60th Anniversary of Historic 1966 North Dakota Blizzard

The devastating storm left a path of destruction across the region 60 years ago.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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This year marks the 60th anniversary of one of the worst blizzards in North Dakota history. The March 1966 storm brought over two feet of snow, wind gusts up to 70 mph, and drifts up to 40 feet tall. The blizzard resulted in 8 deaths, the loss of tens of thousands of livestock, and over $4 million in damage. It also halted transportation and left some train passengers stranded in local towns.

Why it matters

The 1966 blizzard is considered one of the most iconic and historic storms in North Dakota's history, with its extreme snow totals, wind speeds, and duration of blizzard conditions. It set the benchmark for how future major winter storms in the region are measured and compared.

The details

The blizzard struck the region from March 2-4, 1966, bringing over 2 feet of snow and wind gusts up to 70 mph. The combination of heavy snow and high winds created massive drifts up to 40 feet tall. The storm resulted in 8 deaths in North Dakota and Minnesota, with some people becoming lost in the whiteout conditions and freezing, while others died of overexertion trying to dig out after the storm. Tens of thousands of livestock were also lost, totaling almost $4 million in damage.

  • The blizzard struck the region from March 2-4, 1966.
  • It was one of the worst winter storms in North Dakota history.

The players

North Dakota Department of Transportation

Workers from the state's transportation department helped dig out a train that had become stuck in the massive snow drifts during the blizzard, and captured an iconic photo of a utility pole buried in the snow.

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What’s next

The 60th anniversary of the historic 1966 blizzard will be commemorated this year, with events and exhibits highlighting the storm's impact and legacy in North Dakota.

The takeaway

The 1966 blizzard remains one of the most extreme and impactful winter storms in North Dakota's history, setting records for snow totals, wind speeds, and duration of blizzard conditions that have been used to benchmark and compare other major winter storms in the region since then.