Nws vs weenie, re: the first blizzard
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Bismarck ND
718 PM CDT Tue Apr 19 2022 /618 PM MDT Tue Apr 19 2022/
...MINOT SNOWFALL FROM LAST WEEKS BLIZZARD...
A report of particular interest from the recent blizzard was a 36.0
inch snowfall total from the Minot area. While there is inherent
difficulty in snow measurements when heavy snow combines with high
winds, there is no reason to doubt this as a reasonable estimate
based on the number of measurements and pictures this observer
provided to NWS Bismarck.
However, records for the official Minot climate data have to be
taken at the official observing site, by official observers. An NWS
Cooperative Observer is the official snowfall reporter for Minot. In
order to ensure a reliable climate record, even valid public reports
from other locations cannot be used to assign new records. The
distance between the Minot Cooperative Observer, which reported 20.0
inches for the event, and the 36.0 inch report is nearly 6 miles,
which is an additional factor that complicates the comparison
between public snow reports and the continuity of consistent record
from the Minot climate data. While the 36.0 inch public report from
the Minot area is a valid report, it cannot be used to break the
existing Minot snowfall record. That record is 34.0 inches with a
storm that ended on April 28, 1984, which was established at the
official climate site in Minot.
Regardless, this was a significant storm for western and central
North Dakota. Several counties in western and central North Dakota
did set one-day, two-day, and three-day snowfall records, even
though Ward County and Minot were not on that list. Details on the
records that were set can be found at
weather.gov/bis/April2022Blizzard