Strong winds developed behind a cold front sweeping through the area, while a short-wave trough passing through resulted in some snow developing. Over the southern James River Valley, the strong winds combined with falling snow and snow on the ground to produce blizzard conditions which lasted from the evening of January 4 until the morning of January 5.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 winds developed behind a cold front sweeping through the area, while a short-wave trough passing through resulted in some snow developing. Over the southern James River Valley, the strong winds combined with falling snow and snow on the ground to produce blizzard conditions which lasted from the evening of January 4 until the morning of January 5.
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 4, 6:23 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Bismarck ND 623 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 .UPDATE... Issued at 620 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 Overall updates were given for the ongoing snow and blowing snow threat early this evening. Snow continues to be found from about Minot to Bismarck and eastward. Meanwhile blowing snow continues to be found across much of the CWA. The overall forecast remains on track with snow lingering across the central and east tonight, and widespread blowing snow expected. Some western areas are holding onto blowing snow a touch longer than anticipated, although for the most part blowing snow is improving in the west. Thus have let the Winter Weather Advisory expire in the west as the Wind Chill Warning now poses a higher risk to those outside. Otherwise the current Winter Weather Advisory and Blizzard Warning remain on track. Forecast winds may be slightly underdone in some areas, thus impacting our blowing snow model. Went and made some adjustments to winds based on current obs which then placed blowing snow for most areas through tonight. && .SHORT TERM...(This afternoon through Wednesday night) Issued at 243 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 Widespread snow and blowing snow continues across most of western and central North Dakota this afternoon. An upper level shortwave and surface low/cold front will continue to move through the northern Plains today and tonight, exiting our area by Wednesday morning. Behind the front, respectable pressure rises, strong cold air advection, and steep lapse rates are leading to gusty northwest winds with the strongest signal across the southwest and eventually the south central and southern James River Valley. Thus far, the strongest gusts have been across the southwest, up to around 55 mph at Bowman and Hettinger. Winds will gradually diminish west through the day but gusts up to 45 mph will remain possible over portions of the south central and southeast through the night. Falling snow will continue mainly along and behind the front for the rest of today and into the overnight hours. While there is some decent upper level Q-vector divergence in the forecast overlapping modest frontogenesis, there are some limiting factors for heavier snowfall banding. Upward motion is not expected to become exceptionally strong and the better lapse rates will generally lag behind the better forcing. The best dynamics will setup across the Turtle Mountains and Devil's Lake Basin this afternoon and into this evening. This is where we expect the heaviest accumulations to fall, generally in the 3 to 5 inch range (but weaker winds across the north). Amounts will taper off pretty quickly further west and south. Wherever there is falling snow, there will be significant visibility reductions (including near white out conditions) given the strong winds, especially in open country. We did decide to go ahead and issue a Blizzard Warning for Dickey, LaMoure, and Stutsman counties. This is the area where our blowing snow model is suggesting the highest impacts which makes sense as it is the area where the best overlap of falling snow and strong winds are forecast. For all other areas, the Winter Weather Advisory looks to be in good shape. Frigid air will filter in from west to east behind the front through the short term, lead to more dangerous and life threatening wind chills tonight. The west will see wind chills as low as 45 below and the rest of the forecast area will see values as low as 35 below. The Wind Chill Warning will replace the Winter Weather Advisory across the west at 00z but a new Wind Chill Advisory will be needed tomorrow across the central after the Winter Weather Advisory expires tomorrow morning. The arctic air will continue to spread across the state through the day tomorrow as actual high temperatures will fail to rise above zero. More wind chill headlines will be needed tomorrow night as most areas across western and central North Dakota will see wind chills bottom out in the 40 to 45 below range with some spots seeing 50 below or lower across the far north. Actual lows will generally range from 20 to 30 below. .LONG TERM...(Thursday through Tuesday) Issued at 243 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 Thursday will be another frigid day with highs once again failing to rise above zero. The need for wind chill headlines will continue. We finally break out of the below zero temperatures on Friday as upper heights flatten and warmer air advects into the region, bringing a chance for light snow on Friday night into Saturday morning. Temperatures through the rest of the weekend will fluctuate some but will still be warmer than they have been recently, with signs of a stronger warmup still in the picture for the start of next week. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening) Issued at 620 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 Snow and blowing snow will bring periods of MVFR to IFR conditions through the night, improving during the day Wednesday. Currently a broad area of snow is being found from KMOT to KBIS and eastward. Look for this snow to push east through the night, ending Wednesday morning, and bringing with it MVFR to IFR conditions. Meanwhile, gust winds in and behind this snow will bring further reduce visibilities in blowing snow, possibly bringing LIFR conditions at times. Most sites could see some reduction in visibility from blowing snow tonight, improving from west to east Wednesday morning. The rest of Wednesday could have breezy winds at times, yet overall improving conditions. Look for VFR to MVFR ceilings and visibility with any lingering blowing snow. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST /5 AM MST/ Wednesday for NDZ003>005-011>013-019>023-025-034>036-046-047-050. Wind Chill Warning until noon CST /11 AM MST/ Wednesday for NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031>033-040>045. Blizzard Warning until 9 AM CST Wednesday for NDZ037-048-051. && UPDATE...Anglin SHORT TERM...ZH LONG TERM...ZH AVIATION...Anglin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Bismarck ND 600 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 NDZ001-002-009-010-017-018-031>033-040>045-060000- Divide-Burke-Williams-Mountrail-McKenzie-Dunn-Golden Valley- Billings-Stark-Slope-Hettinger-Grant-Bowman-Adams-Sioux- 600 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 /500 PM MST Tue Jan 4 2022/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwest North Dakota, south central North Dakota, and southwest North Dakota. .DAY ONE...Tonight A Wind Chill Warning is in effect tonight through Wednesday morning. See weather.gov/bis for details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday A Wind Chill Warning is in effect tonight through Wednesday morning. See weather.gov/bis for details. Dangerously cold weather is expected to continue into Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. NDZ003>005-011>013-019>023-025-034>036-046-047-050-060000- Renville-Bottineau-Rolette-Ward-McHenry-Pierce-Mercer-Oliver- McLean-Sheridan-Wells-Foster-Morton-Burleigh-Kidder-Emmons-Logan- McIntosh- 600 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 /500 PM MST Tue Jan 4 2022/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central North Dakota, south central North Dakota, and southeast North Dakota. .DAY ONE...Tonight A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect through tonight. See weather.gov/bis for details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Dangerously cold weather is expected to return Wednesday and continue into Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. NDZ037-048-051-060000- Stutsman-La Moure-Dickey- 600 PM CST Tue Jan 4 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast North Dakota. .DAY ONE...Tonight A Blizzard Warning is in effect until 9 AM CST Wednesday morning. See weather.gov/bis for details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday A Blizzard Warning is in effect until 9 AM CST Wednesday morning. See weather.gov/bis for details. Dangerously cold weather is expected to return Wednesday and continue into Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds combined with falling snow and snow on the ground to produce a blizzard.
Strong winds combined with falling snow and snow on the ground to produce a blizzard.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, January 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: 999066, 999067.