A band of heavy snow developed during the early morning hours of March 30th. Amounts of 6 to 10 inches were reported from Wilkin County to Beltrami County.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 FGF wrote it up.
A band of heavy snow developed during the early morning hours of March 30th. Amounts of 6 to 10 inches were reported from Wilkin County to Beltrami County.
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 Mar 30, 6:09 AM CST, 51 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
709 AM CDT Wed Mar 30 2022
.UPDATE...
Issued at 706 AM CDT Wed Mar 30 2022
Issued an advisory for a few counties in the heaviest snow band
from Forman ND to south/east of Fargo-Moorhead to Itasca to
Bemidji/Lake George MN. Within this band getting may reports of
4-5.5 inches between 530 and 630 am and with additional 1-2 inches
some headline was needed. Not impossible a warning may be needed
but also highest amounts within snow band is quite narrow.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(Today through Thursday)
Issued at 319 AM CDT Wed Mar 30 2022
Overall system is behaving about as expected. Earlier late Tuesday
afternoon and evening had an area of light snow through southern
Manitoba and parts of northern ND. That area moved east. Then band
of what was t-storms moved northward in 850-700 mb warm advection
zone into NE SD/WC MN and entered far SE ND and west central MN
(Fergus to Alex) as rain, which then turned to sleet mid evening
and then to snow as band slowly moved north. At 08z the main band
of snow in mid level deformation zone was from near Bemidji and
Park Rapids southwest through Detroit Lakes to Fargo to Oakes ND
then south into Aberdeen and Huron SD. A band of snow briefly
formed near Thief River Falls to Grand Forks but that is now
dropping south and weakening. So for the rest of the early morning
thru 12z focus will on snow band in that Bemidji-Detroit Lakes-Fargo-
Forman- Wahpeton ND area. Where snow rates are highest brief
accumulatons are occurring on roads, but otherwise accumulation is
mostly grassy surfaces. From what reports we have received it
looks like max snow accum area will be around Detroit Lakes, Osage
Hills, Park Rapids, Itasca where 2-4 inches seems likely. 1-3
elsehwere into SE ND. Very little wind in snow area and sleet is
no longer reported as column has cooled so will not issue an
advisory for this event. Could do so for the areas with 3-4 inches
expected but overall impacts remain minor. Once daytime arrives
enough solar through the clouds and temps around 31-34 degrees to
melt snow on roads.
Looking at winds, sfc low will be moving into southern Wisconsin
and tightest pressure gradient and highest 850 mb winds for mixing
are to our south. Sounding profiles via NAM and GFS indicate mixed
layer to around 880 mb where winds will be 30-35 kts at GFK and
FAR. Sustained wind speeds 22-25 kts. So close to advisory but
attm will not issue, but certainly something that may need to be
if winds are higher than expected. Clouds will gradually clear out
tonight leading to a mostly sunny Thursday. Highs Thursday mid 30s
to low 40s.
.LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Tuesday)
Issued at 319 AM CDT Wed Mar 30 2022
An active/progressive pattern prevails Friday through Wednesday,
with several systems traversing the region. Impacts from these
systems will depend on how much cold air is available, especially as
we head into early next week. At the current time, impacts should be
minimal given the available ensemble and blended guidance, and a
favorable diurnal temperature profile.
Friday and Saturday, impacts are expected to be minimal. An upper
low pushes across Manitoba on Friday, extending a weak trough into
the northern Plains. This will bring a chance for light rain and
possibly a brief rain/snow mix to a good portion of the area. QPF
amounts are generally expected to be less than 0.05 inch.
Temperatures will be near seasonal averages, with highs in the 40s
to near 50 degrees and lows in the 20s.
Another, slightly stronger, H5 upper low will push through the area
Sunday. Temperatures Sunday morning support light snow, however,
this will change over to light rain shortly after sunrise. QPF
amounts will once more be light, with blended guidance agreeing on
0.10 inch or less.
Monday through Wednesday, ensemble members show a wide variation of
solutions regarding another potential H5 low. The majority of
members indicate a deepening upper low, with good H7 vorticity, but
little available moisture. Given the projected strength of the low,
colder air is likely to advect into the area following the passage
of the low; however, this looks to be separated from any available
moisture per the current guidance.
&&
.AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Thursday morning)
Issued at 706 AM CDT Wed Mar 30 2022
IFR cigs thru most of the day, though some improvement esp DVL
basin later today. Strong north winds 20-35kts E ND/RRV today and
north winds remain gusty into tonight. Snow Fargo-Bemidji area to
end by 18z.
&&
.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...Winter Weather Advisory until 1 PM CDT this afternoon for NDZ052-
053.
MN...Winter Weather Advisory until 1 PM CDT this afternoon for MNZ003-
017-022>024-027>029.
UPDATE...Riddle
SHORT TERM...Riddle
LONG TERM...Lynch
AVIATION...RiddlePRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
714 AM CDT WED MAR 30 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0713 AM SNOW PENCER 48.70N 95.64W
03/30/2022 M2.5 INCH ROSEAU MN PUBLIC
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
741 AM CDT WED MAR 30 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0739 AM SNOW HAWLEY 46.88N 96.32W
03/30/2022 M7.0 INCH CLAY MN PUBLIC
0739 AM SNOW CORMORANT 46.73N 96.07W
03/30/2022 M8.0 INCH BECKER MN PUBLIC
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
745 AM CDT WED MAR 30 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM SNOW 5 SSW BLABON 47.34N 97.83W
03/30/2022 M0.0 INCH STEELE ND COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ND-ST-3 HOPE ND 5.4 WNW.
0600 AM SNOW 4 SSE WALHALLA 48.87N 97.89W
03/30/2022 M1.1 INCH PEMBINA ND COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ND-PM-3 WALHALLA ND 3.6
SSE.
0700 AM SNOW LARIMORE 47.91N 97.62W
03/30/2022 M0.3 INCH GRAND FORKS ND COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ND-GF-23 LARIMORE ND 0.4
SE.
0700 AM SNOW GREENBUSH 48.70N 96.18W
03/30/2022 M0.5 INCH ROSEAU MN CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION GBHM5 GREENBUSH MN.
0730 AM SNOW 1 ENE ROTHSAY 46.48N 96.27W
03/30/2022 M2.5 INCH OTTER TAIL MN CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION RHSM5 ROTHSAY MN.
0730 AM SNOW 1 SSW NEW YORK MILLS 46.51N 95.38W
03/30/2022 M0.8 INCH OTTER TAIL MN CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION NYMM5 NEW YORK MILLS
MN.
0715 AM SNOW 4 N MUSKODA 46.92N 96.41W
03/30/2022 M7.0 INCH CLAY MN COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION MN-CY-20 HAWLEY MN 5.2 WNW.
0700 AM SNOW 4 E TURTLE RIVER 47.58N 94.68W
03/30/2022 M2.0 INCH BELTRAMI MN COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION MN-BM-12 TURTLE RIVER MN
3.6 E.
0720 AM SNOW DETROIT LAKES 46.82N 95.85W
03/30/2022 M4.5 INCH BECKER MN COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION MN-BK-24 DETROIT LAKES 0.9
NNW.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
747 AM CDT WED MAR 30 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0747 AM SNOW PELICAN RAPIDS 46.57N 96.09W
03/30/2022 M5.0 INCH OTTER TAIL MN PUBLIC
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
748 AM CDT WED MAR 30 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM SNOW 1 NW PRAIRIE ROSE 46.83N 96.85W
03/30/2022 M3.3 INCH CASS ND COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ND-CS-1 WEST FARGO ND 3.8
SSE.
0747 AM SNOW 5 S PERHAM 46.53N 95.57W
03/30/2022 M2.0 INCH OTTER TAIL MN PUBLIC
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
800 AM CDT WED MAR 30 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0756 AM SNOW 1 SSW ROCHERT 46.84N 95.70W
03/30/2022 M4.0 INCH BECKER MN PUBLIC
REPORT RELAYED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. STILL
SNOWING AT TIME OF REPORT.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Cocorahs observer reported 9.9 inches of snow as of 0730.
Received a public report of 9.4 inches of snow as of 0849.
Received a public report of 9.0 inches of snow as of 0847.
Received a public report of 8.0 inches of snow as of 0845.
Received a public report of 6.0 inches of snow as of 0730 near Barnesville.
CoCoRaHS measurement of 7.0 inches of snow at 0715.
Received a public report of 8.0 inches of snow as of 0845 near White Earth.
Received a public report of 5.5 inches of snow as of 0915 near Bemidji.
Received a public report of from 6 to 9 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, March 2022
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: 1014774, 1014775, 1014776, 1014777, 1014779, 1014782, 1014790, 1014791, 1017649.