles per hour accompanied the front, with strong winds continuing through the afternoon. A peak wind gust of 68 miles per hour was reported near Crosby, Divide County.

Blizzard conditions on the 26th were common where snow accumulated during the day on the 25th, and where additional snow fell during the morning of the 26th. Interstate 94 was closed from Bismarck to Fargo, and Highway 83 was closed from Bismarck to Minot due to zero visibilities and numerous accidents. All of northwest, central, and eastern North Dakota were under no travel advisories that were posted by transportation officials. While very little snow fall across the southwest, winds were still high, gusting to around 60 miles per hour.

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 25, 7:34 PM CST, 2 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 25, 7:34 PM CST, 2 hours 26 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 25, 8:10 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 25, 7:12 PM CST, 2 hours 48 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 25, 7:23 PM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 25, 8:07 PM CST, 1 hour 53 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 25, 8:08 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 25, 8:52 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 25, 9:17 PM CST, 43 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

27 blizzard, 9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Stark

When: January 25, 10:00 PM CST to January 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 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 25, 10:00 PM CST to January 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.097, -102.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Slope

When: January 25, 10:00 PM CST to January 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Slope forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 46.447, -103.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hettinger

When: January 25, 10:00 PM CST to January 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Hettinger forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.433, -102.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Billings

When: January 25, 10:00 PM CST to January 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Billings forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.023, -103.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Golden Valley

When: January 25, 10:00 PM CST to January 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Golden Valley forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.940, -103.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Bowman

When: January 25, 10:00 PM CST to January 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Bowman forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.113, -103.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sioux

When: January 25, 10:00 PM CST to January 26, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Sioux forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS