When snow and wind hinder visibility, it creates a blizzard. This simple sentence explains the concept, but it does not exactly describe the experience of being in a blizzard. I have been through a few blizzards. From Tuesday, April 12, 2022, through Thursday, April 14, 2022, a blizzard rampaged through North Dakota. I want to give you my perspective of being a part of this weather disaster.

North Dakota has a reputation of being cold and windy. The people here are hearty, and love to brag about it. Although they are concise descriptors, they do not tell the full story. Usually, the temperatures fall below zero degrees Fahrenheit in January and February, but it is not every day. The other ten months is mostly above zero. It can get windy, but it normally does not last more than an afternoon or overnight. Generally, the wind is five to ten miles per hour. Sometimes the wind sustains at 15 miles per hour, but you get used to it. A few days a month North Dakota sees wind blowing over 20 miles per hour, and it starts to get annoying. 30+ miles per hour gusts are awful, but rare.

North Dakota also gets snow. Very rarely does a snowstorm measure in feet. Usually a few inches in October, but it melts before accumulating in November and December. The snow sticks around through March. The snow begins to melt in the Spring, but it is not unheard of to see a short-lived snow shower. Overall, I like the weather and the variety it brings.

April is the start of North Dakota’s spring, and it can be unpredictable. Usually, the daily high temperature is in the 50’s. In April, North Dakota can see rain, snow, wind, clouds, and sun all within the same week.

This year, April brought a three-day blizzard. The temperatures remained in the teens and twenties. The wind sustained speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts over 50 miles per hour. It snowed nonstop until Friday. Visibility was reduced to a few feet.

Snow and wind reduced visibility overlooking a baseball field across the street.
There is a road and a ballpark in this picture.

We were given plenty of warning. North Dakotans prepared the best we could; we bought supplies to stay at home for days. I work at a college. Monday afternoon, the college sent out a notification to students and employees. The school would be closed starting Tuesday, and it would not open again until the next Monday. They encouraged students staying in the dorms to leave. Only emergency personnel would be working. Basically, Food Service workers to feed the students who stayed, and some buildings and grounds employees to clear the walkways to the Student Union.

I realized I needed a few additional items from Walmart before hunkering down until Friday. After dinner on Monday, I went to buy some bread, bottled water, and a few small items. I got everything I needed, but the shelves were beginning to look bare. Milk and cheese were almost gone. I only had one choice for bread. Customers had carts loaded with meats and vegetables. Every checkout lane was open, and the self-checkout wrapped through the produce section, and around the corner into the bakery.

At home, I double checked my fridge, fuel for my snowblower, and got ready for a power outage. I planned to keep my normal schedule, and I went to bed at my usual time.

I awoke to wind howling and snow flying on Tuesday. Visibility was down. I checked in with the news throughout the day. All they talked about was the blizzard. I decided I was going to be productive if I was going to be stuck in my house. I cleaned in the morning and into the afternoon. Throughout the afternoon, snow began to accumulate. Highways and interstates closed. After dinner, I checked my driveway. I didn’t think it looked too bad from my window.

I put on my snow shoveling gear. I knew my snow outfit needed to do three things: keep me dry, keep me warm without sweating too much, and protect me from the wind. Snow pants and boots went on my legs and feet to keep them dry. A heavy sweatshirt to keep me warm and a light jacket to cut the wind. I put on a hat and gloves to keep my hands and noggin warm.

Snow clothes scattered around a bench.
Fashion for the season. I ruined both pair of gloves.

It was still light outside. The clouds covered the sun. The winds blew snow into face; it did not matter which direction I was facing. As I started shoveling, I realized I miscalculated; there was more snow than I thought. I wheeled my snow blower out of the garage, and it started right away. My weather app said the wind was coming from the north. My driveway is on the south side, so I adjusted the snow blower chute to the west. While moving the snow, sometimes the snow went southwest as intended; other times it blew back into my face. It did not matter, because this was just the first of many passes I would be doing over the next few days. After an hour and half, I finished three quarters of my driveway. It was getting dark, and I was tired. I rolled the snow blower back into the garage, and called it quits for the day.

Snowblower and shovels in my garage.
These were my only weapons against the blizzard. They provided a good workout.

I removed my wet snow clothes and hung them up so they could dry. I got some water to rehydrate after sweating so much. I settled in and read my book before going to bed. Even though I was physically tired I did not sleep well.

The next morning, I got to work on the driveway again. My snow clothes were mostly dry, and I went to survey the damage the night brought. It was still cloudy, windy, and snowy. The part of the driveway I did not get to the previous night was deep with snow. I have a big snow blower, and the snow was higher than the mouth of it. It was also heavy and wet snow. I went to work.

I pushed the snowblower until the top of the snow hit the chute of the snowblower. Then I backed up and let the snow fall. After the top snow fell, I cleaned up the fallen snow with another pass. I repeated this until the snow was cleared. After I finished with the deep snow, I redid the other part of my driveway. After a few hours, my driveway was cleared. However, new snow quickly took its place.

I went inside, and I stripped off my wet snow gear. I hopped in the shower to rinse the sweat off. I whipped up some lunch, and then spent my afternoon playing video games and watching the news. I had planned to do a little more cleaning, but I was too exhausted to do physical activity. I wanted to save energy to clear more snow in the evening. After dinner, I donned my mostly dry snow armor, and I went to work.

I worked the driveway through the expected wind and falling snow. Since I had cleared it that morning, it only took me about an hour to clear the driveway. The snow was lighter and fluffier, which makes it easier to move. I started working on the sidewalks, but I did not completely clear them. I felt like I made really good progress.

My cleared driveway with my house obfuscated by the blizzard.
My accomplishment for the day! And it’s starting to fill in already.

I did some more reading before going to bed. I decided to sleep in my basement. The wind had picked up, and it was quieter in the basement. I slept a little, but at 3:00 in the morning I woke up to a weird sound coming from my furnace. As I woke up, the furnace stopped and restarted normally. It sounded fine after I was fully awake. I checked on some things, and the thermostat said it was 7 degrees colder than it was supposed to be! Luckily, it was working, and the temperature rose. I am still not sure what happened.

On Thursday morning, I surveyed my driveway from my window. The wind usually drifts snow in front of my garage doors – which I cannot see from my window – and the sidewalk leading to my front door. The sidewalk to my door did not look too bad. Dressed in my snow layers I ventured out to evaluate the damage.

I turned the corner towards my garage doors and was face-to-face with an almost 6 foot snowdrift! If you are wondering how a 2.5 foot tall mouth on a snowblower can chew up a 6 foot tall snowdrift, then I have the answer for you. I tunneled through the bottom with the snowblower until the chute hit the snow, I backed up, I body slammed the overhang of snow, I chewed up the fallen snow with the snowblower, and I repeated the process. It took forever, and the snowblower scattered the snowdrift around the rest of the driveway. After I finished with the drift, I made short work of the remaining driveway and sidewalks.

Back inside, I spent my afternoon playing video games and watching the news. A guy with a blade attachment on a four wheeler attempted to clear the far side of the street. Not sure why; there are no houses on that side of the street. I would have to dig through 10 feet of 1.5 feet deep snow to get to the path he created. I finished my day by clearing the driveway before reading and going to bed.

My cleared front door.
Welcome! Be sure to wipe your feet.

I slept well. The plows started clearing my road in the night. I arose to a cloudy Friday. The wind began to calm down. The snow mellowed out. I cleared my driveway, and I created a path to the street. I could finally leave the house.

A snowdrift as tall as my deck.
Either take the stairs or the snowdrift.

This is my story about the blizzard of 2022. Thankfully, my story is uneventful. Others can add their stories to create a fuller tapestry. Snow removal operators worked tirelessly to clear the snow. Cattlemen dragged calves into the warmth, while they lost others. First responders and others found ways into work. Four deaths were reported; there might be more.

The eighteen inches of snow that fell over three days became scattered in berms along driveways, sidewalks, and roads. The plows had a hard time keeping up, so they did just enough for people to dig themselves to the main roadways. Even a week after, it is like driving through tunnels, because the snow is piled so high, and the roads are so narrow.

A boring story about clearing a driveway is the best outcome to a blizzard. The best way to do that is to be prepared. Thankfully, this storm was forecasted days ahead of time, and gave North Dakota ample time to prepare. We are not always lucky with weather disasters.