North Dakota, 2015

Heavy Snow in North Dakota, January 2 to 3, 2015

January 2 to 3, 2015 · NWS BIS · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A clipper system moving through the region resulted in snow developing over northern North Dakota. The heaviest snow was focused across Renville, Bottineau, Rolette and Pierce counties where amounts ranged from six to eight inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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 clipper system moving through the region resulted in snow developing over northern North Dakota. The heaviest snow was focused across Renville, Bottineau, Rolette and Pierce counties where amounts ranged from six to eight inches.

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 2, 1:11 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 1:11 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 2, 2:54 PM CST, 6 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

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Pierce

When
January 2, 3:00 PM CST to January 3, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Pierce forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
48.250, -99.972 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Northern Pierce County received an estimated seven inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Renville

When
January 2, 3:00 PM CST to January 3, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Renville forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
48.719, -101.658 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eastern Renville County received an estimated six inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Rolette

When
January 2, 4:00 PM CST to January 3, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Rolette forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
48.772, -99.841 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Rolla and Rolette areas received eight inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Bottineau

When
January 2, 4:00 PM CST to January 3, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Bottineau forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
48.792, -100.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Locations northeast of Bottineau received six inches of snow.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, January 2015

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 549986, 549987, 549982, 549983.