True   False   1) The Red River of the North flows north.

True   False   2) The months with the most precipitation are April and May, which is when the flooding occurs.

True   False   3) Snow melting off of nearby mountains flows into the Red River and several of its tributaries.

True   False   4) Ice jams tend to form on the river in the north, thus blocking the already melted snow in the south.

True   False   5) The Missouri River flows into the Red River, thus adding a tremendous amount of water.

True   False   6) The Red River Valley is very flat; so when the river floods, the water covers a large area..

True   False   7) The Red River is a young (< 10,000 years old) river; thus it has yet to carve a significant valley-floodplain.

True   False   8) The slope of the Red River is very steep; thus the water moves very rapidly.

True   False   9) The slope of the Red River is very shallow; thus the water has a tendency to pool.

True   False   10) Too many people live in the Red River Valley, which has led to massive erosion problems.

Matching: circle the letter of the statement which best answers each question.

11) What other major factor contributed to the Red River flood of 1997?
    a) there were no other factors that contributed
    b) the record cold temperatures throughout much of the area
    c) the record snowfalls throughout much of the area
    d) an unusually warm spring

12) What formed the Red River Valley, and made it so flat?
    a) it is the result of wind erosion over thousands of years
    b) it is the former lake bed of an ancient glacial lake
    c) since earthquakes never occur in the area, the ground has never moved.
    d) scientists and geologists do not know the answer

13) A blizzard has:
    a) winds above 35 miles an hour
    b) blowing snow and/or falling snow
    c) visibility near zero
    d) all of the above

14) What was the weather like for most of North Dakota and northwest Minnesota during the winter of 1996-97?
    a) more snow, warmer than average temperatures
    b) less snow, warmer than average temperatures
    c) more snow, colder than average temperatures
    d) less snow, colder than average temperatures

15) Which blizzard was considered the most devastating?
    a) Andy
    b) Franzi
    c) Elmo
    d) Hannah

Activity: Use the table to answer the questions below:

17) What percentage of normal was the snowfall during the 1996-97 winter compared with the average?
 
 
 

18) The city of Fargo received even more snow - 117 inches of snow!  Convert both 98.6 inches and 117 inches to feet and inches.
 
 

19) How much taller (or shorter) is the amount of snow when compared to the ceiling in your classroom?

Grand Forks:

Fargo:
 

20) How much snow did the eight blizzards alone contribute to the total accumulated snow in Grand Forks?  What percentage of the total accumulated snow in Grand Forks was a result of the eight blizzards?