January 17 to 18, 2020 Winter Storm and Blizzard

Friday Peak Winds (From the Southeast)

Saturday Peak Winds (From the Northwest)

Snow Reports

Photos & Video

Highway 10 Clay County, MN Courtesy Sgt. Jesse Grabow MNHP	Near Fargo, ND Courtesy NDHP	Cass County ND Courtesy Cass County Sheriff	Icy roads in Fargo, ND before Blizzard started. Courtesy NDHP

Radar

Environment

The upper level synoptic wave that was responsible for bringing the January 17-18th blizzard to the northern Plains came onshore across the Pacific northwest on January 16th and brought widespread snowfall to Oregon and Washington (Figure 1). As the wave translated eastward into the 17th a strong region of low pressure developed ahead of the wave on the lee side of the Rockies across Montana and Wyoming. At the same time, a departing upper level ridge with a strong upper level jet streak was supporting a strong region of high pressure at the surface. With two strengthening but opposing surface pressure features in close proximity to each other, winds at the low to mid levels began to increase in response to the tightening pressure gradient.  Strong winds on the morning of January 17th began to loft snow that was already in place from snow events days prior. This cause areas of blowing snow and blizzard conditions across the southern Red River Valley. 

As these winds increased, so did the mid level warm air advection (Figures 3, 8, and 9). An ejecting mid level shortwave embedded within the large wave helped increase lift over the eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota. This began to produce widespread snowfall that worsened conditions across the region, particularly in the southern Red River Valley where blowing snow was already impacting travel. Snowfall continued well into the overnight hours due to continued strong warm air advection and strong frontogenetical and deformation banding. 

There was a brief lull in the surface winds during the overnight hours as the low pressure moved from the lee of the Rockies into the eastern Dakotas. A cold front following closely behind the low brought a second round of strong wind and cold, arctic air. As light snow lingered across the region into Saturday, strong winds blew the fresh snow pack leading to a second onslaught of blizzard conditions across the eastern Dakotas and portions of western Minnesota. As the low pressure system and snowfall continued east into Saturday night winds calmed and the snow came to an end, leaving frigid temperatures and nearly a half foot of snow for most of the region. 

Figure 1: 300 mb Analysis	Figure 2: 500 mb Analysis	Figure 3: 700 mb Analysis

Figure 4: 850 mb Analysis	Figure 5: 925 mb Analysis	Figure 6: Surface Analysis

Figure 7: Precipitable Water Analysis	Figure 8: Aberdeen, SD Soundings	Figure 9: Bismarck, ND Soundings