Overview
A late-season winter storm slowly moved northeast across the region on April 10 through 12th. Blizzard conditions hit the southern Red River Valley and adjacent areas during the day on Thursday, April 11th. With the Red River flooding and cresting in the central valley, area roadways where particularly dangerous as slide offs ended up in water-filled ditches and could have ended up in flooded rivers. See the tabs for the summary of this particularly late-season winter storm.
Snow
Below are the preliminary snowfall storm totals from the April 11th/12th event.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 118 PM CDT SAT APR 13 2019 ...SNOWFALL REPORTS... LOCATION AMOUNT TIME/DATE PROVIDER ...MINNESOTA... ...BECKER COUNTY... LAKE PARK MN 6.0 S 10.8 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS TWO INLETS 9.3 IN 0743 AM 04/12 5 NNW CORMORANT 9.2 IN 0700 AM 04/12 4 ESE WESTBURY 8.0 IN 0520 AM 04/12 ...BELTRAMI COUNTY... BEMIDJI MN 4.8 NNE 14.9 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS 3 NW LAVINIA 12.1 IN 0700 AM 04/12 4 W PENNINGTON 11.0 IN 1100 AM 04/12 TURTLE RIVER MN 3.6 E 10.8 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS BEMIDJI 7.8 ENE 10.4 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS HINES 10.0 IN 0630 AM 04/12 4 E TURTLE RIVER 8.6 IN 0700 AM 04/12 SOLWAY 2.1 S 8.5 IN 0800 AM 04/13 COCORAHS ...CLAY COUNTY... MOORHEAD 6.0 IN 0445 AM 04/12 ROLLAG 5.5 IN 0600 AM 04/12 ...CLEARWATER COUNTY... 3 W SHEVLIN 11.0 IN 0829 AM 04/12 ...HUBBARD COUNTY... 2 NW BENEDICT 11.0 IN 0348 PM 04/12 ...LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY... 2 WNW OAKS CORNER 4.0 IN 0800 AM 04/12 ...MARSHALL COUNTY... WARREN MN 6.6 NW 2.0 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS ...NORMAN COUNTY... TWIN VALLEY MN 0.1 NE 9.8 IN 0800 AM 04/13 COCORAHS ...OTTER TAIL COUNTY... FERGUS FALLS MN 5.6 NNE 11.0 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS NEW YORK MILLS 9.0 IN 0800 AM 04/12 PELICAN RAPIDS 8.5 IN 0600 AM 04/12 FERGUS FALLS 8.0 IN 1010 PM 04/11 PELICAN RAPIDS MN 6.3 NNW 7.5 IN 0630 AM 04/13 COCORAHS 4 W DUNVILLA 7.5 IN 0654 AM 04/12 2 WSW DEER CREEK 6.8 IN 0700 AM 04/12 ...POLK COUNTY... MENTOR MN 2.5 SSW 6.5 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS CROOKSTON MN 0.6 ENE 5.0 IN 0630 AM 04/13 COCORAHS ...ROSEAU COUNTY... GREENBUSH MN 2.1 IN 0700 AM 04/13 UCOOP ...WADENA COUNTY... MENAHGA 8.0 IN 0803 AM 04/12 VERNDALE 7.0 IN 0832 AM 04/12 SEBEKA 6.0 IN 0823 AM 04/12 SEBEKA MN (UCOOP) 6.0 IN 0700 AM 04/13 UCOOP VERNDALE 5.5 IN 0630 AM 04/12 ...WILKIN COUNTY... WOLVERTON MN 1.1 ENE 8.5 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS 3 SE BRECKENRIDGE 7.4 IN 0800 AM 04/12 ROTHSAY 7.0 IN 1100 AM 04/12 ...NORTH DAKOTA... ...CASS COUNTY... LEONARD 11.0 IN 0954 AM 04/12 1 E FRONTIER 9.5 IN 0600 AM 04/12 ARTHUR 9.0 IN 0755 AM 04/12 FARGO ND 3.0 NE 7.8 IN 0800 AM 04/13 COCORAHS WEST FARGO ND 3.8 SSE 7.1 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS FARGO 6.1 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COOP ...CAVALIER COUNTY... LANGDON 3.0 IN 0800 AM 04/12 ...GRAND FORKS COUNTY... GRAND FORKS 6.1 IN 0700 AM 04/12 NORTHWOOD 6.0 IN 0748 AM 04/12 5 W GRAND FORKS 5.8 IN 0700 AM 04/12 ...GRIGGS COUNTY... HANNAFORD 5.5 IN 0743 AM 04/12 ...NELSON COUNTY... MICHIGAN 5.0 IN 0800 AM 04/12 ...PEMBINA COUNTY... CAVALIER ND 7 NW (COOP) 1.0 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COOP ...RAMSEY COUNTY... DEVILS LAKE 1.0 IN 0630 AM 04/12 ...RANSOM COUNTY... MCLEOD 11.0 IN 0800 AM 04/12 LISBON 9.3 IN 0800 AM 04/12 LISBON ND 0.5 ENE 7.5 IN 0800 AM 04/13 COCORAHS ...RICHLAND COUNTY... LIDGERWOOD 12.5 IN 0800 AM 04/12 MCLEOD ND 3 E (COOP) 11.0 IN 0900 AM 04/13 COOP ...SARGENT COUNTY... HAVANA ND 18.0 IN 0700 AM 04/13 UCOOP ...STEELE COUNTY... 5 SSW BLABON 7.0 IN 0700 AM 04/12 5 NNE LUVERNE 6.5 IN 1030 PM 04/11 ...TRAILL COUNTY... MAYVILLE ND (COOP) 7.0 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COOP MAYVILLE 6.0 IN 1200 PM 04/12 HILLSBORO 6.0 IN 0813 AM 04/12 GRANDIN ND 7.1 ENE 4.7 IN 0700 AM 04/13 COCORAHS ...WALSH COUNTY... LANKIN ND 6 E 8.0 IN 0700 AM 04/13 UCOOP 4 W PISEK 6.0 IN 0800 AM 04/12 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.
Peak Winds
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 442 PM CDT FRI APR 12 2019 ...HIGHEST WIND REPORTS IN THE PAST 24 HOURS... LOCATION SPEED TIME/DATE VALLEY CITY 45 MPH 0615 PM 04/11 HENDRUM MN (DOT) 45 MPH 0658 PM 04/11 FARGO ND (AIRPORT) 43 MPH 0616 PM 04/11 PARK RAPIDS MN (AIRPORT) 43 MPH 0627 PM 04/11 HAMPDEN ND (USFW) 42 MPH 0358 PM 04/11 GRAFTON ND (AIRPORT) 41 MPH 0635 PM 04/11 GRAND FORKS ND (AIRPORT) 41 MPH 0441 PM 04/11 GWINNER ND (AIRPORT) 40 MPH 0815 PM 04/11 COOPERSTOWN ND (AIRPORT) 40 MPH 0615 PM 04/11 ROTHSAY MN (DOT) 40 MPH 0645 PM 04/11 ROSEAU MN (MN DNR) 40 MPH 0408 PM 04/11 MCLEOD ND 3 N (USFW) 40 MPH 0449 PM 04/11 ROSEAU MN (AIRPORT) 39 MPH 0735 PM 04/11 DONALDSON MN (DOT) 39 MPH 0630 PM 04/11 GATZKE MN (DOT) 39 MPH 0535 PM 04/11 BADOURA MN DNR STATE NURSERY 38 MPH 0506 PM 04/11 MAHNOMEN MN (AIRPORT) 38 MPH 0555 PM 04/11 FERGUS FALLS MN (AIRPORT) 38 MPH 0636 PM 04/11 SHOOKS MN (DOT) 38 MPH 0815 PM 04/11 E GRAND FORKS MN (DOT) 38 MPH 0445 PM 04/11 BROOKS MN (DOT) 38 MPH 0435 PM 04/11 WARROAD MN (AIRPORT) 37 MPH 0755 PM 04/11 THIEF RIVER FALLS MN (AIRPOR 37 MPH 0500 PM 04/11 WASKISH MN (AIRPORT) 37 MPH 0936 PM 04/11 VERNDALE MN (DOT) 37 MPH 0540 PM 04/11 BEMIDJI MN (AIRPORT) 36 MPH 0435 PM 04/11 WAHPETON ND (AIRPORT) 36 MPH 0515 PM 04/11 LANGDON ND (AIRPORT) 36 MPH 1015 PM 04/11 KARLSTAD MN (MN DNR) 36 MPH 0506 PM 04/11 DEVILS LAKE ND (AIRPORT) 35 MPH 0358 PM 04/11 GRAND FORKS AFB ND (ASOS) 35 MPH 0339 PM 04/11 DILWORTH MN (DOT) 35 MPH 0640 PM 04/11 BADGER MN (DOT) 35 MPH 0815 PM 04/11 MAHNOMEN MN (DOT) 35 MPH 1041 PM 04/11 KELLIHER MN (MN DNR) 34 MPH 0507 PM 04/11 BEMIDJI MN DNR WX STN 33 MPH 0606 PM 04/11 CANDO ND (AIRPORT) 33 MPH 0555 PM 04/11 WADENA MN (AIRPORT) 33 MPH 0655 PM 04/11 CROOKSTON MN (AIRPORT) 33 MPH 0735 PM 04/11 FLAG ISLAND MN (AWOS) 33 MPH 0535 PM 04/11 FOSSTON MN (AIRPORT) 33 MPH 1015 PM 04/11 MOORHEAD MUNI 33 MPH 1015 PM 04/11 DETROIT LAKES MN (MN DNR) 32 MPH 0420 PM 04/11 HALLOCK MN (AIRPORT) 32 MPH 0455 PM 04/11 ELBOW LAKE MN (AIRPORT) 32 MPH 0635 PM 04/11 FORT TOTTEN ND (USFW) 31 MPH 0851 PM 04/11 WALHALLA ND (AIRPORT) 31 MPH 0415 PM 04/12 DETROIT LAKES MN (AIRPORT) 31 MPH 0455 PM 04/11 ST VINCENT MN (DOT) 31 MPH 0645 PM 04/11 CAVALIER ND (AIRPORT) 30 MPH 0915 PM 04/11 TENNEY MN (DOT) 30 MPH 0615 PM 04/11 LAKE PARK MN (DOT) 30 MPH 0520 PM 04/11 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.
Radar
Radar Loop from 1 AM on April 11th through 1 PM on April 12th
Environment
A strong 500 mb low moved northeast from the Central Plains through SD, IA, and MN. With southerly low level winds transporting relatively moist air northward from the Gulf of Mexico, abundant moisture was available for this winter storm. The rain/snow line was well south of the region, with parts of NE, SD, ND, MN, WI, and MI all receiving heavy snow from this system.
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| Figure 1: Loop of 500 mb geopotential heights, winds, and temperatures | Figure 2: Loop of 700 mb geopotential heights, winds, temperatures, and RH | Figure 3: Loop of 850 mb geopotential heights, winds, temperatures, and dew point temperatures |
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| Figure 4: Loop of 925 mb geopotential heights, winds, temperatures, and dew point temperatures | Figure 5: Loop of mean sea level pressure and winds | Figure 6: Local Storm Reports from April 10-12, 2019 |
Photos
(Click to Expand)
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| Regional Road Report | Norman County Sheriff's Office Photo | ND DOT Webcam near ND/SD border on I-29 at 1057 AM on 4/11/19 | ND DOT Webcam near Forman, ND at 1102 AM on 4/11/19 |
Here's a photo from @fmweather on Twitter showing snowfall 15 miles east of Bemidji on Big Lake.
What you are seeing in background is other side of the ditch. Took picture by mailbox. â¦@NWSTwinCitiesâ© â¦@NWSGrandForksâ© â¦@DarylRitchisonâ© â¦@WDAYWeatherâ© pic.twitter.com/4aw1fMBvK1
— Keith Mhd Observer (@fmweather) April 12, 2019
Above is a photo from @fmweather on Twitter showing snowfall 15 miles east of Bemidji, MN on Big Lake.
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