DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
CHARLESSAWYER, Secretary
WEATHER BUREAU
F. W. REICHELDERFEFi, Chief
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW
Editor,JAMES E. CASKEY, TR.
Volume 79 Number 9 SEPTEMBER 1951 ClosedNovember 15,1951 Issued December 15,1951
RED RIVER OF THE NORTH BASIN FLOOD, APRIL-JUNE 1950
ELMER R. NELSON
Hydrologic Services Division. U. S. Weather Bureau, Washington, D. C.
(Manuscript received August 22, 19511
ABSTRACT
One of the worst floods of record in the valley of the Red River of the North occurred during the spring of 1950.
In this report on the flood, the general topographical and climatological characteristics of the basin are described,
the meteorological conditions contributing to the flood are discussed, and data on the flood stages and duration are
presented. Comparative data for other floods in the valley also are presented and the worst of these, the flood of
1897, is discussed.
INTRODUCTION
Flooding in the Red River Valley of the North during
the spring of 1950 was one of the worst floods of record in
the valley with damages estimated at 33 million dollars.
The crests during April were the highest since 1897 a t
Gmnd Forks, N. Dak., and the highest on record at
Pembina, N. Dak. The crests during May from below
Grand Forks, N. Dak., to the Canadian border were
generally the highest in the past 100 years.
Floods in the Red River of the North Basin occur pri-
marily during the spring season (April and May) and are
causedchiefly by melting snow. Ice conditions, par-
ticularly on the northward flowing streams, increase
flood crests and occasionally cause extremely high flood
stages due to ice jams. Early freeze-up in the fall before
snow occurs is also a contributing factor in producing
flood conditions in the spring. Major rain storms of
974914-61-1
sufficient magnitude to cause more than localflooding
are extremely rare. Considerably higher crests result
along the tributaries and the main stem of the river if
the snow melt is accompanied by a period of prolonged
heavy rains. In the lower portion of a large drainage
system extreme floods depend upon the relative times of
occurrence of high water in the separate portions of con-
tributory sub-areas of the system. If the floodsfrom
the different tributaries meet simultaneously in the main
stream, an extreme flood results; but if they arrive con-
secutively, the major part of the water from one tribu-
tary may have passed by before that from the next trib-
utary arrives and the same total quantity of water
being distributed through a longer time causes no unusual
beights.
The purpose of this paper is to describe how the con-
tributing factors combined to produce the flood of April-
June 1950. First, as a background for the discussion of
these factors, of the resulting flood, and of previous
floods in the valley, the general topography and clima-
tology of the basin are described.
DESCRIPTION OF BASIN
The Red River of the North rises in the lake region of
west-central Minnesota, not far from the headwaters
of the Mississippi River. (Seefig. 1.) It is formed by
the confluence of the Ottertail and Bois de Sioux Rivers
and flows 400 miles in a northerly direction between the
states of Minnesota and North Dakota to the interna-
169
170 M O N T H L Y W E A T H E SEPTEMBEB 1951
4 w
SCUE IN MILES
IO 20 so
tionalyboundary. In Canada it flows generally north-
eastward about 155miles into Lake Winnipeg which
empties into the Hudson Bay by means of the Nelson
River. The slope of the river varies from about 1.3 feet
permile near the source to 0.2 foot per mile near the
Canadian boundary and averages about 0.5 foot per mile.
In Canada the fall averages about 5 feet per mile. It
is navigable along the greater port.ion of its course.
Several tributaries flow.into the Red River of the North
from North Dakota and Minnesota. The most im-
portant of these are the Sheyenne and the Pembina in
North Dakota, the latter of whichrises in the province
of Manitoba, Canada.
The Red River of the North at the international bound-
ary drains an area of about 40,200 square miles. Of this
area, 21,000 square miles are in North Dakota, 16,400 in
Minnesota, 800 in South Dakota, and 2,000 in Canada.
The greater part of this Canadian area is drained south-
eastward into the United States by the Pembina River
which joins the Red River of the North south of the
Canadian border. Included in the total drainage area
are 3,940 square miles comprising the closed Devils Lake
subbasin in North Dakota.
The main river valley is very flat and varies in width
from about 50 miles in the southern half to about 150
miles in the middle of the basin. The greater portion of
SEPTEMBEB 1951 M O N T H L Y W E A T 171
the basin has been submerged twice beneath the sea and
was covered with an extensive glacial drift which left an
immense lake called Lake Agassiz that had an outlet to
the Mississippi River. The Lakes of Manitoba are the
remains of this vast lake. Streams within the valley
have flat slopes and channel capacities which are generally
inadequate to carry floodflows.An extensive system of
drainage ditches has been constructed in North Dakota
and Minnesota to assist nature in carrying away the water.
CLIMATOLOGY OF BASIN
The Red River of the North Basin lies in a belt of
prevailing westerly winds where the major rainfall occurs
during the late spring and summer, with the greatest
amount occurring in June. Approximately 60 percent of
the total annual precipitation shown in figure 1 occurs
during the growingseasonwhich has an average length
of 100 to 140 days. Much of the summer precipitation,
which frequently is associated with thunderstorms, is due
to the forced lifting of warm moist air from the Gulf of
Mexico over a wedge of cooler polar air. The winter
months, December through February, are normally the
driest in the year; approximately 15 percent of the total
annual precipitation occurs during this period in the form
of snow and accumulates to considerable depths in the
valleys and wooded areas. The average annual precipita-
tion varies from about 24 inches in the headwaters to
about 17 inches in the north part (fig. 1).
The mean annual temperature of the Red River of the
North Basin varies from about 43' F. in the southern
portion to 36' F. in the northern portion. Temperature
extremes of 118' and "54' have been recorded.
The total annual runoff in this part of the United States
is very small, averaging about 3 to 4 inches per year from
the Minnesota side of the Red River drainage and less
than 1 inch from the Dakota side.
WEATHER CONTRIBUTING TO FLOOD OF 1950
WINTER AND SPRING WEATHER
The weather conditions during the winter and spring
of 1950 in the Red River of the North Valley were favor-
able for the development of severe flooding in several
respects. The over-all combination of condit,ions per-
mitted the heavy accumulation of snowfall during the
winter and late melting in conjunction with heavy preci-
pitation in the spring. Early freeze-up in the fall before
snow occurs is often a contributing factor to produce flood
conditions in the spring but during the fall of 1949 the
freeze-upwas not early and the snow that fell during
November 1949 melted by the end of the month. The
cold weather in December, however, caused deep frost
penetration in the ground before newsnow occurred so
theeffectwas similar to an early freeze-up. The winter
and spring months were extremely cold, averaging several
degreesbelow normal as shown in figure 2. March 1950
1949 1950
FIGURE 2,"Average monthly temperatures and average monthly total precipitation over
tho Red River of the North Basin from October 1949 through May 1950.
was the fourth consecutive month with below-normal
temperature in North Dakota. Precipitation averaged
considerably above normal during December 1949, Janu-
ary, March, and May 1950, with unusually heavy amounts
in January and March (fig. 2). Although precipitation
averaged below normal during February, the temperatures
were abnormally low so there was litltle decrease in the
heavy snowcover that was on the ground on February
1, 1950. A snow survey by the U. S. Army Engineers
from February 12-18 showed the water equivalent of the
snow cQver in the upper portion of the basin during that
period to be less than an inch, and in the northern portion
from 2 to 3 inches. Warm weather during the first 6 days
of March melted much of the snow cover over the south
and central portions of the basin. Severe weather with
abnormally cold temperatures occurred during the remain-
der of March. The severe weatber was accompanied by
additional snow in northeastern North Dakota and
northwestern Minnesota. Figures 3, 4, and 5 show the
amount of snow on the ground on February 1, March 1,
and April 1, 1950. Figures 6 and 7 showisolines of
percentage of normal precipitation over the Red River
of the Nort'h Basin from October 1, 1949, to March 31,
1950, and from April 1, 1950, to May 31, 1950.
172 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW SEPTEMBER 1951
CXITICALPERIODWEATHER
In Minnesota April 1950 was the coldest April since
the beginning of State-wide records in 1891, and the
average snowfall for the State was the second greatest
of record for April. In North Dakota it was the coldest
April since 1920, and nearly three times the normal
snowfall was recorded This is the greatest amount of
snow recorded in April since records were begun in 1892.
As pointed out by Winston [I], the below-normal
temperatures of April were directly associatedwith the gen-
eral persistence during March and April of a basic
circulation pattern over North America that resulted
in repeated outbreaks of cold Canadian polar air into
central and eastern United States. Winston further
pointed out that the above-normal snowfall in the Dakotas
was caused primarily by Pacific maritime air overrunning
the cold polar domes covering the area. It is of interest
to examine some of the day-to-day weather developments
associated with this general circulation pattern, for they
seem to indicate that some important contributions to
the precipitation alsowere made by occasionalinfluxes
of moist Gulf air overrunning the polar domes.
As April 1950 opened, the valley of the Red River of the
North was dominated by a polar High centered over
FIOURE 3.-Depth of snow on ground (inches), February 1,1950.
FIQURE &-Depth of snow on ground (inches), March 1,1950.
FIGURE 5.-Dcpth of snow on ground (inches), April 1,1950.
SJCPTEMBEB 1951 M O N T H L Y W E A T H E 173
western South Dakota. A deepening cyclonic system,
however, was moving in on the west coast, just north of the
Canadian border. The system moved rapidly east-south-
eastward, producing precipitation (primarily in the form
of snow) over tbe Red River Basin, and causing a dip in
temperatures (fig. 8). As the Lowmoved off east of the
Basin, it was replaced by a polar High which, by afternoon
of April 4, dominated the circulation of the United States
from the west coast to the Mississippi.
A mass of polar air, building up in northwestern Canada
at this time, moved slowly east-southeastward in the next
24 hours. By afternoon of the 7th the forward edge of the
polar air mass had swept past the Red River Basin. Al-
though the center of the High remained in Canada, the
strong circulation around it poured cold air into North
Dakota and Minnesota and sent temperatures plunging
The High progressed eastward and was centered east of
Hudson Bay on the 9th. At this time a front, extending
from a ,Low in southern Wyoming, stretched eastward
marking the southern boundary of the polar air mass.
North of the front a huge area of precipitation from Ohio
to the Dakotas was created as warm moist air from the
Gulfof Mexico moved northward and was lifted over the
cold air mass. Precipitation in the form of freezing rain
and snow continued in most of the Red River area through
the 11 th when the Low was finally replaced by a wedge of
high pressure.
The cold air of the High dominated the Red River area
through April 14. In the following 2 days, two weak
frontal systems from the Pacificcrossed the Basin area
bringing in mild Pacific air. Skies cleared and tempera-
tures rose sharply (fig. 8). Still another Pacific system,
stronger and slower moving, crossed the North Dakota-
(fig. 8).
Minnesota region on the 17th, releasing some light pre-
cipitation over the Red River Basin. The influx of warm
Pacific air was renewed, again raising temperatures.
The passage of a complex frontal system on April 22,
however, was followed by a southward push of a polar
High from Canada. The Bermuda High at this time ex-
tended to great heights and was displaced westward so
that it intruded over the southeastern part of the country.
As a result, the polar High was halted midway in its prog-
ress soutbward. On the 24th, a small dynamic Lowde-
veloped in the cold air over North Dakota and moved
eastward while another Low developed in the Oklahoma-
Kansas area and moved slowly northeastward, deepening
as it went (fig. 9). By the 25th the two Lows had com-
bined (fig. lo). The strong circulation created by these
Lows pulled warm, moist air northward from the Gulf.
This air was then lifted over the denser polar air dominat-
ing the northeastern half of the country and caused wide-
spread precipitation.
The Bermuda High slowly gave way on the 25th, and
the deep Low pulled polar air down over North Dakota
and Minnesota (fig. 10). At many stations in the Red
River area maximum temperatures for the 25-27th were
at the freezing level or lower. Minimum temperatures
at this time were as low as 17' F. Devils Lake, N. Dak.,
reported 6.5 inches of snow on the 24th, and Red Lake
Indian Agency, Minn., reported 6.9 inches on the 25th.
FIGURE 7.-Isolines of percentage of normal precipitation from April 1,1950, to May 31,
1950.
FIGURE 8.-Precipitation and temperature, April to June 1950, Fargo, North Dakota.
174 M O N T H L Y W E A T H E SEPTEMBEB 1951
Pierce and Norton [2] have given a detailed discussion of
these critical meteorological conditions of April 24-26.
As the Low finally moved off to eastern Canada and
filled slowly, a new polar High descended over most of the
eastern two-thirds of the country (fig. 11). Early on the
29th, however, the Bermuda High began to reassert itself.
The southward progress of the polar air was halted and
the warm air, moving northward, was lifted over the cold
air mass. Precipitation fell over the Red River Basin on
the 29th and 30th as a result.
May weather in North Dakota was a continuation of
FIGURE 9.-Surface weather map for 0630 CST, April 24, 19.50. Shading indicates areas
of active precipitation.
one of the most marked seasons-in-reverse ever experi-
enced,while in Minnesota the spring months (March,
April, and May) were the coolest in 60 years of record
Snowfall in both North Dakota and Minnesota established
new records. In Minnesota the snowfall was the greatest
recorded in May since 1924; in North Dakota the snowfall
was twice the previous all-time high set in 1905.Precip-
itation in both States was above normal.
The main features of the general circulation in May to
which Aubert 131 attributed the anomalous precipitation
were a mean trough and center of negat,ive 700-mb. height
anomaly over the Dakotas. Again,however, a morede-
tailed picture of the critical weather conditions is given by
the day-to-day developments. As May opened, a polar
High dominated the Red River Valley. Early on the 2d,
however, the southerly winds of an approaching frontal
system lifted warm, moist air over the cold dome, releas-
ing heavy precipitation. Petersburg and Sharon, N.
Dak., each received 8 inches of snow, and ThiefRiver
Falls, Minn., reported 6 inches. Trail, Minn., recorded
3.05 inches of precipitation on the 2d.
The frontal system had not yet passed on t,he morning
of May 3, when another Low began to develop and deepen
in eastern Utah. The Bermuda High again pushedits
nose over the Southeast, retarding the southward push of
the polar air mass. Precipitation started again on the 4th,
and continued through the 6th as the circulation intensi-
fied with the rapid deepening of the Low. Just as the Low
appeared to be moving out of the range of influence, and
another polar High started to descend from the north, a
. ..
FIGURE IO.--Surtace weather map for 1230 CST, April 25,1950. FIOIJRE ll.-Surface weather map for 1230 CST, April 27,1950.
SEPTEMBER 1951 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW 175
newLow started to develop in Utah. The weather of
May 8-9 was a repetition of t,he storm of May 4-6, with
many stations reporting more than an inch of precipitation
in the 2 days. During the first 9 days of May many sta-
tions recorded more than 3 inches of precipitation; Sharon,
N. Dak., and Trail, Minn., each reported more than 5 inches.
The Pacific High advanced into the United States behind
the eastward moving Low and on May 10 extended as far
as the Red River Valley. It dominated t,he circulation
over the Basin until early afternoon of the 1 lth, when a
Canadian High moved down over most of the Red River
of the North. Then, as a frontal system passed to the east
of the Basin on the 13th, the Pacific High pressed eastward
over the area for a brief period.
On the 15th, polar air once more invaded the Red River
Valley, and temperatures which had soared briefly sank
again. Polar air remained over the Basin until the morn-
ing of the 18th, when an active Pacific front approached
(fig. 12). A strong flow from the south aloft over the Red
River area at this time indicated that warm 9ir was over-
running the cold. Many stations in the region reported
more than an inch of precipitation during the short period
between the front's approach and passage.
Very little precipitation occurred during the remaining
part of MaJ, as the Valleywas dominated first by the
Pacific High, then by the polar High from Canada. On
the last day of the month polar air again invaded the Red
River Valley.
The troughs and ridges in the general circulation pattern
of June were located slightly west of t,hose for the preced-
ing month, resulting in a corresponding shift in surface
temperature anomalies. (See Aubert [4].) Although not
so simply related to the general circula.tion, there were also
changes in precipitation anomaly patterns. Precipitation
in June was slightly above normal in northern Minnesota,
although in eastern North Dakota precipitation averaged
a little below normal. The record-breaking spring flood
in the lower Red River of the North continued in the
month of June.
On June 2, a cold front from Canada moved southeast-
ward across the North Dakota-Minnesota region with a
great High behind it. The High settled in the Great Basin
and controlled the circulation of t,he major part of the
country through the 5th.
FIOURE la.-Surface weather map for 0930 CST, June 6,1950.
FIGURE l2.-Surface weather map for1230 CST, May 18, 1950. FIGURE 14.-Surface weather map for 0930 CST, June 7,1950.
176 M O N T H L P W E A T H E R SEPTEMBER 1951
On the 6th, a strong frontal system approached the Red
River Basin from the west. The front lay in a low pressure
trough that extended southwestward over the Plateau,
where a Low was developing over the Nevada-Idaho-Ut,ah
area..(Seefig.13.) The Low resulted in the lowest pres-
sure on record for June for points in Nevada and Utah
(see O'Connor and Norton [5 ]), and on the 7th its strong
circulation pulled warm, moist air up from the south and
lifted it over the cold dense air that had invaded the Valley
of the Red River of the North (fig. 14). Many stat,ions
on the North Dakota side of the Basin received more than
half an inch of rain as a result of this activity.
The Low traveled north-northeastward a t a slow pace,
releasing precipitation intermittently over the River Basin
until the 10th. A polar High replaced the Low and domi-
nated the circulation of the north-central part of the
country through the morning of the 12th. The pressure
fieldwas very flat from the 12th through the 14th-
winds were light, skies comparatively clear, and temper-
atures rose well above the average.
The passage of a new frontal system from the west
pulled a Canadian polar front down over the Basin on
the 16th. Precipitation occurred behind the front with
at least six stations reporting 0.80 inch, while Sharon,
N. Dak., reported 1.25 inches. The Canadian High
which moved down behind the polar front dominated the
circulation for 2 days, after which an extension of the
Pacific High became the major influence.
60
50
:4 0
'30
20
- 40 I- W
w U
- 30
a
W
(I)
I- In 2 0
10 -
I SLAGE __-
C""-jh?\
RED RIVER OF THE NORTH
WAHPETON, N. DAKOTA
O O 2b 25 30 4 9 I 4 19 24 29 3 0 1; 1'8
MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE, 1950
On June 21, a frontal system from the Pacificlay
through central Montana, its Low north of the Canadian
border. The frontal system moved eastward slowly
while the Low in south-central Canada deepened rapidly.
The Pacific cold front swept past the Red River Basin
area late on the 22d, and on the 23d the intense cyclonic
circulation pulled a polar front from Canada down across
the North Dakota-Minnesota region.
The Low in Canada now moved rapidly northeastward,
but low pressure started to develop in the Great Basin.
The strong cyclonic circulation halted the front just past
the River Basin area and pulled warm air laden with
moisture up from the south. Precipitation resulted at
many stations but much greater amounts were reported
on the following day as the Great Basin Lowdeepened
and moved rapidly northeastward. The combination of
strong overrunning and sharp cyclonic turning resulted in
such rainfall totals as 6 inches at the Fosston Power Plant,
Minn.; 6.50 inches at Leonard, Minn.; and 4.10 inches at
Mahnomen, Minn.
The passage of this Low brought an extension of the
Pacific High deep into the United States where it gov-
erned the weather until the passage of a minor polar
front on the 27th. The High whichfollowedbehindthe
front controlled the weather of the Red River of the
North until the end of the month.
FLOOD OF 1950
The preceding discussion of meteorologicalconditions
shows that the recordflooding of the Red River of the
North during the spring of 1950 was due to a combination
of several factors, namely, heavy snowfallaccumulation
during the winter, late break-up or prolonged cold weather
in the spring, and moderate to heavy precipitation near
the time of break-up.
Flooding began along the Red River of the North at
Wahpeton, N. Dak., and Fargo-Moorhead on March 31,
spreading downstream to Grand Forks, N. Dak., by April
10 (see fig. 15). It reached a crest of 11.92 feet at Wahpe-
ton, N. Dak., on April 2, slightly higher than the 1947
flood but considerably lower than the 1943 and 1897
floods. (Table 1 gives a resume of the duration of the
TABLE 1.-Duration and crest stages of 1950 j h o d of the Red River of
the North
I I
Dates above flood stage 1950 Duration Flood of floodstage Station
I
From- 1 To- (days)
I
(feet)
Wahpeton, N. Dsk.". May 9 10 5 Apr. 4 Mar. 31
May 18 May 6
21
. . . . -. - -. 3 Apr. 20 Mar. 31 Moorhead, Minn- ....._
May 11
17
13 . -. - - - - - - Grand Forks, N. Dak.. Apr. 7 June 4 59 30
Pombina, N. Dak ._.___ Apr. 21 'June10 51 42
*Interpolated from hydrograph for Emerson, Manitoba.
Crest
(feet) dat'e %$
"
May 10 Apr. 3 11.9 27.2 Apr. 8
2 4 9 May 13
11.9
52.9 May 14 51.7 May 1
43.9 Apr. 25
45.8 May 12
FIOURE 15.-Hydrographs at selected stations, March %-June 15, 1950.
SEPTEMBER 1951 MONTHLY W E A T H E R R E V I E W
TARLE 2.-Comparative crest stage data of major flood8 of the Red River of the North
177
1897 1916 Flood Station
D~~~ 72%
Stage (feet) stage
(feet)
Wahpeton, N. Dak.
4/6/16 31.2 4/7/1897 t40.1 17 Moorhead Minn ...
._..... 4/-/1897 t19.0 10
Grand Fbrks, N. 30 50.2
4/24/16 785.16 4/-/1897 $791.2 __..__ Emerson, Manitoba.
..__..._ -..-... .___...__.. ......- 42 Pembina, N. Dak."
..."" 4/-/1897 #41 ..__.. Drayton, N. Dak ...
4/17/16 41.0 4/10/1897 Dak.
'Highwater mark. t Prior to gage records.
#From marks furnished by local residents.
1920 I 1943 1 1947 I 1948 I 1950 I Highest of record
.__.. .___..._. '14.75 4/2/43 11.94/12/47
23.6
1
3/28/20
1
34.3
I
4/7/43
1 %3:; 4/15/47
1 ilk 41.03/29/2038.2 4/12/43 4/22/47
.____.___ 33.74/17-19/4333.14128.14740.05
""""_ ""." """_..... """_ ._""". '148.5
._...___. 776.974120-21/43775.505/1/47787.41
I-
Date Date ::&g
_I__
4/6/48
4/10/48 }t19.o { $$$ 11.9
50.2 4/25/50 43.9 4/16/48 t40.1 4/8/50 27.2
4/22/48 40.9 4/26/50 41.6
4/27/48
791.7 4/30/50 7w). 6 4/27/48
52.9 5/1/50 51.7
45.8 5112-13/50
41.6 5/12/50
52.9 6/14/50
791.7 5/16-17/50
**Estimated from data for Emerson, Manitoba. tA4bove mean sea level.
1950 flood and height of crests on the Red River of the
North and table 2 gives comparative crest stage data of
all major floods on the river.) The crest moveddown-
stream about 14 miles per day in the reach above Moor-
head, Minn., reaching Fargo-Moorhead on April 8 a t a
stage of 27.2 feet, 1.7 feet lower t,han in t,he flood of 1947
and considerably lower than the record flood of 1897. In
the reach between Moorhead, Minn. and Grand Forks,
N. Dak., the crest movement sloweddown to less than
10 miles per day reaching Grand Forks, N. Dak., on
April 25 at a stage of 43.9 feet, the highest level since
1897. Red Lake River, a tributary of the Red on the
Minnesota side above Grand Forks, reached a crest of 24
feet a t Crookston, Minn., on April 23. Here the dikes
were overtopped causing water to flow across .low areas
of the city. Approximately 75 city blocks of the residen-
tial area of Crookston were inundated and about 150
families evacuated. The floodmoved downstream to the
international boundary by the end of April, reaching a
stage of 51.7 feet at Pembina, N. Dak., the highest stage
in the history of the station.
While the first crest was reaching Pembina, N. Dak., a
second rise was develorhg. in the reach between Moor-
Date
April -, 1897.
April 7, 1897. April 10.1897.
May 12, 1950.
May 14,1950.
May 16-17,1950.
second rise to a record crest of 52.9 feet between the 12th
and 14th. The flooded areas were report,ed up to 30 miles
wide in places near Pembina and generally around 10
miles in width from Drayton, N. Dak., northward.
At least nine persons lost their lives by drowning.
Heavy damage resulted to highways and bridges from the
severe prolonged flooding. The loss of livestock and
property was tremendous.
COMPARISON WITH 1897 FLOOD
Although a higher crest was reached during the flood
of 1897 at Grand Forks, N. Dak., the duration of the
flood of 1950 was much greater and the losses as a result
of the long period of inundation were much heavier. A
comparison of the hydrographs for the two floods is given
in figure 16.
Further information on the flood of 1897 is provided
by the following newspaper account which appeared in
the Globe at St. Paul, Minn., on April 10, 1897:
GRAND FORKS, N. D., April 9.-From
3 to 5 o'clock this afternoon the water receded
one inch * * *. Since that time, the rise
head, Minn., and the confluence of the Bois des Sioux and 8o
Ottertail Rivers from the steady rains and additional
snowfall during the first few days of May. By May 8, 70
2 to 3 inches of additional moisture had accumulated.
The maximum temperatures during the first 7 days of the 6o
month ranged from 40° to 50' F. over the southern portion ~o
of the basin; by May 11, a high of 70' F. was recorded.
The runoff was particularly heavy from all of the 40
tributaries in Minnesota which flow into the Red of the $
North. Flooding was extremely severe along the Red 30
Lake River at Crookston, Minn., with the crests on 2o
May 7 (25.3 feet) and May 10 (24.8 feet) higher than the
first crest of 24.0 feet on April 23. The crests along the 10
main stem of the Red of the North from Grand Forks to
Pembina, N. Dak., were from 1 to 2 feet higher than in ' 0 5 10 15 bPRlL 20 25 30 5 10 15 M bY PO zs 30 4 JUNE v 14
Dak., during the first 6 days of May before beginning its June 14,1950.
.,
1 I837
The river receded Only Oe7 foot at Pembina' N* F~PURE 16.-Hydrographs at GrandForks, N. D&, Aprill-Msy31,1897,andAprlll-
178 M O N T H L Y W E A T H E SEPTEXB~ 1951
amounts to more than half an inch an hour
* * *. The water is almost on to Third Street,
and, if the rise continues during the night, it will
leave 25 blocks of paving on that street under
water. So far but two and a half blocks of paving
are ruined. The bridges a t Minnesota Point
are badly wrecked and are only kept from seeking
the bottom of the river by strong cables. Both
raiIroad bridges are wrecked somewhat, and men
have been stationed on the structures for several
hours shattering the larger pieces of ice with
dynamite before the bridges are struck. Ice
continued to run until a late hour tonight, and
a big gorge is held back by the approach to the
Great Northern.
A dozen reports have reached here from points
below the city of whole families huddled on top
of haystacks or houses, together with livestock,
and with no way to get away. Barges were
floated 2 miles down, and a family and a large
amount of stock were saved, and it was none too
soon. English Coulee has filled today and covers
an area of several miles, taking a Northern Pacific
bridge away. Farmers in that section are on the
higher ground, and they will be unable to extri-
cate themselves until a boat is sent down the
river * * *.
Sevenmiles north of the city the ice has
formed a gorge 2 mileslong and this is prob-
ably holding much of the water, and an effort
will be made to move it. Business is suspended
in East Grand Forks in all but half a dozen
places, and traffic between the two cities is
suspended. An ice pier of one bridge went out
today and the structure has been badly damaged
as a result. An immense amount of damage
has already been done, but, if the water con-
tinues a t the present rate until morning, it will
reach an enormous sum. I t is impossible to get
’ more dynamite and all that is here is being used
to protec,t bridges, and the big gorgewill be
moved by boat if possible. The water is 3 feet
higher than when a steamboat landed on Third
Street in 1882.
BRECKENRIDGE, Minn., April 9.-Few
traces of the flood are left in Wilkin county and
the ground is drying rapidly. The weather this
week has been very fine and some parties, whose
land is high, expect to begin seeding early next
week.
FARGO, N. D., April 9.-The water continues
to fall steadily and the city looks much as the
neighborhood of Ararat must have looked after
the deluge.
PEMBINA, N. D., April 9.-Since noon yes-
terday the water has risen about 4.5 feet in the
Red. I t will reach its height about the 18th of
April, judging from the level above and the
condit,ions of the stream.
BUSTON, N. D., April 9.-The mail carriers
from Belmont, 10 miles east of here, on the Red
River, bring serious reports of the flood at that
place. Belmont was established as a trading
post by the Hudson Bay Co. The site selected
is the highest ground between Lake Traverse and
Winnipeg Lake, and was supposed to be above
the reach of any flood. Up to this time this sup-
position has been correct. Today, however, all
past records of high waters have been reached
and passed, and the Red is steadily rising at the
rate of a foot an hour. The water has reached
Front Street, and is on a level with the build-
ings. * * * With every tributary from Lake
Traverse to Grand Forks a raging torrent, and
the lower river still solid, it is feared that tremen-
dous ice gorges will be formed which would flood
the entire valley with backwater.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Acknowledgment is due Mr. Bennett Swenson, chief,
River Services Section for initiating this study and for
his suggestions and guidance in the preparation of this
report; to James E. Caskey, Jr., editor of the Monthly
Weather Review for his suggestions and comments; to
Lillian K. Rubin, Hydrometeorological Section for her
analysis of the meteorological situation (critical period
weather); and to Ralph W. Shultz, Weather Bureau
Office, Fargo, N. Dak., for forwarding data on the flood.
Special acknowledgment is due the U. S. Geo1ogica.l
Survey Office, Bismarck, N. Dak., for their cooperation
in furnishing the Pargo Weather Bureau Office the current
river stages and comparative river stage data for their
stations.
REFERENCES
1. Jay S. Winston, “The Weather and Circulation ofApril
1950,” Monthly Weather Review, vol. 78,No. 4,
April 1950, pp. 69-70.
2 . Charles H. Pierce and Lewis C. Norton, “Meteorol-
ogical Conditions Affecting Floods and Heavy Snow
in North Dakota and Minnesota, April 24-26, 1950,”
Monthly Weather Review, vol. 78, No. 4, April 1950,
3. Eugene J. Aubert, “The Weather and Circulation of
May 1950,” Monthly Weather Review, vol. 78, No. 5,
May.1950, pp. 81-83.
4. Eugene J. Aubert, “The Weather and Circulation of
June 1950,” Monthly Weather Review, vol. 78, No. 6,
June 1950, pp. 102-104.
5. James F. O’Connor and Lewis C. Norton, “A Late-
Season Storm over the Plateau Area,” Monthly
Weather Reaiew, vol. 78, No. 6, June 1950, pp.
pp. 71-74.
105-111.