Strong pressure rises behind a cold front resulted in very windy conditions over the region. The strongest wind gusts were over south-central North Dakota.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Strong pressure rises behind a cold front resulted in very windy conditions over the region. The strongest wind gusts were over south-central North Dakota.
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 8, 6:43 AM CST, 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 643 AM CST THU JAN 8 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 643 AM CST THU JAN 8 2015 ISALLOBARIC WINDS ARE BEGINNING TO INCREASE OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA AHEAD OF A PRESSURE RISE BUBBLE OF 7MB/3HR NOSING INTO NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 KNOTS ARE BEING OBSERVED OVER WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA WITH VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW GENERALLY AROUND 1 MILE BEING REPORTED. THE LATEST HI-RES MODEL OUTPUT PROGS THIS PRESSURE BUBBLE TO SURGE SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS MORNING. GIVEN THE OBSERVED OBS AND EXPECTED TRENDS...STILL THINK A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLOWING SNOW IS APPROPRIATE FOR WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. GIVEN THE "FRESHEST" SNOW HAS FALLEN AND IS CURRENTLY FALLING OVER NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA...THINK GROUND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL BE LIKELY FOR THE TURTLE MOUNTAIN REGION INTO THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY ONCE THE WINDS KICK UP LATER THIS MORNING. THEREFORE...WILL KEEP THE BLIZZARD WARNING GOING FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED AREA. ONLY UPDATED THE HOURLY SENSIBLE WEATHER GRIDS BASED ON CURRENT OBS/TRENDS. OTHERWISE...THE CURRENT FORECAST IS ON TRACK. THE UPDATED PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN SENT. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 327 AM CST THU JAN 8 2015 THE MAIN IMPACT TODAY IS BLOWING SNOW AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW CONTINUES TO FALL THIS MORNING ALONG AND NORTH OF I-94. SNOW IS RATHER LIGHT AND MOVING OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST RATHER QUICK. INITIAL RADAR RETURNS INDICATING SNOW WERE NOT REALIZED AT THE SURFACE DUE TO A RATHER DRY BOUNDARY LAYER. DEW POINT DEPRESSIONS HAVE SINCE LESSENED AND THE BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTENED UP THIS MORNING. LIGHT SNOW WAS REPORTED AT JAMESTOWN AND MINOT. DUE TO THE QUICK MOVEMENT AND INITIAL DRY LAYER...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE RATHER MINIMAL...WITH GENERALLY LESS THAN AN INCH...AND IN MANY CASES ONLY A FEW TENTHS. THIS COULD PLAY A RATHER LARGE ROLE IN BLOWING SNOW PROBABILITIES LATER TODAY AND ULTIMATELY AFFECTING VISIBILITIES. THE MAIN UNCERTAINTY WITH RESPECT TO THE SEVERITY OF BLOWING SNOW/VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS IS THE CONDITION OF THE SNOWPACK AND THE ABILITY OF THE SNOW TO BE LOFTED GIVEN THAT VERY LITTLE FRESH SNOW IS AVAILABLE. WHAT IS MORE CERTAIN ARE WIND SPEEDS LATER THIS MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A 6MB/3HR OR 12MB/6HR PRESSURE RISE ACROSS WESTERN SASKATCHEWAN. THIS IS FORECAST BY ALL THE MODELS TO MOVE ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LATER THIS MORNING...AND WITH POTENTIALLY MORE IMPRESSIVE PRESSURE RISES. THIS STRONG ISALLOBARIC FORCING WILL BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 35 MPH AND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. ONCE POPULATED WITH THE LATEST DATA...THE CANADIAN BLOWING SNOW TOOL ACTUALLY INCREASED THE COVERAGE AND LIKELIHOOD OF BLOWING SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THEREFORE...BELIEVE CURRENT HEADLINES ARE WARRANTED AND CLOSE MONITORING OF CONDITIONS SHOULD ANY LOCATIONS NEED TO BE UPGRADED FURTHER LATER TODAY. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 327 AM CST THU JAN 8 2015 DRY AND COLD CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS A CONTINENTAL POLAR AIR MASS REMAINS ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THE MAIN FORECAST IMPACT WILL BE THE DANGEROUSLY COLD OVERNIGHT/EARLY MORNING WIND CHILLS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE AND TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO MODERATE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS PACIFIC RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE ROCKIES. HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO BE NEAR NORMAL BY NEXT WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 643 AM CST THU JAN 8 2015 CONSIDERABLE BLOWING SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS OVER 40 KTS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE REGION ON THURSDAY. LOW IFR CONDITIONS WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD ACROSS WEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AFTER SUNRISE. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ003-011-019>022-034>036-042-045>048-050-051. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031>033-040-041-043-044. BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NDZ004-005-012- 013-023-025-037. && UPDATE...TM SHORT TERM...AJ LONG TERM...TM AVIATION...AJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND 339 AM CST THU JAN 8 2015 NDZ004-005-012-013-023-025-037-090945- BOTTINEAU-ROLETTE-MCHENRY-PIERCE-WELLS-FOSTER-STUTSMAN- 339 AM CST THU JAN 8 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH WIDESPREAD BLOWING SNOW AND NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. TRAVEL WILL BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. SEE WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS. WIND CHILLS TO 35 BELOW ARE FORECAST TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WIND CHILLS TO 30 BELOW ARE FORECAST EACH NIGHT FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT WEATHER.GOV/BIS. NDZ001>003-009>011-017>022-031>036-040>048-050-051-090945- DIVIDE-BURKE-RENVILLE-WILLIAMS-MOUNTRAIL-WARD-MCKENZIE-DUNN- MERCER-OLIVER-MCLEAN-SHERIDAN-GOLDEN VALLEY-BILLINGS-STARK-MORTON- BURLEIGH-KIDDER-SLOPE-HETTINGER-GRANT-BOWMAN-ADAMS-SIOUX-EMMONS- LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-DICKEY- 339 AM CST THU JAN 8 2015 /239 AM MST THU JAN 8 2015/ 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES UNTIL THURSDAY EVENING. VISIBILITIES WILL BE NEAR ZERO AT TIMES IN OPEN COUNTRY. TRAVEL WILL BE DANGEROUS. SEE WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS. WIND CHILLS TO 35 BELOW ARE FORECAST TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WIND CHILLS TO 25 BELOW ARE FORECAST FRIDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT WEATHER.GOV/BIS. AJ/TM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 59 mph wind gust was measured at the Bismarck Airport around eight o'clock.
A 58 mph wind gust was measured at the Mandan Airport just before eight o'clock.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, January 2015
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: 554296, 554297.