Heavy Snow in North Dakota, November 27 to 29, 2016

Name: Heavy Snow in North Dakota, November 27 to 29, 2016
Start: 2016-11-27T22:00
End: 2016-11-29T22:00
Location: North Dakota

November 27 to 29, 2016 · NWS BIS · 31 events in 31 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 27 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: 31

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 slow moving deep low pressure system lifted into the Northern Plains with a moisture rich atmosphere. Rain preceded the snow over many locations, with a gradual transition to snow during the late evening of November 27 into the early morning of November 28. Snow then continued through November 28 into November 29. The snowfall was very heavy and wet due to a relatively warm atmosphere which led to low snow-to-liquid ratios. Snow amounts ranged from nine to 24 inches with the highest amounts between Williston and Bismarck. The James River Valley area missed out on the heavy snow.

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 Nov 27, 3:13 PM CST, 6 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 27, 3:13 PM CST, 6 hours 47 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 27, 2:36 PM CST, 7 hours 24 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
236 PM CST SUN NOV 27 2016

NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-031>036-040>047-050-282045-
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-
236 PM CST SUN NOV 27 2016 /136 PM MST SUN NOV 27 2016/

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 WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND MOST OF
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA BEGINNING TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND MOST OF
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SEE
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

NDZ025-037-048-051-282045-
FOSTER-STUTSMAN-LA MOURE-DICKEY-
236 PM CST SUN NOV 27 2016

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY
BEGINNING TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SEE
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY
THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BIS FOR DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

AJ

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

31 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Oliver

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Oliver forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 47.115, -101.340 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hannover received 21 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Burleigh

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Burleigh forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.977, -100.469 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Bismarck received 18.7 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Morton

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Morton forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Mandan received 20 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Emmons

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Emmons forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.285, -100.239 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hazelton received 13.5 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Grant

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.358, -101.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Elgin received 14 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Sioux

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Sioux forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Northern Sioux County received an estimated ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Kidder

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Kidder forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.980, -99.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Western Kidder County received an estimated 12 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Logan

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.457, -99.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Western Logan County received an estimated ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, McIntosh

When: November 27, 10:00 PM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: McIntosh forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.112, -99.441 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Western McIntosh County received an estimated ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Mercer

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Mercer forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.309, -101.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hazen received 21 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, McLean

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Underwood received 20 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, McHenry

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: McHenry forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.235, -100.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Locations near Simcoe received 17 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Dunn

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Dunn forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.357, -102.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Killdeer received 13 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Wells

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Wells forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.588, -99.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hurdsfield received ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Adams

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.097, -102.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Northeastern Adams County received an estimated ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Golden Valley

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Golden Valley forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.940, -103.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Northern Golden Valley County received an estimated nine inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Billings

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Billings forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.023, -103.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Northeastern Billings County received an estimated ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Stark

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.811, -102.655 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Taylor received 12 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Pierce

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM 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 nine inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Sheridan

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.575, -100.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Western Sheridan County received an estimated 12 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Hettinger

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Hettinger forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.433, -102.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Northern Hettinger County received an estimated ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Slope

When: November 28, 1:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Slope forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.447, -103.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Northeastern Slope County received an estimated ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Mountrail

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Mountrail forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.201, -102.356 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Locations near Van Hook Park received 24 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Bottineau

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Bottineau forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 48.792, -100.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lansford received 18 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Ward

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Ward forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Minot received 17 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Renville

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Renville forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.719, -101.658 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Grano received 15 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Burke

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Burke forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.791, -102.518 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Powers Lake received 13 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Rolette

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Rolette forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.772, -99.841 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

St. John received 11 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, McKenzie

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: McKenzie forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 47.740, -103.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Watford City received eight inches of snow. Locations over far eastern McKenzie County received an estimated 12 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Divide

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Divide forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.815, -103.487 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eastern Divide County received an estimated ten inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Williams

When: November 28, 4:00 AM CST to November 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Williams forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.344, -103.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Northeastern Williams County received an estimated ten 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

Every storm in North Dakota in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, November 2016

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: 664693, 664694, 664696, 664701, 666354, 666355, 666366, 666367, 666368, 664692, 664695, 664697, 664702, 664705, 664714, 666338, 666339, 666341, 666361, 666362, 666369, 666370, 664691, 664698, 664699, 664700, 664703, 664704, 664706, 664715, 664716.