The Success and Setbacks of the North Dakota Pathfinder Program

Pathfinder collaboration projects have been a widely successful example of how weather and road transportation entities can come together to craft a consistent pre-storm message that ultimately serves to keep travelers safe. From 2012 through 2022, North Dakota averaged nearly 10 Blizzard Warning events per year. Blizzards in North Dakota can be quite impactful. The vastly open terrain and lack of tree cover allows for winds to frequently exceed 50 mph during these events. The result is hours to days of blizzard conditions that are dangerous to those outdoors or traveling. They have also been known to close businesses, schools, and roadways. Realizing the potential for these extreme impacts to personal safety and state commerce, the North Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) partnered with agencies of comparable missions to start their own Pathfinder program, which became operational in the winter of 2020-2021. Hesitancy during the start up process did cause some setbacks at first, and even during the operational period there were some areas noted to improve on. However, after three winters of operating this collaborative program, the success stories have outnumbered the setbacks. The biggest success of the project has been the ability of state agencies, the National Weather Service, and the private weather enterprise to work together towards a common goal of protecting travelers and minimizing the impacts to the state economy during hazardous weather events.

This presentation will detail the history of the North Dakota Pathfinder program, followed by showcasing its many successes, and then discussing its future goals. The successes shared in this presentation will prove the importance of a state Pathfinder program, even in a rural state where hesitancy was noted at first. The goal is to inspire current and future programs, even in rural communities, by sharing these success stories and displaying the value of a Pathfinder program.