North Dakota, 2024

Blizzard and Heavy Snow in North Dakota, November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024 · NWS FGF · 8 events in 5 counties and zones

The first blizzard warning of the 2024 - 2025 winter season was issued in mid November, as gusty winds and falling snow combined to reduce visibilities across the Devils Lake Basin.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
8

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.

The first blizzard warning of the 2024 - 2025 winter season was issued in mid November, as gusty winds and falling snow combined to reduce visibilities across the Devils Lake Basin.

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 Nov 19, 11:35 PM CST, 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 19, 11:35 PM CST, 25 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 19, 10:14 AM CST, 13 hours 46 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

5 blizzard, 2 high wind, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Cavalier

When
November 20, 12:00 AM CST to 8:12 PM CST
Where
Cavalier forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Estimated 6 inches 5 west of Maida. Storm Total Snow.

Blizzard, Eddy

When
November 20, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Eddy forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.718, -98.902 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Based on wind reports from the McHenry 8 N NDAWN over the course of the day showing max wind speeds over 35 MPH for over 3 hours combined with falling snow, we can infer that blizzard conditions of 1/4 mile or less visibility did occur in Eddy county.

Blizzard, Benson

When
November 20, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Benson forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.069, -99.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Based on wind reports from the Niles 3 SE NDAWN over the course of the day showing max wind speeds over 35 MPH for over 3 hours combined with falling snow, we can infer that blizzard conditions of 1/4 mile or less visibility did occur in Benson county.

Blizzard, Cavalier

When
November 20, 8:00 AM CST to 1:42 PM CST
Where
Cavalier forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Continuous Blizzard conditions began at 8am 2 miles SW of Langdon.

Blizzard, Ramsey

When
November 20, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Ramsey forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
48.269, -98.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Based on a measured 66 MPH gust at Devils Lake, combined with falling snow and webcam loops from Ramsey county showing 1/4 mile or less visibility, blizzard conditions did occur in the area on the 20th of November.

Blizzard, Towner

When
November 20, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Towner forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.686, -99.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Based on a measured 61 MPH gust at Perth, combined with falling snow, we can assume that blizzard conditions of 1/4 mile or less visibility did occur in the area on the 20th of November.

High Wind, Cavalier

When
November 20, 8:55 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Cavalier forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

NDDOT station from 11 miles east of Langdon measures a 60 MPH gust.

High Wind, Cavalier

When
November 20, 9:15 AM CST to 9:20 AM CST
Where
Cavalier forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.772, -98.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

NDAWN station 4 miles SW of Clyde measures 59 MPH gust at 10 meters.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Dakota in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in North Dakota, November 2024

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1220905, 1220910, 1220911, 1220903, 1220908, 1220909, 1220925, 1220926.