A complex interaction of several surface lows facilitated good frontogenesis across eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley in both Minnesota and North Dakota. Snowfall totals were less than 2 inches, but wind chills were seen as low -52 in areas of North Dakota.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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 complex interaction of several surface lows facilitated good frontogenesis across eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley in both Minnesota and North Dakota. Snowfall totals were less than 2 inches, but wind chills were seen as low -52 in areas of North Dakota.
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 Jan 13, 3:02 AM CST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
302 AM CST Sat Jan 13 2024
.KEY MESSAGES...
- There will be brief whiteout conditions at the least this
morning (mainly under heavier snow bands, Valley west), and
will continue to monitor if they will occur for longer than
that
- Probabilities for greater than 1 inch of snow are generally 5
to 15 percent for this event, but remain about 70 to 90
percent for amounts greater than 0.1 inches (mainly Red River
Valley west)
- Probabilities for wind speeds greater than 22 knots remain 80
to 100 percent (Valley west), but seem to peak around or below
25 knots
- Dangerously cold wind chills are already showing up west of
the Valley this morning, with not much change expected through
Monday morning
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 302 AM CST Sat Jan 13 2024
The biggest question early this morning is whether blizzard
conditions will occur. Where heavier snow bands have occurred,
visibilities have really tanked. So far, this has occurred
briefly from Devils Lake to Langdon. Since then, the Mayville
radar has been showing a developing snow band from western Grand
Forks County through Hillsboro down into portions of Clay
County. At the moment, wind speeds have been a little lower
through this area. Despite wind speeds being lower there, they
will only increase through the late night into Saturday morning.
Currently have a Winter Weather Advisory going for today, and
within that we have been advertising brief blizzard conditions.
Will take another look at observations, but may need to go with
a Blizzard Warning in some locations where this snow band may
linger.
The other consideration for today is hazardous wind chills.
Temperatures are already down to the 10 below to 15 below zero
range west of the Valley, where wind speeds are gusting up to 30
to 35 mph. This is pushing wind chill readings to below 40 below
zero (Wind Chill Warning criteria). For that reason, will go
ahead and add that warning to areas west of the Valley, and
continue that through 18z Monday. It may briefly rise out of
warning criteria for a few hours, before falling again (but
warning covers that best). At some point by late
afternoon/tonight, will have to transition the Winter Weather
Advisory area to a Wind Chill headline, but will hold off on
that for now and let the day shift do that. Not much weather
wise beyond this, mainly just dealing with hazardous wind chills
through early next week.
&&
.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 1144 PM CST Fri Jan 12 2024
Flight conditions will be degraded across much of eastern ND
and northwest MN as a result of low stratus (900-2000 FT AGL),
blowing snow, and light accumulating snow through Saturday
morning. Best chances for LIFR visibility will be a result of
the winds combining with the main period of falling snow to
cause greater blowing snow impacts in ND and along the immediate
Red River Valley in MN through 12-17Z. Even after light
accumulating snow ends blowing snow impacts will linger but a
trend towards MVFR in the afternoon is still favored. If enough
new snow falls then impacts could become more widespread and
greater (VLIFR) but confidence in those conditions prevailing is
low (more likely to be localized during falling snow).
&&
.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for
NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054.
Wind Chill Warning until noon CST Monday for NDZ006-007-014-
015-024-026-028-029-038-049-052-054.
MN...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for
MNZ001>004-007-027-029>031-040.
&&
DISCUSSION...Godon
AVIATION...DJR<!doctype html>
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 extreme cold/wind chill, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Off duty NWS Employee reports whiteout conditions on I-94 at mile marker 300.
AWOS in Cando reports a wind chill of -44F.
Valley City AWOS reports wind chill of -46F.
NDDOT station 4 west of Churchs Ferry reports a wind chill of -51.
NDDOT station 3 west-southwest of Ayr reports a wind chill of -43.
NDDOT station in Clyde reports a wind chill of -41.
NDAWN station in Adams reports wind chill of -40F.
NDDOT station in Saint Michael reports wind chill of -51F.
AWOS in Gwinner reports a wind chill of -44F.
NDDOT station in Lakota reports wind chill of -41F.
Cooperstown AWOS reports a wind chill of -45F.
Lisbon NDAWN reports wind chill of -45F.
Hamar NDAWN reports wind chill of -52F.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Dakota in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, January 2024
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: 1160115, 1160132, 1160118, 1160119, 1160121, 1160123, 1160128, 1160130, 1160133, 1160134, 1160136, 1160138, 1160139.