Blizzard in Pierce, North Dakota

Strong winds combined with snow on the ground and some falling snow to create a blizzard.

An Alberta clipper moved through in the evening and late night hours of January 31 into the early morning hours of February 1, with high winds developing in the wake of the cold front. The highest reported wind gust was 74 mph in Ward County, while in Mountrail and Sheridan counties 73 mph winds were registered. Blizzard conditions developed during the early morning of February 1 over parts of north central North Dakota and the James River Valley as the winds combined with falling snow and snow already on the ground. See the January 2022 edition of Storm Data for the start of this event.