Significant Weather Events on March 11
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March 11–12, 1897 – Great Snowstorm: A major winter storm struck Minnesota, dumping 6–16 inches of snow across the state. Central and northern areas were hit hard; observers in nearby regions reported 6–12 inches, and New London (central MN) recorded 16 inches. The heavy snowfall from this March 11–12 storm, combined with earlier snows, set the stage for severe spring flooding in April 1897 along rivers like the Red Lake and Red River. (The Red Lake River runs through Thief River Falls, so the city braced for high water that spring.)
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March 11, 1948 – Record Cold: An arctic air outbreak brought record-breaking cold to Minnesota on March 11, 1948. Moose Lake, in east-central Minnesota, hit –41 °F – the state record low temperature for that date. Every part of Minnesota saw subzero lows that morning, and in Thief River Falls and the northwest region temperatures plummeted into the –30s°F. This 1948 cold wave still stands as one of the most frigid March days on record in Minnesota.
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March 11, 2019 – Heavy Snowfall: In 2019, an early-spring storm system brought wet, heavy snow to northwest Minnesota around March 10–11. Thief River Falls ended up buried under about 9–11 inches of snow by the night of March 10, part of a swath of 12+ inches that fell from the TRF area down toward Detroit Lakes. The high moisture content of the snow made travel difficult, and the National Weather Service noted the event’s heavy snow water equivalent (1–1.5″ of water in the snowpack). Residents spent March 11 digging out from that significant snowfall.
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March 11–12, 2023 – Blizzard Conditions: On this weekend, a potent winter storm hit the Northern Plains and upper Midwest. Blizzard or near-blizzard conditions developed across the Red River Valley and northwest Minnesota on March 11–12, 2023. Winds gusted high and snow fell at 1–2″ per hour in parts of the region. Travel was severely impacted; highways near Thief River Falls and Grand Forks were closed or advised no-travel due to whiteout conditions. By the storm’s end, 6–12 inches of snow had accumulated widely (with locally higher drifts), making this mid-March blizzard one of the more intense recent spring storms.
Local Political Developments on March 11
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1953 – First Woman Mayor in Minnesota: Thief River Falls made history in 1953 by electing Agnes Israelson as mayor – the first woman to serve as a city mayor in Minnesota. Israelson’s groundbreaking election was a significant local and state milestone, shattering a glass ceiling in Minnesota politics. (She took office in 1954 after the election.) Her tenure demonstrated Thief River Falls’ early role in advancing women’s leadership in government.
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Annual “Township Day” Elections: In the communities surrounding Thief River Falls, the second Tuesday in March (often landing on March 11) is known as Township Day – a day for grassroots local governance. On this date each year, Minnesota’s township governments hold their annual meetings and elections, where residents directly vote on local officials and tax levies. For example, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, all 1,700+ townships in Minnesota convened their annual meetings. While the City of Thief River Falls itself is not a township, many rural voters in the TRF area take part in this March 11 tradition of direct democracy at the township level, making it an important local civic event.
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COVID-19 Pandemic Response: A recent development with local impact occurred on March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic (prompting state and local emergency measures). In the weeks after that declaration, Thief River Falls’ city and county officials mobilized pandemic response efforts. By mid-March 2020, Pennington County had activated its emergency operations, and the city council adapted policies for public safety. The March 11 announcement marked the start of an unprecedented period in which TRF’s local government had to implement health mandates, allocate relief funds, and coordinate with state authorities – a major civic challenge triggered on that date.