This Day in Weather History: March 22nd

Weather History - March 22nd

Local and Regional Events:

March 22nd, 1966:

The blizzard began on the 22nd in the west, moving southeastward into Nebraska and northeastward across the southeastern part of South Dakota. Winds up to 50 mph caused blowing snow, which reduced visibility to near zero. Seven to 8 inches of snow fell on the plains of South Dakota, with up to 2 feet in the Black Hills. Traffic was paralyzed due to snow-blocked roads. Schools and many businesses were closed. One death was attributed to the storm from exposure and exhaustion. A heart attack indirectly caused one death in Sioux Falls.

March 22nd, 1987:

Snowmelt and rainfall raised some rivers and small streams to very high levels in central South Dakota. Lowland flooding around the basins submerged some minor roads and streets. Also, high water levels and ice damaged some railroad bridges between Wakpala and Mahto in Corson County.

March 14-31st, 2009:

A stretch of warmer weather occurred from March 14th to 17th, which resulted in high temperatures in the 40s and low 50s. The snow depth in Fargo on the 14th was 15 inches, with a melted water equivalent of 3.10 inches. By the 17th, the snow depth in Fargo had dropped to 6 inches. The snow was followed by a couple of colder days, temporarily slowing down any additional snowmelt. The second period of warmer weather began on March 20th and continued through the 24th. High temperatures again climbed into the 40s and low 50s during this period. Most of the remaining snow in Fargo melted during this stretch of warm weather, with the Fargo snow depth falling from 2 inches to 0.

Conditions were about the same in Grand Forks, with the snow depth dropping to 0 by the 24th. These two warm-ups resulted in a quick response in river levels, especially across the southern Red River Valley and west-central Minnesota. The Red River also rosed, especially in the southern part of the Red River Valley. With all the runoff moving into the river systems, water covered many roads and resulted in numerous road closures. The water covered entire sections of land as well and threatened many homes. A winter storm event on March 24th and 25th brought more snow to the region and a turn to colder temperatures. This resulted in the first crest for many rivers in the southern Red River Valley and west-central Minnesota. However, river levels at most points along the Red River continued to stay high. Another winter storm hit much of the area from March 30th to 31st, dropping up to 2 feet of snow in the southern Red River Valley. This new snow had a lot of moisture, with snow-to-liquid ratios of less than 10 to 1. This set the stage for continued flooding into April and early May. The North Dakota Governor issued a statewide disaster declaration on March 13 in anticipation of spring flooding. Most counties in eastern North Dakota later received a Presidential Disaster Declaration.