Winter got an early start for eastern Minnesota, with one of the earliest snowstorms in recent years.
A classic winter storm hit eastern Minnesota on November 13th and tapered off in northeast Minnesota on the 14th. This storm left a blanket of snow in a band about a 100 miles wide from western Iowa, though south central Minnesota and the Twin Cities and north to the Minnesota Arrowhead. The highest total reported in Minnesota was 12 inches near Maple Grove in Hennepin County. The National Weather Service Office in Duluth saw 10.6 inches. The Twin Cities International Airport had 8.0 inches from the storm with 7.7 inches falling on November 13. This was the largest snowfall for a calendar day for November in the Twin Cities since 12.6 inches fell with the Post-Thanksgiving Snowstorm of November 29, 1991.
The heavy wet snow stuck to power lines and trees and the heavy weight of the snow caused large tree branches to snap and fall, causing power outages. At one time 70,000 Xcel Energy customers were without power on Saturday, November 13. All but just a few hundred had power restored by the evening of the 15th. Thunder was reported with the snow too during the morning hours of the 13th, with visibilities down to a 1/4 mile in heavy snow at the Twin Cities International Airport.
Just as notable was the amount of precipitation that fell with this storm. Much of eastern Minnesota saw around an inch of liquid precipitation, with places in southeastern Minnesota seeing 1.5 to 2 inches of precipitation. In essence, about a month's worth of November precipitation fell with this storm over southeastern Minnesota. The highest two day precipitation found was near Elgin in Olmsted County with 2.62 inches.
Listed below are Public Information Statements and Storm Summaries from the National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
110 AM CST MON NOV 15 2010
...SNOWFALL REPORTS FROM THE NOVEMBER 13TH WINTER STORM...
LOW PRESSURE DEEPENED AS IT MOVED FROM CENTRAL IOWA EARLY ON THE
13TH TO NORTHERN WISCONSIN BY EARLY ON THE 14TH. THIS FAVORED
WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS MUCH OF MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN.
ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURES WERE COLD ENOUGH FOR THIS TO BE SNOWFALL
ACROSS MUCH OF MINNESOTA...AND WAS THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT
ACCUMULATION OF THE SEASON FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.
THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY
THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.
SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT
INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
12.00 3 WSW MAPLE GROVE MN HENNEPIN 1111 PM
11.00 WINNEBAGO MN FARIBAULT 0700 AM
11.00 EDEN PRAIRIE MN HENNEPIN 1030 AM
11.00 1 SSW WYOMING MN CHISAGO 0400 PM
10.70 RUSH CITY MN CHISAGO 0231 PM
10.40 WSW LONG LAKE MN HENNEPIN 0600 AM
10.40 CHANHASSEN MN CARVER 0600 AM
10.10 NEW HOPE MN HENNEPIN 0102 PM
10.00 3 N FOREST LAKE MN CHISAGO 0104 PM
10.00 SW BURNSVILLE MN DAKOTA 0216 PM
10.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 0951 AM
10.00 MONTGOMERY MN LE SUEUR 1130 AM
10.00 AMBOY MN BLUE EARTH 0930 AM
9.60 HUTCHINSON MN MCLEOD 0700 AM
9.50 NORTH BRANCH MN CHISAGO 0819 AM
9.50 VADNAIS HEIGHTS MN RAMSEY 0708 PM
9.50 NEW MARKET MN SCOTT 0258 PM
9.20 2 W PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT 0600 AM
9.20 ST LOUIS PARK MN HENNEPIN 0703 PM
9.20 NORTH BRANCH MN CHISAGO 0703 PM
9.10 WACONIA MN CARVER 0700 AM
9.00 1 NE MINNESOTA LAKE MN BLUE EARTH 0953 PM
9.00 3 NNW MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 1243 PM
9.00 CHISAGO CITY MN CHISAGO 0301 PM
8.60 1 W CARVER MN CARVER 0600 AM
8.60 MADELIA MN WATONWAN 1025 AM
8.50 1 SE CHASKA MN CARVER 0148 PM
8.50 EDINA MN HENNEPIN 0505 PM
8.40 1 SE HENDERSON MN LE SUEUR 0600 AM
8.30 5 SE ELK RIVER MN ANOKA 0148 PM
8.20 INVER GROVE HEIGHTS MN DAKOTA 0715 PM
8.00 MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 1200 PM
MEASURED AT THE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
8.00 SHAKOPEE MN SCOTT 0703 PM
7.70 3 NW AFTON MN WASHINGTON 0726 AM
7.70 4 NE WOODBURY MN WASHINGTON 0600 AM
7.30 3 SE LAKE ELMO MN WASHINGTON 0800 AM
7.20 ROCKFORD MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM
7.00 HAMBURG MN CARVER 0800 AM
6.70 LAKEVILLE MN DAKOTA 0703 PM
6.50 6 NW RICE LAKE WI BARRON 1024 AM
6.50 FARMINGTON MN DAKOTA 0700 AM
5.50 3 N QUAMBA MN KANABEC 0712 AM
5.00 1 E CUMBERLAND WI BARRON 0205 PM
5.00 CANNON FALLS MN GOODHUE 0700 AM
5.00 1 SSW RIVER FALLS WI PIERCE 0600 AM
4.80 ROBERTS WI ST. CROIX 0800 AM
4.00 BALDWIN WI ST. CROIX 0700 AM
4.00 ZUMBROTA MN GOODHUE 0700 AM
3.00 STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON 0712 AM
3.00 REDWOOD FALLS MN REDWOOD 0700 AM
3.00 2 SE CHETEK WI BARRON 0600 AM
3.00 7 S HILLMAN MN MORRISON 1111 PM
2.90 MILACA MN MILLE LACS 0700 AM
2.50 RED WING MN GOODHUE 0813 AM
2.50 OWATONNA MN STEELE 0700 AM
2.30 3 WNW LADYSMITH WI RUSK 0600 AM
2.10 SPRING VALLEY WI PIERCE 0800 AM
2.00 RICE MN BENTON 0700 AM
2.00 JIM FALLS WI CHIPPEWA 0600 AM
2.00 2 NNW SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN 0600 AM
1.10 ELK MOUND WI DUNN 0700 AM
1.10 N WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI 0700 AM
0.90 ST CLOUD MN STEARNS 1201 AM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
421 PM CST SUN NOV 14 2010
THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET
CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE
FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.
SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT
INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
11.00 7 NW DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 1045 AM
RICE LAKE TOWNSHIP. MANY TREES BENT OVER TO
NEAR BREAKING FROM THE WEIGHT OF SNOW. 2.8
INCHES OF SNOW OVERNIGHT AND THIS MORNING.
11.00 HAWTHORNE WI DOUGLAS 0830 AM
10.90 4 S BRUNO MN PINE 0800 AM
2.0 ADDITIONAL INCHES SINCE 11 PM LAST NIGHT.
SNOW HAS COMPACTED TO A DEPTH OF 8 INCHES.
10.60 5 NW DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 1000 AM
0.3 INCHES IN THE PAST HOUR AT THE NWS OFFICE
AT THE DULUTH AIRPORT.
10.50 MAPLE WI DOUGLAS 0900 AM
8.40 2 E ESKO MN CARLTON 0900 AM
3 INCHES FELL OVERNIGHT. CORRECTED LOCATION.
8.20 HOLYOKE MN CARLTON 0930 AM
SNOW FELL FROM ABOUT 645 AM NOV 13 TO 8 AM
NOV 14.
8.00 CLOQUET MN CARLTON 0207 PM
8.00 OULU WI BAYFIELD 1100 AM
8.00 SOUTH RANGE WI DOUGLAS 0830 AM
7.80 2 E PAYNE MN ST. LOUIS 0817 AM
MEASURED AT NICHOLS LAKE.
7.60 DANBURY WI BURNETT 0721 AM
1.47 INCHES OF LIQUID.
7.50 4 E ISLAND LAKE MN ST. LOUIS 0900 AM
7.50 3 WNW CLOQUET MN CARLTON 0836 AM
7.50 4 SW SAWYER MN CARLTON 0818 AM
1.75 INCHES SINCE MIDNIGHT AND 0.86 INCHES OF
LIQUID PRECIPITATION. SNOW HAS ENDED.
7.20 2 W BAYFIELD WI BAYFIELD 0729 AM
7.00 2 N MELLEN WI ASHLAND 0345 PM
MEASURED STORM SNOWFALL TOTAL.
7.00 11 NE GRAND MARAIS MN COOK 0130 PM
7.00 3 NNW ILLGEN CITY MN LAKE 0950 AM
AT WOLF RIDGE ELC
7.00 4 W CLAM LAKE WI BAYFIELD 0700 AM
0.98 INCHES OF LIQUID. CORRECTED FOR STORM
TOTAL VALUES.
6.90 CHISHOLM MN ST. LOUIS 0800 AM
SNOW HAS COMPACTED TO A DEPTH OF 4.5 INCHES
6.60 SARONA WI WASHBURN 1228 PM
5 INCH SNOW DEPTH.
6.50 5 NNE GRAND MARAIS MN COOK 0335 PM
MEASURED 5 MILES UP THE GUNFLINT TRAIL FROM
GRAND MARAIS. SNOW IS COMING TO AN END.
6.50 SAGINAW MN ST. LOUIS 1110 AM
6.50 4 N GRANTSBURG WI BURNETT 0930 AM
LOTS OF TREE BRANCHES DOWN FROM WEIGHT OF
SNOW.
6.20 8 S HAYWARD WI SAWYER 1005 AM
6.00 CORNUCOPIA WI BAYFIELD 1110 AM
5.80 LUTSEN MN COOK 0237 PM
ANOTHER 3 INCHES OF SNOW SINCE ORIGINAL
REPORT AROUND 715 AM.
5.80 6 W TWO HARBORS MN ST. LOUIS 0700 AM
ANOTHER 0.5 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
5.30 2 WSW HAYWARD WI SAWYER 0713 AM
5.00 GILE WI IRON 0700 AM
4.90 3 WSW HINCKLEY MN PINE 0630 AM
4.80 2 S TOWER MN ST. LOUIS 0730 AM
4.80 ELY MN ST. LOUIS 0700 AM
STARTED YESTERDAY AROUND 930AM.
4.70 WRENSHALL MN CARLTON 0950 AM
4.00 20 N TOFTE MN COOK 0120 PM
4.00 COTTON MN ST. LOUIS 1210 PM
3.60 NASHWAUK MN ITASCA 0700 AM
3.50 3 SW SNOWBANK LAKE MN LAKE 0126 PM
3.50 6 SE GUNFLINT LAKE MN COOK 0846 AM
MEASURED AT POPLAR LAKE ALONG THE GUNFLINT
TRAIL.
3.50 12 N ISLE MN AITKIN 0800 AM
3.00 5 S HERBSTER WI BAYFIELD 1100 AM
2.50 5 SE GRAND RAPIDS MN ITASCA 1000 AM
0.18 INCHES OF LIQUID.
2.50 SILVER BAY MN LAKE 0800 AM
2.50 GRAND RAPIDS MN ITASCA 0700 AM
2.30 LITTLEFORK MN KOOCHICHING 0800 AM
2.20 GURNEY WI IRON 0700 AM
1.25 INCHES OF LIQUID.
2.00 5 S HERBSTER WI BAYFIELD 0727 AM
0.5 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
2.00 BOWSTRING MN ITASCA 0702 AM
2.00 BREEZY POINT MN CROW WING 0700 AM
1.80 7 NW BRAINERD MN CROW WING 0700 AM
1.70 INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN KOOCHICHING 1250 PM
0.1 INCHES IN THE LAST 6 HOURS
1.50 3 N BRAINERD MN CROW WING 0900 AM
1.50 KABETOGAMA MN ST. LOUIS 0700 AM
1.10 MADELINE ISLAND WI ASHLAND 0735 AM
1.00 7 ESE SUPERIOR WI DOUGLAS 1000 AM
ALONG THE AMNICON RIVER NORTH OF HWY 13
0.50 3 NE NISSWA MN CROW WING 0818 AM
0.40 WEST DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 0151 PM
0.20 9 N BAYFIELD WI BAYFIELD 0700 AM
0.71 INCHES OF LIQUID. MOSTLY RAIN...MIXED
WITH SNOW.
0.00 SUPERIOR WI DOUGLAS 0830 AM
TRACE OF SNOW IN SUPERIOR. RAIN MIXING IN HAS
LIMITED ACCUMULATIONS.