Prior to the arrival of 2019, area residents were greeted by the arrival of something else: winter.

An Alberta Clipper (a low pressure system formed east of the Canadian Rocky Mountains) dropped an average of 3-5 inches of snow in the surrounding area on Christmas Day. The winter snow system caused the N.D. Department of Transportation to issue a statewide travel alert the next day.

A few days before New Year’s Eve would see another snowfall, that time from a Colorado Low (a low pressure system formed off of the Colorado Rocky Mountains) coming through. Area snowfall amounts varied from 4 inches in Bottineau to 8 inches in Harvey, Towner and Kief, 10 inches three miles north of Martin, and 11 inches on Lake George and in Anamoose.

Zack Hargrove, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Bismarck, said these kinds of low pressure systems are typical causes of North Dakota winter weather.

“When we get snowstorms, it’s going to come from one of those two,” Hargrove said.

The Alberta Clipper also brought with it a cold snap, which hit the area on New Year’s Day quickly and, Hargrove noted, later than usual.

Hargrove said there may be a slight chance of a snow shower this weekend.