Blizzard in North Dakota
Every blizzard event the National Weather Service has filed in North Dakota, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant blizzard episodes in North Dakota.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 2,735
- Deaths
- 14
- Injuries
- 103
- Damage
- $308 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 9 to 11, 1997The second blizzard in less than 1 week brought North Dakota to a virtual standstill. This blizzard didn't bring as much snow as the first storm, but the winds gusted from the northwest as high at 40 mph and they lasted for 3 days.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, April 4 to 7, 1997Warm weather the first three days of April lead much of North Dakota to believe that spring had arrived with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Mother Nature had other plans. A very strong area of low pressure moved out of the Colorado area into the northern plains.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997The 3rd blizzard to hit North Dakota in less than 3 weeks affected mainly the east-central and eastern part of the state. Again, like the previous blizzard, the winds was the major weather factor. Wind gusts at times were over 50 mph.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, March 2, 2007The winter storm system that brought heavy snow to West and Central North Dakota Wednesday February 28th (See Storm Data entries for February) through early Thursday March 1st, intensified as it moved towards and into Wisconsin later Thursday and Friday March 2nd.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, April 5 to 6, 1997With falling temperatures on the back side of the low, the freezing rain turned to ice pellets and then to snow. A strong pressure gradient created winds up to 65 mph, dropping visibilities down to zero.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, April 12 to 14, 2022A strong Colorado low lifted slowly through the Northern Plains into the Upper Midwest, resulting in a multi-day blizzard over most of North Dakota.
- Blizzard and High Wind in North Dakota, April 30, 2011A powerful late spring storm system swept across the Northern Plains region April 29th into May 1st. Significant amounts of moisture was drawn into the storm from the Gulf of Mexico, leading to heavy amounts of precipitation over west and central North Dakota.
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in North Dakota, March 10 to 11, 2023Surface low pressure moved from near the Montana and Wyoming border into North Dakota during the night of March 10.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 4 to 5, 1997The first blizzard of 1997 hit east-central North Dakota on the morning of the 4th. The blizzard was preceeded by freezing rain that lasted most of the day before switching over to snow.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 21 to 22, 1997The last in a string of 4 blizzards to hit North Dakota struck in the morning of the 22nd. Snow amounts with this storm ranged from 2-4 inches, but northwest winds gusted to near 45 mph. Again, east-central and eastern North Dakota were hardest hit.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, April 23 to 24, 2022A strong Colorado low lifted through North Dakota. Initially, a wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow developed over western and central North Dakota. As temperatures dropped over the northwest and far north central, ice accumulated on power lines.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 24 to 25, 2010The third and final phase of an intense storm system (see Storm Data Entry for January 18-23) came on Sunday the 24th and Monday the 25th as the storm center started to pull out of the Northern Plains.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 26, 2014North to northwest winds gusting to 45 to 55 mph combined with several inches of fresh powdery snow on the ground to produce whiteout conditions in open country.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 9 to 10, 1997An Alberta clipper raced across northeast North Dakota and then stalled over the Red River Valley, due to a blocking low pressure system over the Great Lakes. Strong winds and snow produced blizzard conditions across the area.
- Blizzard and Ice Storm in North Dakota, December 25 to 26, 2016A potent upper level wave moved from the eastern shores of Russia, across the Pacific, and into the western United States where it strengthened into a potent storm which lifted into the Northern Plains.
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in North Dakota, October 4 to 5, 2013An intense very early winter storm October 4-5 impacted southwest and parts of south central North Dakota, bringing wind gusts over 45 mph and snowfall of twenty inches in some locations.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, February 25 to 28, 1998The first major winter storm to hit North Dakota in the 97/98 winter season waited until the last few days of February. A Colorado low pressure system brought a three day blizzard to western and north central North Dakota.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, October 5, 2005October 5, 2005, brought an early and very significant blizzard to the Northern Plains including western and northern North Dakota.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, October 4 to 5, 2005October 4 and 5, 2005, brought an early and very significant blizzard to the Northern Plains including western and northern North Dakota.
- Blizzard and High Wind in North Dakota, March 11 to 12, 2011A significant severe winter weather event occurred across much of west and all of central North Dakota March 11th through early March 12th.
- Blizzard and Ice Storm in North Dakota, November 9 to 10, 2022A Colorado low lifted into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Although the system was not very slow moving, it was a very dynamic system which produced very high snowfall rates of nearly three inches per hour in some locations.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in North Dakota, November 5 to 7, 2008A significant and complex winter storm impacted much of western and central North Dakota beginning Wednesday, November 5th, and lasting into Friday, November 7th. Winter storm warnings and blizzard warnings were posted well in advance of the storm.
- Blizzard in North Dakota, April 19, 2006See StormData entry for Winter Storm for Bowman and Slope counties for April 18 into 19, 2006. The winter storm intensified to a full scale blizzard with zero visibility in snow and blowing snow. Wind speeds were gusting from 35 to 45 mph at the height of the storm.
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in North Dakota, December 13 to 16, 2022A Colorado Low slowly lifted towards the Upper Midwest, resulting in a multi-day heavy snow event over the Northern Plains, which included western and central North Dakota.
- Flash Flooding and Blizzard in North Dakota, March 22 to 25, 2009A significant low pressure system developed in the lee of the Rocky Mountains over Colorado and Wyoming Sunday, March 22nd, strengthening and ejecting northeast into the upper Midwest by Tuesday, March 24th.
More
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 2026-09-24.