Heavy Snow in North Dakota, April 2, 2020

Name: Heavy Snow in North Dakota, April 2, 2020
Start: 2020-04-02T00:00
End: 2020-04-02T18:00
Location: North Dakota

April 2, 2020 · NWS BIS · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A pair of short-wave troughs moved through the Northern Plains and led to heavy snow over parts of south central North Dakota into the James River Valley. The highest snowfall report was eight inches at Napoleon in Logan County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
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Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

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 Apr 1, 11:45 PM CST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 1, 11:45 PM CST, 15 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 1, 11:41 PM CST, 19 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

7 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Logan

When: April 2, 12:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.457, -99.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Napoleon received eight inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Emmons

When: April 2, 12:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Emmons forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.285, -100.239 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eastern Emmons County received an estimated eight inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, McIntosh

When: April 2, 12:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: McIntosh forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.112, -99.441 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Northern McIntosh County received an estimated eight inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Kidder

When: April 2, 12:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Kidder forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.980, -99.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Southern Kidder County received an estimated eight inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Stutsman

When: April 2, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Stutsman forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.979, -98.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Southwest Stutsman County received an estimated eight inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, La Moure

When: April 2, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: La Moure forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.457, -98.535 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Western LaMoure County received an estimated eight inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Dickey

When: April 2, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Dickey forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.110, -98.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Western Dickey County received an estimated eight 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 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, April 2020

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: 883693, 883694, 883695, 883696, 883697, 883698, 883699.