North Dakota, 2026Blizzard in North Dakota, January 16, 2026
January 16, 2026 · NWS FGF · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A clipper-type system brought a period of strong winds and light to locally moderate snow accumulations that resulted in localized blizzard conditions within the Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota. 1 inches.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A clipper-type system brought a period of strong winds and light to locally moderate snow accumulations that resulted in localized blizzard conditions within the Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota. Snow totals ranged from around inch to 3.1 inches. The highest wind gusts ranged from 45mph to 49 mph for most of eastern North Dakota, with one gust to 58 mph at Grand Forks International Airport.
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 Jan 16, 6:51 AM CST, 6 hours 39 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 16, 6:51 AM CST, 6 hours 39 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 16, 6:27 AM CST, 7 hours 3 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 16, 8:56 AM CST, 4 hours 34 minutes before
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</html>Blizzard, Grand Forks
- When
- January 16, 1:30 PM CST to 6:02 PM CST
- Where
- Grand Forks forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 47.922, -97.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Off duty NWS employee reported blizzard conditions ongoing in Grand Forks County.
- 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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Strong Wind in Iowa, January 16, 20261 death · 1 event
- High Wind and Strong Wind in South Dakota, January 16, 202662 kt wind · 24 events
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in Minnesota, January 16 to 17, 202621 events
- Dust Storm and High Wind in Kansas, January 16, 20261 injured · 66 kt wind · 12 events
- Blizzard and Strong Wind in Minnesota, January 16 to 17, 202613 events
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 16, 202612 events
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Iowa, January 16, 202650 kt wind · 11 events
- Winter Weather in Maine, January 16, 20267 events
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 16 to 17, 20267 events
- High Wind and Winter Weather in Nebraska, January 16, 202654 kt wind · 6 events
- High Wind in Texas, January 16, 202655 kt wind · 4 events
- Dust Storm and High Wind in Colorado, January 16, 202663 kt wind · 4 events
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: 1316461.