December 26-27, 2018 Heavy Snow and Blizzard

Overview

Over a two day period a strong storm system moved through the Northern Plains and brought heavy snow, strong winds, and blizzard conditions to parts of eastern North Dakota and much of the Red River Valley. This caused headaches for travelers across the region returning home for the holidays.

Snow/Ice
Photos & Video
Radar
Storm Reports
Environment

Snow Totals

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN ND/GRAND FORKS ND
1111 AM CST FRI DEC 28 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0731 AM     HEAVY SNOW       HAVANA                  45.95N 97.62W
12/28/2018  M13.5 INCH       Sargent            ND   CO-OP OBSERVER

            EVENT TOTAL 13.5 INCHES WITH TOTAL LIQUID EQUIVALENT 1.34
            INCHES

0741 AM     SNOW             LANCASTER               48.86N 96.80W
12/28/2018  M5.0 INCH        Kittson            MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STORM TOTAL 5.0 INCHES WITH TOTAL LIQUID EQUIVALENT 0.45
            INCHES

0745 AM     HEAVY SNOW       SEBEKA                  46.63N 95.09W
12/28/2018  E13.0 INCH       Wadena             MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STORM TOTAL SNOW 13.0 INCHES WITH TOTAL LIQUID EQUIVALENT
            0.68 INCHES

0750 AM     HEAVY SNOW       7 S NEVIS               46.86N 94.84W
12/28/2018  M12.5 INCH       Hubbard            MN   PUBLIC

            STORM TOTAL SNOW 12.5 INCHES WITH TOTAL LIQUID EQUIVALENT
            1.02 INCHES

0911 AM     HEAVY SNOW       3 S FARGO               46.83N 96.82W
12/28/2018  M8.5 INCH        Cass               ND   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL FOR FARGO, ND

0914 AM     SNOW             GRAND FORKS             47.92N 97.07W
12/28/2018  M5.8 INCH        GRAND FORKS        ND   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL FOR GRAND FORKS-UNIVERSITY...NWS
            OFFICE

0914 AM     SNOW             4 W GRAND FORKS         47.92N 97.16W
12/28/2018  M3.9 INCH        Grand Forks        ND   OTHER FEDERAL

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL FOR GRAND FORKS AIRPORT

0959 AM     HEAVY SNOW       3 E BRECKENRIDGE        46.26N 96.53W
12/28/2018  M11.0 INCH       Wilkin             MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL 11.0 INCHES WITH TOTAL LIQUID
            EQUIVALENT 1.30 INCHES

1030 AM     SNOW             PEMBINA                 48.97N 97.25W
12/28/2018  M3.3 INCH        PEMBINA            ND   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     SNOW             6 SE LANKIN             48.25N 97.83W
12/28/2018  M5.0 INCH        Walsh              ND   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       MCLEOD                  46.39N 97.30W
12/28/2018  E9.0 INCH        RANSOM             ND   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       LIDGERWOOD              46.07N 97.15W
12/28/2018  M10.0 INCH       RICHLAND           ND   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     SNOW             CAVALIER                48.80N 97.62W
12/28/2018  M4.0 INCH        PEMBINA            ND   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       NEW YORK MILLS          46.52N 95.37W
12/28/2018  M12.0 INCH       OTTER TAIL         MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     SNOW             6 NW WARREN             48.26N 96.86W
12/28/2018  M4.6 INCH        Marshall           MN   COCORAHS

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       SEBEKA                  46.63N 95.09W
12/28/2018  M13.0 INCH       WADENA             MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       ABERCROMBIE             46.45N 96.73W
12/28/2018  M10.5 INCH       RICHLAND           ND   COCORAHS

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       2 S BATTLE LAKE         46.26N 95.72W
12/28/2018  M13.0 INCH       Otter Tail         MN   COCORAHS

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       6 S LAKE PARK           46.80N 96.10W
12/28/2018  M8.8 INCH        Becker             MN   COCORAHS

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       6 NNW PELICAN RAPIDS    46.65N 96.13W
12/28/2018  M6.5 INCH        Otter Tail         MN   COCORAHS

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       6 SSW RICHVILLE         46.43N 95.67W
12/28/2018  M8.6 INCH        Otter Tail         MN   COCORAHS

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

1030 AM     HEAVY SNOW       ROTHSAY                 46.47N 96.29W
12/28/2018  M12.2 INCH       WILKIN             MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            OFFICIAL TWO DAY TOTAL

Photos

Storm pictures from across the region.

Want to see your pictures on here? Send us your weather photos!


NWS Grand Forks at sunset on Thursday, Dec 27. (source: NWS FGF)	MNDOT snowplow prior to sunrise on Friday 12/28/18 (Courtesy of MNDOT)	Low visibility along the I-29 corridor on the morning of Dec. 27. (Courtesy of ND DOT)	Suspended snow particles on the early evening of Friday, Dec. 28. (source: NWS FGF)

Impressive snow drifts such as this one near Comstock, MN were common during and after the blizzard. (Courtesy of Tiffany Qualley)	Another view of the impressive snow drifts. (Courtesy of Tiffany Qualley)	7" measured 10 miles north of Bemidji, MN. (Courtesy of Ashley Casper)	11" measured 5 miles west of Minnewaukan, MN. (Courtesy of Quentin Sears)

Radar

Wind Reports

...WIND REPORTS...

LOCATION                     SPEED     TIME/DATE                            
GRAND FORKS ND               60 MPH    0926 PM 12/27                        
FARGO ND                     56 MPH    0931 PM 12/27                        
BUXTON ND 4 S (DOT)          55 MPH    0909 PM 12/27                        
TENNEY MN (DOT)              53 MPH    1110 PM 12/27                        
WAHPETON ND                  51 MPH    0915 PM 12/27                        
E GRAND FORKS MN (DOT)       51 MPH    0900 PM 12/27                        
DILWORTH MN (DOT)            50 MPH    0615 PM 12/27                        
HENDRUM MN (DOT)             50 MPH    0735 PM 12/27                        
WAHPETON ND (DOT)            50 MPH    0254 AM 12/28                        
GRAFTON ND                   49 MPH    0855 PM 12/27                        
MOORHEAD MN                  49 MPH    0635 PM 12/27                        
DEVILS LAKE ND (DOT)         49 MPH    0924 PM 12/27                        
BUFFALO ND 7 N (DOT)         48 MPH    0939 PM 12/27                        
GRAND FORKS AFB ND           48 MPH    1219 AM 12/28                        
DONALDSON MN (DOT)           46 MPH    0905 PM 12/27                        
GRAND FORKS ND (DOT)         45 MPH    0954 PM 12/27                        
LANGDON ND                   44 MPH    0555 PM 12/27                        
EMERADO ND (DOT)             44 MPH    1009 PM 12/27                        
COOPERSTOWN ND               44 MPH    1015 PM 12/27                        
CAVALIER ND                  43 MPH    0915 PM 12/27                        
WALHALLA ND                  43 MPH    0935 PM 12/27                        
CROOKSTON MN                 43 MPH    0935 PM 12/27                        
LEEDS ND (DOT)               42 MPH    0124 PM 12/27                        
DEVILS LAKE ND               41 MPH    0241 PM 12/27                        
GWINNER ND                   41 MPH    0135 AM 12/28                        
HALLOCK MN                   40 MPH    0835 PM 12/27                        
GATZKE MN (DOT)              40 MPH    1110 PM 12/27                        
PARK RAPIDS MN               40 MPH    0233 AM 12/28                                               

OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURES. WE THANK ALL VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS 
FOR THEIR DEDICATION. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.

Environment

The weather pattern that brought about this late December blizzard was fairly typically of most blizzards for the Red River Valley region. Below are upper air charts valid at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, December 26, about the time when snowfall was ongoing or beginning across the region. Note the large wave moving out of the Four Corners region as well as the strong mid level warm air advection over the northern Plains. The large upper level wave helped develop the strong surface low that moved through the northern Plains.


500 mb Height and Wind Speed	700 mb Heights, Temperature, and RH	850 mb Heights, Temperature, and RH

Below are two loops showing the progression of the 925 mb low and temperature field as well as the snow environment. The surface low tracked through northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, but the strong pressure gradient winds over the Red River Valley were favorable to blow around the snow that fell on Dec. 26 and into Dec. 27, leading to blizzard conditions. The second loop shows where there was enough moisture (green shading) and upward motion (purple lines) in the snow growth zone (the Dendritic Layer). Areas where these two parameters overlapped is where some of the heaviest snow fell.


925 mb Heights and Temperature, Radar	DGZ Relative Humidity and Omega, Radar

Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged!
Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site.