Spring Blizzard of March 31, 2014

Radar loop of the snow storm

Radar loop of the snow storm.
Courtesy: Tim Burr's Weather Blog

A strong winter storm brought heavy snow, strong winds, freezing rain, sleet, and blizzard conditions to portions of the region on Monday March 31st, 2014. 

The winter storm produced whiteout conditions across large areas of North Dakota, South Dakota, and northeast Wyoming on the final day of March 2014.

Monday morning, visibility was reduced to 10 feet in parts of North Dakota.  Drifts of 5-6 feet were observed in Roseau, MN.  Winds gusted to 64 mph at the Rapid City, SD airport.

Whiteout conditions prompted a shut down of Interstate 29 from Brookings, SD to the Canadian border, and Interstate 94 from Fargo to Bismarck, ND.

Below are some storm reports from the Grand Forks National Weather Service.

...MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS...
LOCATION                       SPEED     TIME/DATE
VALLEY CITY AIRPORT            52 MPH    0835 PM 03/31
EMERADO                        52 MPH    0840 PM 03/31
FARGO-HECTOR INTL ARPT         51 MPH    0946 PM 03/31
COOPERSTOWN ARPT               51 MPH    0735 PM 03/31
GRAND FORKS AFB                51 MPH    0742 PM 03/31
HENDRUM 4 ENE                  50 MPH    0845 PM 03/31
GWINNER ARPT                   49 MPH    0915 PM 03/31
BUFFALO                        49 MPH    1110 PM 03/31
GRAFTON AIRPORT                49 MPH    0235 PM 03/31
CANDO AIRPORT                  48 MPH    0235 PM 03/31
HAMPDEN                        47 MPH    1158 PM 03/31
WAHPETON 5 W                   47 MPH    1109 PM 03/31
GRAND FORKS INTL ARPT          46 MPH    0113 AM 04/01
BROOKS 3 S                     46 MPH    1125 PM 03/31
LANGDON AIRPORT                46 MPH    1135 AM 03/31
MOORHEAD AIRPORT               46 MPH    0401 AM 04/01
DEVILS LAKE AIRPORT            46 MPH    0555 PM 03/31
GRAND FORKS 5 NNW              46 MPH    1005 PM 03/31
EAST GRAND FORKS 5 SE          45 MPH    0105 AM 04/01
DILWORTH                       45 MPH    0630 PM 03/31
BUXTON-MAYVILLE BRIDGE         45 MPH    0402 PM 03/31
BAGLEY                         44 MPH    0449 AM 04/01
CAVALIER AIRPORT               44 MPH    0315 PM 03/31
WALHALLA AIRPORT               43 MPH    0355 PM 03/31
SAINT VINCENT                  43 MPH    0410 PM 03/31
GATZKE 3 ENE                   42 MPH    1125 PM 03/31
SHEYENNE NATL GRASSLANDS       42 MPH    1249 AM 04/01
FERGUS FALLS AIRPORT           41 MPH    0913 AM 04/01
PARK RAPIDS AIRPORT            41 MPH    0343 AM 04/01
DONALDSON                      41 MPH    0935 PM 03/31
WARROAD AIRPORT                40 MPH    0734 PM 03/31
ELBOW LAKE AIRPORT             40 MPH    0758 AM 04/01
MAHNOMEN 3 SE                  40 MPH    0730 PM 03/31
THIEF RIVER FALLS ARPT         39 MPH    1015 PM 03/31
WAHPETON AIRPORT               39 MPH    0855 PM 03/31
BINFORD                        38 MPH    0333 PM 03/31
DETROIT LAKES AIRPORT          38 MPH    0935 AM 04/01
DETROIT LAKES DNR              38 MPH    0820 AM 04/01
WADENA AIRPORT                 38 MPH    0515 AM 04/01
FOSSTON AIRPORT                38 MPH    0615 AM 04/01
CROOKSTON AIRPORT              38 MPH    0635 PM 03/31
FARGO (RED RIVER BRIDGE)       38 MPH    0230 AM 04/01
...LOWEST VISIBILITY REPORTS...
FERGUS FALLS AIRPORT           0.25 MI
FLAG ISLAND                    0.25 MI
FARGO-HECTOR INTL ARPT         0.25 MI
ELBOW LAKE AIRPORT             0.25 MI
WASKISH AIRPORT                0.25 MI
FARGO (RED RIVER BRIDGE)       0.22 MI
LAKE PARK                      0.19 MI
GATZKE 3 ENE                   0.16 MI
BADGER                         0.16 MI
TENNEY 2 W                     0.13 MI
BROOKS 3 S                     0.10 MI
EAST GRAND FORKS 5 SE          0.08 MI
VERNDALE 2 WNW                 0.05 MI
EMERADO                        0.05 MI
HENDRUM 4 ENE                  0.03 MI
SAINT VINCENT                  0.03 MI
BUFFALO                        0.03 MI
OTTERTAIL 3 WSW                0.00 MI
SHOOKS                         0.00 MI
WARROAD AIRPORT                0.00 MI
THIEF RIVER FALLS ARPT         0.00 MI
HALLOCK AIRPORT                0.00 MI
WASKISH 4 NW                   0.00 MI
GWINNER ARPT                   0.00 MI
WAHPETON AIRPORT               0.00 MI
MOORHEAD AIRPORT               0.00 MI
DONALDSON                      0.00 MI
WAHPETON 5 W                   0.00 MI
CHAMBERLAIN                    0.00 MI
GRAND FORKS INTL ARPT          0.00 MI
DILWORTH                       0.00 MI
ROTHSAY                        0.00 MI
ROOSEVELT 2 ESE                0.00 MI
ROSEAU AIRPORT                 0.00 MI
FOSSTON AIRPORT                0.00 MI
DEVILS LAKE AIRPORT            0.00 MI
CROOKSTON AIRPORT              0.00 MI
VALLEY CITY AIRPORT            0.00 MI
GRAFTON AIRPORT                0.00 MI
COOPERSTOWN ARPT               0.00 MI
CAVALIER AIRPORT               0.00 MI
GRAND FORKS AFB                0.00 MI
OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
...SNOWFALL TOTALS...
HEAVY SNOW REPORTS
LOCATION                  SNOW FALL     
(INCHES)   
MINNESOTA
...KITTSON COUNTY...
LANCASTER                   13.6 M   
LANCASTER                   13.6 M   
...LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY...
20 S WARROAD                13.0 E   
BAUDETTE                    18.0 E   
...MARSHALL COUNTY...
5 NNE MARCH                  6.9 M   
...PENNINGTON COUNTY...
THIEF RIVER FALLS           18.0 E   
...RED LAKE COUNTY...
RED LAKE FALLS               8.0 E   
LOCATION                  SNOW FALL     
(INCHES)   
NORTH DAKOTA
...BARNES COUNTY...
2 NW VALLEY CITY            12.0 E   
...GRAND FORKS COUNTY...
1 WSW GRAND FORKS           12.0 E   
...NELSON COUNTY...
MICHIGAN                    12.0 E  
SNOW REPORTS
LOCATION                  SNOW FALL    
(INCHES)   
MINNESOTA
...BECKER COUNTY...
5 NW CORMORANT               2.1 M   
TWO INLETS                   2.2 E  
5 NW HEIGHT OF LAND LAK      2.3 M   
...BELTRAMI COUNTY...
BEMIDJI                      4.5 E   
1 S LAVINIA                  5.0 E   
...CLAY COUNTY...
MOORHEAD                     2.5 M   
...CLEARWATER COUNTY...
LAKE ITASCA                  4.0 E   
...HUBBARD COUNTY...
8 S BEMIDJI                  4.0 E   
...MARSHALL COUNTY...
ARGYLE                      15.5 E  
...OTTER TAIL COUNTY...
5 W DUNVILLA                 1.5 M   
2 NW BIG MCDONALD LAKE       2.5 M   
2 S BATTLE LAKE              3.0 E   
2 W DEER CREEK               3.5 M   
...ROSEAU COUNTY...
WARROAD                     11.0 M   
GREENBUSH                   12.8 M   
3 NW ROSEAU                 17.2 M   
3 W WARROAD                 17.8 M   
...WADENA COUNTY...
3 S WADENA                   2.0 E   
SEBEKA                       3.5 M   
...WILKIN COUNTY...
2 E BRECKENRIDGE             1.7 M   
ROTHSAY                      3.0 E   
LOCATION                  SNOW FALL    
(INCHES)  
NORTH DAKOTA
...BARNES COUNTY...
VALLEY CITY                 14.5 E   
...BENSON COUNTY...
ESMOND                       2.2 M   
...CASS COUNTY...
3 SSE NORTH RIVER            2.0 E   
3 SSE NORTH RIVER            2.0 E   
1 WNW PRAIRIE ROSE           3.0 E   
5 SW CASSELTON               3.1 M   
FARGO                        3.5 E   
FARGO                        3.6 M   
...GRAND FORKS COUNTY...
GRAND FORKS                 12.0 E   
...PEMBINA COUNTY...
12 NW CAVALIER               4.0 E   
3 WNW BACKOO                 4.0 E   
PEMBINA                      5.0 E   
...RAMSEY COUNTY...
STARKWEATHER                 3.0 E   
6 SE PENN                    5.0 E  
DEVILS LAKE                 10.0 E   
...RANSOM COUNTY...
MCLEOD                       4.0 E   
...RICHLAND COUNTY...
ABERCROMBIE                  2.5 E   
LIDGERWOOD                   2.5 M  
HANKINSON                    3.0 E   
...SARGENT COUNTY...
FORMAN                       3.0 E   
HAVANA                       4.5 M  
...WALSH COUNTY...
4 S HOOPLE                  12.5 E   
5 E LANKIN                  19.1 M  
GRAFTON                     20.0 E
Last modified: May 12, 2014

 

by Brandon Fudali, Climatology Volunteer
For more information contact: [email protected]

 

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