Overview
A winter storm brought over a foot of snow and gusty winds to portions of the southern Red River Valley into west-central Minnesota February 28 - March 1, 2023. This brought significant travel impacts from heavy snow rates, large snow drifts, blowing and accumulating snow, including within the Fargo-Moorhead metro.Snow
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| Event Total Snow 02/28 to 03/02/23 |
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1131 AM CST FRI MAR 3 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM SNOW 1 E PORTLAND 47.50N 97.35W
03/02/2023 M2.4 INCH TRAILL ND CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION MYVN8 MAYVILLE ND.
STORM TOTAL.
0746 AM SNOW SHARON 47.60N 97.90W
03/01/2023 M3.0 INCH STEELE ND PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL.
1120 AM HEAVY SNOW GWINNER 46.22N 97.66W
03/01/2023 M9.0 INCH SARGENT ND BROADCAST MEDIA
STORM TOTAL.
1004 PM HEAVY SNOW MILNOR 46.26N 97.46W
03/01/2023 E12.0 INCH SARGENT ND BROADCAST MEDIA
BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYS A PUBLIC REPORT OF 12
INCHES OF SNOW. STORM TOTAL.
0600 AM SNOW ABERCROMBIE 46.45N 96.73W
03/02/2023 M4.0 INCH RICHLAND ND COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ND-RC-8 ABERCROMBIE ND 0.2
NW. STORM TOTAL.
0700 AM SNOW LISBON 46.43N 97.68W
03/02/2023 M7.0 INCH RANSOM ND CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION LISN8 LISBON ND.
STORM TOTAL.
0630 AM SNOW COOPERSTOWN 47.45N 98.13W
03/02/2023 M3.7 INCH GRIGGS ND COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ND-GG-3 COOPERSTOWN ND 0.4
WNW. STORM TOTAL.
1235 PM HEAVY SNOW 2 SSE WEST FARGO 46.85N 96.88W
03/01/2023 E13.0 INCH CASS ND AMATEUR RADIO
STORM TOTAL.
0223 PM HEAVY SNOW FARGO 46.88N 96.80W
03/01/2023 M13.0 INCH CASS ND BROADCAST MEDIA
STORM TOTAL SNOW...VIA WDAY.
0340 PM HEAVY SNOW 3 N HORACE 46.80N 96.92W
03/01/2023 E15.0 INCH CASS ND PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTS 15 INCHES OF SNOW IN SOUTH
FARGO. STORM TOTAL SNOW. RELAYED VIA
FACEBOOK.
0531 PM HEAVY SNOW 3 S FARGO 46.84N 96.79W
03/01/2023 M8.1 INCH CASS ND CO-OP OBSERVER
8.1 INCHES OF SNOWFALL REPORTED IN SOUTH FARGO.
STORM TOTAL SNOW.
0726 AM HEAVY SNOW DAZEY 47.19N 98.20W
03/01/2023 M9.8 INCH BARNES ND PUBLIC
0500 PM HEAVY SNOW VALLEY CITY 46.92N 98.01W
03/01/2023 M10.0 INCH BARNES ND PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL.
0929 PM HEAVY SNOW WIMBLEDON 47.17N 98.46W
03/01/2023 M15.0 INCH BARNES ND PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL.
0500 PM HEAVY SNOW CAMPBELL 46.10N 96.41W
03/01/2023 M6.5 INCH WILKIN MN PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL.
1007 PM HEAVY SNOW BRECKENRIDGE 46.26N 96.59W
03/01/2023 E7.0 INCH WILKIN MN BROADCAST MEDIA
BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYS PUBLIC REPORT OF
ESTIMATED 7 INCHES OF SNOW. STORM TOTAL.
0335 PM HEAVY SNOW 2 N MENAHGA 46.78N 95.10W
03/01/2023 M9.0 INCH WADENA MN PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTS 9 INCHES OF SNOW. RELAYED VIA
FACEBOOK. STORM TOTAL SNOW.
0500 PM HEAVY SNOW MENAHGA 46.75N 95.10W
03/01/2023 M10.0 INCH WADENA MN PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL.
1006 PM HEAVY SNOW NEW YORK MILLS 46.52N 95.37W
03/01/2023 E6.0 INCH OTTER TAIL MN BROADCAST MEDIA
BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYS PUBLIC REPORT OF 6
INCHES OF SNOW. STORM TOTAL.
0636 AM SNOW 1 SSW OTTERTAIL 46.42N 95.57W
03/02/2023 M5.5 INCH OTTER TAIL MN CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION OTTM5 OTTERTAIL MN.
STORM TOTAL.
0730 AM HEAVY SNOW 1 SSW NEW YORK MILLS 46.51N 95.38W
03/02/2023 M7.0 INCH OTTER TAIL MN CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION NYMM5 NEW YORK MILLS
MN. STORM TOTAL.
0621 AM HEAVY SNOW NAYTAHWAUSH 47.26N 95.63W
03/01/2023 M9.0 INCH MAHNOMEN MN PUBLIC
1000 AM HEAVY SNOW 3 NNW PARK RAPIDS 46.96N 95.08W
03/01/2023 M7.5 INCH HUBBARD MN PUBLIC
VIA SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT.
0344 PM HEAVY SNOW NEVIS 46.97N 94.84W
03/01/2023 E6.0 INCH HUBBARD MN PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTS 6 INCHES OF SNOW. RELAYED VIA
FACEBOOK. STORM TOTAL SNOW.
0755 AM HEAVY SNOW ASHBY 46.09N 95.82W
03/01/2023 M5.0 INCH GRANT MN PUBLIC
0735 AM HEAVY SNOW 3 SE LAKE ITASCA 47.22N 95.17W
03/01/2023 M9.5 INCH CLEARWATER MN PUBLIC
1214 PM HEAVY SNOW KRAGNES 46.99N 96.75W
03/01/2023 M14.0 INCH CLAY MN PUBLIC
RELAYED VIA BROADCAST MEDIA. SNOW CONTINUING
BUT DIMINISHING.
0400 PM HEAVY SNOW MOORHEAD 46.86N 96.76W
03/01/2023 M14.0 INCH CLAY MN PUBLIC
VIA BROADCAST MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA POST. STORM
TOTAL.
1010 PM HEAVY SNOW DILWORTH 46.88N 96.70W
03/01/2023 E12.0 INCH CLAY MN BROADCAST MEDIA
BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYS PUBLIC REPORT OF 12
INCHES. STORM TOTAL SNOW.
0700 AM SNOW 5 SSE TURTLE RIVER 47.52N 94.72W
03/02/2023 M1.0 INCH BELTRAMI MN COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION MN-BM-15 BEMIDJI MN 7.8
ENE.
0530 AM HEAVY SNOW WHITE EARTH 47.10N 95.84W
03/01/2023 M9.0 INCH BECKER MN PUBLIC
0734 AM HEAVY SNOW 10 NW PONSFORD 47.07N 95.53W
03/01/2023 M9.5 INCH BECKER MN PUBLIC
MEASURED AT HOOT OWL RESORT EAST OF ELBOW
LAKE.
0500 PM HEAVY SNOW LAKE PARK 46.88N 96.10W
03/01/2023 M10.0 INCH BECKER MN PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL.
0600 PM HEAVY SNOW CORMORANT 46.73N 96.07W
03/01/2023 M9.3 INCH BECKER MN PUBLIC
CORRECTS PREVIOUS HEAVY SNOW REPORT FROM
CORMORANT. NEAR LAKE IDA. STORM TOTAL.
0700 AM SNOW 4 SE WESTBURY 46.89N 95.84W
03/02/2023 M4.5 INCH BECKER MN COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION MN-BK-10 DETROIT LAKES MN
5.7 N.
0700 AM HEAVY SNOW 5 NNW CORMORANT 46.80N 96.12W
03/02/2023 M8.0 INCH BECKER MN COCORAHS
CORRECTS PREVIOUS SNOW REPORT FROM 5 NNW
CORMORANT. COCORAHS STATION MN-BK-6 LAKE
PARK MN 6.0 S.
Photos & Video
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| Heavy snowfall on 8th Street South in Fargo, ND. Courtesy of Kevin Spaulding | Deep snow drifted around cars in Moorhead, MN. Courtesy of Sara Cortez. | MNNOD plow camera on US 10 near Dilworth, MN. Reduced visibility with snow drifts over the road. | Snow drifts in Moorhead, MN. Courtesy of Jeffery Risbrudt. |
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| Significant blowing snow on NDDOT camera near Forman, ND along ND Highway 10. | Falling snow causing travel impacts at Lake Itasca MN, on MNDOT camera. | Reduced visibility due to heavy snow along I-94 in Fergus Falls, MN. | Snowfall causing reduced visibility along US75 near Kent, MN on MNDOT camera. |
Radar
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Radar loop from 2/28/2023 at 7:20AM CST to 3/1/2023 at 2:20PM CST. |
Impacts
Heavy snow exceeding 12 inches brought significant impacts to portions of the I-94 corridor in the southern Red River Valley, as well as into west-central Minnesota. Segments of I-94, I-29, and other thoroughfares were closed due to accumulating and blowing snow, large snow drifts, and whiteout conditions. The Fargo-Moorhead metro was particularly impacted, causing the city to declare an emergency asking all residents to not travel unless necessary.
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| Road Conditions in North Dakota at 6:00AM 03/01/2023. Courtesy of NDDOT. |
Central Cass in Casselton: The snow drifts reaching the top of the building illustrates why travel is highly discouraged during winter storms. Snow drifts may be smaller on the roadways, but they do build up, & w/reduced visibility, you may not be able to see the large drifts. pic.twitter.com/JwhKTLimks
— Cass County Sheriff's Office-ND (@CassNDSheriff) March 1, 2023
Due to heavy snowfalls over the last few hours, the FPD and Fargo Public Works strongly recommends that people only travel within Fargo if absolutely necessary.
— Fargo Police (@FargoPolice) March 1, 2023
FPD officers are reporting several vehicles and even some tow trucks are becoming stuck in these conditions. pic.twitter.com/Fl1g4Gcdju
WC & Central MN - Troopers responding to several crashes, spinouts & jackknifed semis throughout the region. Roads are obviously slippery and it’s windy. 3/1/23 at 8:50am https://t.co/UtVIO3kuBr pics I94 Dalton to Ashby (no inj) pic.twitter.com/Allx4znin6
— Sgt. Jesse Grabow (@MSPPIO_NW) March 1, 2023
Environment
This event was driven by a compact but notable mid level low pressure system moving east across the Dakotas into central Minnesota. Heavy snow rates were driven by mesoscale forcing, including lengthy and strong frontogenesis as well as an unusually high amount of instability for this time of year. As the surface low deepened, winds increased aiding in further visibility reductions due to blowing snow as well as creating large snow drifts.
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| Figure 1: Surface Map | Figure 2: Frontogenesis | Figure 3: CAPE |
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