Blizzard in Minnesota, February 24, 2019

Name: Blizzard in Minnesota, February 24, 2019
Start: 2019-02-24T00:00
End: 2019-02-24T15:49
Location: Minnesota

February 24, 2019 · NWS FGF · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 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: 22

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 FGF wrote it up.

A strong Colorado Low lifted into the Great Lakes on Sunday, February 24th. Not much snow fell over eastern North Dakota or the northwest quarter of Minnesota, but strong northwest winds lasted for much of the day, which produced ground blizzard conditions in open country. Winds gusted up to 50 mph for many locations. The highest wind in the local area was at Baudette, Minnesota, with a 55 mph wind gust. This is a rare occurrence, since higher wind gusts are harder to come by in the densely treed areas of northwest Minnesota. However, it resulted in big impacts for dozens of anglers who were caught out on Lake of the Woods. These people were stranded on the lake until rescuers could reach them on Monday the 25th.

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 Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 23, 11:48 PM CST, 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 23, 11:48 PM CST, 12 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
1148 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

.UPDATE...
Issued at 1143 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

With winds beginning to increase a bit sooner than previously
anticipated, extended blizzard warning and winter weather
advisory to begin at midnight. Local law enforcement have reported
scattered whiteout conditions along portions of Interstate 94 in
Barnes County and drifting affecting travel along US Highway 2
near Devils Lake. With gusts already beginning to reduce
visibility further in central ND, conditions will deteriorate
sooner due to earlier boundary layer mixing than models previously
indicated.

UPDATE Issued at 1006 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

Upstream sites in southern Manitoba and north central ND are
reporting light snow and reduced visibility of 1 to 4 miles from
blowing snow along the initial push of colder air. The
approaching Arctic airmass has begun to push into the western
edges of the Devils Lake basin region, increasing winds a little
faster than previously anticipated. As winds ramp up, visibility
will begin to drop and wind chills will fall quickly into the 20s
below.

UPDATE Issued at 700 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

Tweaked temperatures and sky cover a bit, due to mostly clear
skies over portions of eastern ND allowing temperatures to drop
diurnally more quickly than previously anticipated. Otherwise
forecast is on track.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday)
Issued at 203 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

Forecast for this period focuses on ground blizzard potential for
much of the area Sunday. An upper low will eject northeastward
from the TX panhandle today...with an associated surface low
moving NE across Missouri through the Great Lakes tonight.
Meanwhile, an upper wave and surface cold front will move
southeastward across southern Saskatchewan/Manitoba tonight as
well. This combination tightens the surface pressure gradient
considerably across the upper Midwest, resulting in strong gusty
winds late tonight/tomorrow on the backside of an arctic cold
front. While only a 1/2" or less of snow is expected late
tonight/early tomorrow, the recent 3-8" of snow across much of the
area will be ready to be blown by the north- northwesterly winds
of 25-35 mph with gusts to 45-50 mph. The winds will pick up
between 3 AM and 6 AM across the forecast area...with even the
treed areas of NW /west-central MN seeing some affect from the
winds.

Have gone with a Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow
from Lake of the Woods south to Wadena Co...and a Blizzard Warning
elsewhere from 3 AM to 6 PM Sunday. White out/ground blizzard
conditions are expected across much of the area. The far west is
the most in question...with some models a little lighter on the
winds. But the DVL NAM/GFS bufkit soundings show momentum transfer
winds of 25-30 kts/mean and 35-40 kts max in the boundary layer.
It is possible that the blizzard could end a little early in the
far west, however. Temperatures are steady to falling as well
tomorrow...with wind chills in the 20 to 35 below range.

.LONG TERM...(Sunday night through Saturday)
Issued at 203 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

Weather impact concerns for the upcoming week will center primarily
on cold and wind chill affects. By Sun eve, winds should be
diminishing to a point where blizzard/blowing snow headlines will no
longer be an issue.

Much colder air flowing into the region once again Sun night and Mon
will drive wind chill temperatures to between 30 and 40 below, with
some spots briefly dipping under the 40 below mark. High temps
during a dry Mon will only meander toward zero. Temps will drop to
teens below Mon night as a Pacific hybrid system brushes the
northern plains during the day Tue. Deterministic and ensemble
(including plume) guidance tends toward an inch or so of
accumulation possibly favoring more southern areas, but given the
evolution of recent systems, we'll have to keep both eyes on this
next one. A little milder by Wed/Thu when 850 mb temps actually try
to close in on -10 C. but the next Arctic front will be lurking and
ready to pounce on the region as the week draws to a close.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Sunday night)
Issued at 1143 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

Expect 700-2000 ft ceilings over BJI, TVF, the northwest quarter
of MN, and portions of the Red River Valley through much of
Sunday, with vertical visibility at 1000 ft or less due to ground
blizzard conditions. Strong northwest winds will spread into the
region overnight with gusts up to 45 kts developing by morning. As
a result of strong winds, ground blizzard conditions are expected
to develop at most TAF sites by 10-14z Sunday, with improvement
beginning by Sunday evening. Conditions will be slightly better
deeper in wooded areas of MN near BJI.

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...Blizzard Warning until 6 PM CST Sunday for NDZ006>008-014>016-
     024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054.

MN...Blizzard Warning until 6 PM CST Sunday for MNZ001>005-007-008-
     013>015-022-027>031-040.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM CST Sunday for MNZ006-009-016-
     017-023-024-032.

&&

UPDATE...BP
SHORT TERM...Knutsvig
LONG TERM...WJB
AVIATION...BP

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 23, 5:01 PM CST, 6 hours 59 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
501 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

MNZ001>005-007-008-013>015-022-027>031-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-242315-
West Polk-Norman-Clay-Kittson-Roseau-West Marshall-East Marshall-
Pennington-Red Lake-East Polk-Mahnomen-West Becker-East Becker-
Wilkin-West Otter Tail-East Otter Tail-Grant-Towner-Cavalier-
Pembina-Benson-Ramsey-Eastern Walsh County-Eddy-Nelson-
Grand Forks-Griggs-Steele-Traill-Barnes-Cass-Ransom-Sargent-
Richland-Western Walsh County-
501 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern North
Dakota, west central and northwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

Late tonight, northwest winds are expected to increase and cause
ground blizzard conditions to develop across the region. This
will lead to widespread whiteout conditions, making travel
extremely dangerous.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

Ground blizzard conditions are expected across eastern ND and
much of northwest and west central MN on Sunday due to northwest winds
gusting to 50 mph. Widespread whiteout conditions, caused by
blowing and drifting snow, will make travel extremely dangerous. Conditions
are expected to gradually improve early Sunday evening.
Additionally, dangerous wind chills are expected on Sunday, Sunday
night, and Monday morning, reaching the 20s to 40s below.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated.

MNZ006-009-016-017-023-024-032-242315-
Lake Of The Woods-North Beltrami-North Clearwater-South Beltrami-
South Clearwater-Hubbard-Wadena-
501 PM CST Sat Feb 23 2019

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of west central
and northwest Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

Late tonight, northwest winds are expected to increase and cause
widespread blowing snow to develop, significantly reducing
visibility across the region.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

Widespread blowing snow will lead to significantly reduced
visibility across portions of west central and northwest Minnesota on
Sunday due to northwest winds gusting to 40 mph. Near blizzard
conditions are expected in open areas, making for dangerous
travel conditions. Conditions are expected to gradually improve
Sunday evening. Additionally, dangerous wind chills are expected
on Sunday, Sunday night, and Monday morning, reaching the 20s to
40s below.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated.

BP

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 23, 6:17 PM CST, 5 hours 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
617 PM CST SAT FEB 23 2019

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

0616 PM     HEAVY SNOW       9 SW THIEF RIVER FALLS  48.02N 96.31W
02/23/2019  E6.0 INCH        Pennington         MN   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. STORM TOTAL SNOW
            MEASUREMENT.

&&

AMOORE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Kittson

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Kittson forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Roseau

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Roseau forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.775, -95.811 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Marshall

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: West Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, East Marshall

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: East Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Polk

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: West Polk forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, East Polk

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: East Polk forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pennington

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Pennington forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.066, -96.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Red Lake

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Red Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.872, -96.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Norman

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Norman forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Clay

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Mahnomen

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Mahnomen forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Becker

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: West Becker forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, East Becker

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: East Becker forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Wilkin

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Wilkin forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, West Otter Tail

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: West Otter Tail forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, East Otter Tail

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: East Otter Tail forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Grant

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 45.934, -96.012 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lake of the Woods

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: Lake of the Woods forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.771, -94.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, North Beltrami

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: North Beltrami forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.974, -94.938 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, South Beltrami

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: South Beltrami forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.974, -94.938 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, North Clearwater

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: North Clearwater forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, South Clearwater

When: February 24, 12:00 AM CST to 3:49 PM CST
Where: South Clearwater forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.578, -95.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, February 2019

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: 799521, 799522, 799523, 799524, 799525, 799526, 799527, 799528, 799529, 799530, 799531, 799532, 799533, 799534, 799535, 799536, 799537, 799538, 799539, 799540, 799542, 799543.