North Dakota
From 40-Foot-High Snow Drifts To 70-MPH Winds, Go Inside The Brutal North Dakota Blizzard Of 1966
The brutal blizzard of 1966 hit many U.S. states, but North Dakota was arguably struck the hardest — with wind gusts exceeding 70 miles per hour, snowfall totaling over 30 inches, and severely limited visibility that remained near-zero for about 30 hours.
NOAA Photo LibraryNorth Dakota Department of Transportation employee Bill Koch standing next to power lines that were buried by a snow drift after the North Dakota blizzard of 1966.
People living in North Dakota are used to extreme weather. In the summer, thunderstorms are common and temperatures can spike to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter, residents habitually face bitterly cold winds and temperatures that plunge far below freezing. But the North Dakota blizzard of 1966 stands out as one of the worst in U.S. history.
It began in March, a time when much of the country is starting to think about spring. On March 2nd, it began to snow heavily in North Dakota, and wind gusts of up to 70 miles an hour created mountainous snow drifts across the state. Visibility was close to zero in some areas, and certain places even suffered through 30 straight hours of near-zero visibility.
The North Dakota blizzard of 1966 lasted through March 4th, and killed at least 18 people in North Dakota and the surrounding states, as well as thousands of livestock. It stands as a harrowing reminder of the power of nature — even in places used to extreme weather — and the deadliness of winter storms.
How A “Colorado Low” Brought An Intense Winter Storm To The Great Plains
By 1966, North Dakota had endured several intense blizzards. In January 1888, a violent blizzard killed 112 people and decimated the state’s open range cattle industry. Then, in March 1941, another blizzard whipped up with little warning, killing 39 people, many of whom were trapped in their cars. But the North Dakota blizzard of 1966, while less deadly, brought some of the worst conditions to the state in March 1966.
National Weather ServiceThe North Dakota blizzard of 1966 was part of a “Colorado Low” weather system.
Then, the National Weather Service reports that a weather system known as a “Colorado Low” started moving north up through South Dakota. This kind of weather system, a low-pressure system that usually occurs in the winter, forms around the southwest portion of the U.S. and then makes its way east. It can bring very intense precipitation, which is exactly what it did in North Dakota.
On March 2nd, heavy snow began to fall. But even though temperatures were relatively mild at first — in the 20s — and though people had plenty of warning about the coming storm, the blizzard would be one of the worst in the state’s history.
Wind, Snow, And Low Visibility: Inside The North Dakota Blizzard Of 1966
As the State Historical Society of North Dakota recounts, the North Dakota blizzard of 1966 came with plenty of warning, but most people had never experienced a snowstorm so powerful before. Though travelers were instructed to stay off the highway, and city residents were advised to stay indoors, some still became trapped in the storm, and others were killed as the blizzard unfurled across the state.
North Dakota Department of Transportation/FacebookA train buried in the snow during the North Dakota blizzard of 1966.
Between March 2nd and March 4th, the state was pummeled by heavy snowfall, with some locations receiving 20 to 30 inches of snow. Meanwhile, icy winds with gusts as high as 70 miles per hour howled through the air, creating massive snow drifts. Some of these snow drifts grew to be 30 or even 40 feet tall, practically burying power lines and road signs. But one of the worst parts of the North Dakota blizzard of 1966 was the near-zero level of visibility.
Places like Fargo had little or no visibility for 30 straight hours. The outside world was practically blind white, and this was extremely dangerous.
The Peril Of The North Dakota Blizzard Of 1966
In the end, at least 18 people died due to the North Dakota blizzard of 1966 (five in North Dakota itself, and others in nearby states like Minnesota and South Dakota). The conditions proved to be deadly in different ways.
State Historical Society of North DakotaHere, a North Dakota resident escapes from his house. Because of high snow drifts, he escaped via the attic window.
In Strasburg, a six-year-old girl got separated from her brothers while trying to make it to a barn 60 feet from their house. Tragically, she was found frozen to death two days later. In Woodworth, a 12-year-old girl stepped outside to close up a chicken coop, and apparently got lost trying to make her way back to the house, 100 feet away. She too was found frozen to death.
Lost children were not the only victims — several men had heart attacks during the North Dakota blizzard of 1966, either while trying to shovel snow or make their way through the storm. And tens of thousands of livestock perished, including at least 18,500 cattle, 7,500 sheep, 7,000 turkeys, and 600 hogs. Some died in the storm itself, some were killed by collapsing barns, and others suffocated after becoming trapped in barns because of the high snow drifts.
State Historical Society of North DakotaA cow that froze to death during the North Dakota blizzard of 1966. Thousands of livestock died during the storm, costing the state millions of dollars.
But some people managed to escape extremely dangerous situations.
Near New Salem, three trains, including one carrying 500 passengers, became stuck in the snow. The trains had to be dug up with shovels, because the snow drifts were too deep for local snowplows. Meanwhile, at least two couples became trapped while trying to make their way to a hospital for their children’s births. One woman ended up giving birth in a farmhouse; the other in a car. And scores of people became stuck in their vehicles when the conditions grew too dangerous, and couldn’t be rescued until the storm started to let up.
Indeed, the storm all but shut the state down for several days. Schools closed, newspapers weren’t able to publish the news, phone service was knocked out, and traffic was largely halted. Even once conditions began to clear, the effects of the blizzard were still acutely felt.
The Damage Caused By The Winter Storm
When the storm cleared, North Dakotans and other residents of the Great Plains took account of the aftermath, and found that they’d lived through one of the worst winter storms in U.S. history. Snowfall records were set at Devils Lake (which got 30.5 inches of snow), as well as Grand Forks (which got 27.8 inches of snow). This, the wind, and the duration of the storm made it an “all-time record blizzard” for the state of North Dakota.
North Dakota Department of Transportation/FacebookA man next to a towering snow drift in the aftermath of the North Dakota blizzard of 1966.
It was also an expensive storm. The loss of livestock alone cost the state millions of dollars. But the storm had also shut down businesses and schools, stopped the movement of goods, and damaged infrastructure.
Thus, while people living in the Great Plains are used to intense weather, the North Dakota blizzard of 1966 certainly stands out in the region’s history. Immensely powerful and destructive, it hung over the northern states for days. Its mammoth snow drifts, high winds, and low visibility made it an especially treacherous storm, and led to the tragic loss of many lives.
But the people of the Great Plains are hardy. As the State Historical Society of North Dakota stated:
“Snow is part of winter routine on the northern Great Plains. Rather than drive people away or prevent the development of towns and cities, people learn to adapt to the usual cold and snow of winter and to accept unusual storms such as that of March 1966 as part of life in the semi-arid north.”
After reading about the North Dakota blizzard of 1966, discover the wild story of the Blizzard of 1888, the “Great White Hurricane” that tore through the Eastern Seaboard. Or, learn the stories of some of the worst blizzards in history.
North Dakota
Challengers declare victory after ND Supreme Court rules against Legislature’s attempt to alter term limits
BISMARCK — A constitutional ballot measure to amend the state’s term limits law as proposed by the Legislature will not appear on November’s ballot, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday, siding with petitioners who argued the Legislature exceeded its authority and violated the state constitution in proposing the changes.
“The people’s voice was heard,” Grand Forks County Commissioner Terry Bjerke said in reaction to the news.
Bjerke was a member of the sponsoring committee behind the successful 2022 effort to pass a term limits initiative, which amended the state constitution by capping legislative term limits to eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. The amendment, which became article XV of the state constitution, also included a clause barring the Legislature from making constitutional changes to term limits.
During the 2025 session, however, lawmakers narrowly approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 4008, in which the legislature proposed Constitutional Measure 1, a ballot measure to amend the term limits language to allow legislators to decide in which chamber they want to serve their 16 years, and to repeal the clause limiting the legislative assembly’s authority to propose an amendment to alter or repeal term limits.
Bjerke and former Minot legislator Oley Larsen brought the lawsuit challenging the validity of the Legislature’s action in January, and the state Supreme Court
heard oral arguments in the case
this spring.
“Those term limits may only be altered by a measure proposed by the people rather than the Legislative Assembly. And yet a few years later, the Legislative Assembly is doing what they are prohibited from doing,” attorney Zachary Wallen argued on Bjerke and Larsen’s behalf.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
The Legislature’s attorneys argued the clause prohibiting legislative proposals to alter the constitutional term limits language “infringes on our republican form of government” by “limiting the people’s ability to vote on amendments proposed by their elected officials.”
Justice Jon Jensen seemed skeptical of that argument during the April 2 hearing, questioning whether a second vote was appropriate.
“The public did speak on this. The public spoke on it when it passed the original constitutional amendment and they said, ‘Legislature, you don’t even get to propose a change.’ They have already spoken on it,” Jensen said. “You want a second shot, or a second bite at the apple, not a first one, a second.”
In Thursday’s ruling, all five justices sided with Bjerke and Larsen.
“We … conclude the Legislative Assembly’s adoption of S.C.R. 4008 violated N.D. Const. art. XV … and declare S.C.R. 4008 and Constitutional Measure 1 void … We enjoin the Secretary of State from placing Constitutional Measure 1 on the November 2026 general election ballot,” the ruling said.
Bjerke thanked the legal team that worked on behalf of their lawsuit, and said he was grateful the court reached the conclusion it did.
“I’m thrilled that what the people voted on and approved has been validated,” Bjerke said.
He added that the Legislature had “multiple opportunities” to address term limits prior to 2022’s initiated measure and chose not to, and gave a nod to the country’s coming milestone and the process by which voters expressed their support for term limits.
“We’ve lasted 250 years,” Bjerke said. “I have two words for those elected leaders who think they aren’t: everyone’s replaceable.”
North Dakota
Fargo woman convicted in North Dakota fraud case now faces charges in Minnesota: A deeper dive
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A North Dakota woman who was sentenced to 180 days in jail in Cass County for defrauding healthcare providers and Medicaid programs is now facing additional fraud charges in Minnesota.
Christine Marie Pryor, 55, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to theft by deception involving more than $50,000. She was sentenced to first serve 180 days with a 3-year sentence suspended. She received credit for 44 days already served.
Pryor was ordered to pay $82,584.78 in restitution to Southeast Human Services in Fargo, where she worked between 2018 and 2019.
How the scheme unfolded
According to court documents, Pryor worked at multiple healthcare facilities in North Dakota and Minnesota between 2018 and 2023, using the identities and credentials of three licensed professionals without their knowledge. She submitted fraudulent Capella University diplomas and transcripts to gain employment.
Investigators say Pryor admitted she searched state licensing websites for therapists who shared her first name, then used those therapists’ last names and license numbers when applying for jobs.
At Southeast Human Services, where she worked as a Licensed Addiction Counselor, Pryor earned $55,584.82 while providing therapy services to approximately 150 patients. She also opened her own counseling center, NIAM Brain Injury Center, in Fargo between 2020 and 2021, and worked at The Lotus Center in Moorhead, Minnesota, from 2021 to 2023.
Court documents say the three licensed professionals whose identities were used told investigators they had no knowledge of Pryor’s actions and did not give her permission to use their information.
Two additional charges against Pryor in North Dakota, unauthorized use of personal identifying information, were dismissed on motion of the state.
Additional charges in Minnesota
Pryor is also facing charges in Minnesota. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Tuesday charges against Pryor in Clay County District Court for six theft offenses and six identity theft offenses related to defrauding Minnesota’s Medicaid program of more than $150,000.
According to the Minnesota complaint, Pryor claimed to provide psychotherapy and alcohol and drug counseling services to Medicaid recipients despite having no license or credentials to do so. Prosecutors allege she used the credentials and identities of three licensed professionals while claiming to provide Medicaid-funded services to 169 clients.
The Minnesota charges were filed as part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown Day, a joint effort involving the Department of Justice and more than 40 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
NCAA Set to Change Unpopular Football Rule Just in Time for North Dakota State’s FBS Jump
North Dakota State playing in the FCS playoffs and College Football Playoff in back-to-back years? It’s likelier than you think.
That’s because on Wednesday, according to a report from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports, the NCAA Division I cabinet voted to repeal a rule that effectively barred teams transitioning from FCS to FBS from playing in postseason games in their first FBS seasons. The Bison are making that move along with Sacramento State in 2026.
The reported change has been a long time coming; the rule has hampered teams from immediate bowl eligibility for decades. Its good intentions of dissuading teams from rashly making the FCS-to-FBS leap have been rendered obsolete in recent years by the fact that programs generally arrive in FBS more prepared than ever before.
Consider the number of new FBS teams that have had to work within the provision in the past decade alone
That list includes: Liberty (home for the holidays at 6–6 in 2018), James Madison (8–3 in 2022 under coach Curt Cignetti, and barely able to play in a bowl at 11–1 in ’23 due to a lack of bowl-eligible teams), Jacksonville State (8–4 in ’23 before backing in like the Dukes), Missouri State (7–5 in 2025, also backed in) and Delaware (6–6 in ’25, ditto).
James Madison in particular became a cause célèbre in ’23 because it started the season 10-0, climbing as high as No. 18 in the AP Poll in mid-November. Then-Virginia attorney general Jason Miyares bandied about suing the NCAA before the Dukes lost 26–23 to Appalachian State, an event that caused the program to back off and accept a bid to play Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. James Madison lost that game 31–21, by which time Cignetti had left for Indiana.
There was a time when the FCS-to-FBS jump was an imposing one, and the NCAA did not want to incentivize making it lightly—not even a proud Florida A&M program could make a mid-2000s attempt at a jump stick. However, the Flames, Dukes and other teams have shown it’s not so great a climb for programs with the right resources and management.
Now the Bison and the Hornets stand to benefit.
How far can North Dakota State and Sacramento State go in the near term?
The Bison opened 12–0 last year before a shock loss to Illinois State in the FCS playoffs’ second round, so that question may answer itself. North Dakota State does not play a single Power 4 team—a potential strength-of-schedule albatross if it has designs on really surging. A potential roadblock: the fact that the Bison have to visit the Mountain West’s two favorites, UNLV (Oct. 10) and New Mexico (Oct. 24).
It’s a different story for the Hornets, a 7–5 squad a year ago whose move to the FBS is widely seen as a gamble on their growth potential. Sacramento State also does not play a major-conference team, but has a breakneck travel schedule ahead of it—the Hornets will visit Ypsilanti, Mich.; Bowling Green, Ohio; Muncie, Ind.; Mount Pleasant, Mich. and Honolulu. Combine that with a first-year coach—Oakland native and ex-MC Hammer choreographer Alonzo Carter—and it could be a long FBS debut in California’s capital.
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