Blizzard buries area … again
Three feet of snow in Garrison eclipsed 18 inches received in ‘97 blizzard
BY JAMES C. FALCON
james@nordaknorth.com
Twenty-nine inches of snow fell in Garrison during the blizzard that struck the majority of North Dakota last week, followed by another four inches in an Easter Sunday storm.
Of the initial storm, a total of 13 inches fell in Garrison between last Tuesday and last Wednesday morning, said Rick Krolak, observing program leader for National Weather Service Bismarck.
Overall in McLean County, there were two other reports of snowfall: in Turtle Lake, there were 24 inches – or two feet – of snow, while Underwood had a little more: 25.3 inches.
“(McLean County is) probably – without counting the southeast, down there toward Jamestown, where they only had a few inches – toward the middle,” Krolak said on Friday.
However, a report from the National Weather Service Bismarck issued Sunday afternoon stated that Garrison – with 29 inches – had the fifth highest recorded totals of snowfall during the April 12-14 storm in North Dakota.
Minot recorded the highest amount: 36 inches, or three feet of snow. Elsewhere in the state, there were 13-½ to 14 inches reported in Crosby and Bottineau, 18 inches in Bowman, 18 to 21 inches in the Bismarck area and 25 inches in Dickinson, Krolak said.
Then, as North Dakotans finally dug out their driveways and sidewalks, another helping of snow blanketed the region on Sunday.
Brandon Gale, a meteorologist with National Weather Service Bismarck, said that Garrison received four inches of snow while neighboring Turtle Lake and Underwood received five and five and a half inches, respectively.
While the amount of snow wasn’t as bad as the blizzard, it was enough to cause a no travel advisory for the central part of the state, including McLean County.
