Blizzard — Stutsman, North Dakota

2025-12-18 · Stutsman, North Dakota

Event narrative

Strong winds and snow combined to produce a blizzard.

Wider weather episode

A very strong Alberta Clipper moved through Western and Central North Dakota, producing very strong winds and blizzard conditions. The surface low with this system rapidly deepened as it approached the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, maintaining is strength as it tracked towards northern Minnesota. This resulted in a very tight surface pressure gradient over Montana into the Dakotas. Southerly winds were on the increase before the approach of the system's cold front, with winds increasing rapidly behind the cold front with strong cold air advection. Although the strongest winds with this storm of around 100 mph were found to the east of the Black Hills of South Dakota, winds around 70 to 90 mph occurred over much of southwest North Dakota, with winds over 60 mph over most of northwest and central North Dakota. The strongest reported wind gust was 91 mph at Amidon in Slope County. In addition, snow developed with this system which combined with the strong winds to produce blizzard conditions over western and north central North Dakota, stretching into the upper James River Valley.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1306177. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.