The December 8-9, 2012 snowstorm is the largest snowstorm for the Twin Cities since the 13.8 inches that fell in the February 20-21, 2011 storm.
Winter arrived in a big way across central and southern Minnesota with a winter storm and blizzard that began late in the day of December 8 and tapered off late in the evening on December 9. A potent area of low pressure moved from southern Montana across southern South Dakota on December 9th and to Lake Huron by the 10th. There were copious amounts of moisture with this storm along with plenty of cold air to assure most of the precipitation would fall as snow. The heaviest snow fell in a 60 mile wide band from Canby and Olivia in west central Minnesota, eastward across the northern Twin Cities and further east into West Central Wisconsin. winter storm warnings were posted for the Twin Cities, with blizzard warnings across western Minnesota.
Some of the higher storm totals found include 17.3 inches at Sacred Heart in Renville County and 16.5 inches in Forest Lake in Washington County and 15.2 inches at Maplewood in Ramsey County. The Twin Cities International Airport measured 10.6 inches making this the largest snowstorm at the Twin Cities International Airport since February 20-21, 2011. The largest snowstorm in December is the "Domebuster" storm of December 10-11, 2010.
The 10.5 inches that fell on December 9th at the Twin Cities International Airport is the 4th highest calendar day snowfall for December.
Top Four Calendar Day Snowfalls for December (beginning with the winter of 1884-85) date snowfall (inches) 12/11/2010 16.3 (December 10 - 11 storm total = 17.1) 12/28/1982 12.0 (December 27 - 28 storm total = 16.5) 12/17/1908 10.8 12/9/2012 10.5
This snow had high water content with it with precipitation amounts from .75 to over an inch of liquid for the storm total. The Twin Cities International Airport saw .95 inches of liquid from this event, the heaviest daily precipitation total since July 24, 2012. The warm pavement at the start of the storm, coupled with the high water content and the rapidly cooling temperatures caused secondary roads to have washboard ice for days after the event, making travel difficult. High temperatures in the low 40's helped to melt this snow on December 12 and travel became easier.
Listed below is a Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 115 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012 ...FINAL SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM THE DEC 8-9 STORM... SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY ------ ----------------------- -- -------------- 17.30 SACRED HEART MN RENVILLE 17.00 3 SE LAKE ELMO MN WASHINGTON 16.50 1 SW CHISAGO CITY MN CHISAGO 16.50 FOREST LAKE MN WASHINGTON 16.50 3 SW ISANTI MN ISANTI 16.30 HUGO MN WASHINGTON 16.20 MENOMONIE WI DUNN 16.00 CLEAR LAKE MN SHERBURNE 15.90 4 SSE SILVER CREEK MN WRIGHT 15.50 ROBERTS WI ST. CROI 15.30 3 SSE HAM LAKE MN ANOKA 15.20 MENOMONIE WI DUNN 15.00 1 SW MONTEVIDEO MN CHIPPEWA 15.00 SPRING VALLEY WI PIERCE 14.70 EAU CLAIRE WI EAU CLAIRE OFFICIAL NWS OBSERVATION FROM WQOW. 14.70 1 ESE MILROY MN REDWOOD 14.30 ELK MOUND WI DUNN 14.20 1 NNW COLD SPRING MN STEARNS 14.10 2 WNW RICHFIELD MN HENNEPIN 14.00 3 W ROSEMOUNT MN DAKOTA 14.00 2 NE BUFFALO MN WRIGHT 14.00 4 E ELLSWORTH WI PIERCE 13.80 1 NE STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON 13.80 SE MAPLE LAKE MN WRIGHT 13.70 1 WSW LITTLE CANADA MN RAMSEY 13.60 CHANHASSEN MN CARVER OFFICIAL NWS OBSERVATION FROM THE NWS OFFICE IN CHANHASSEN 13.50 HASTINGS MN DAKOTA 13.50 1 NE ELK MOUND WI DUNN 13.50 5 ENE MINNEAPOLIS MN RAMSEY 13.50 SPRING LAKE PARK MN ANOKA 13.30 1 NNW NORTH ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 13.30 3 N BOYCEVILLE WI DUNN 13.30 2 N WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI 13.30 2 SW STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON 13.30 WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI 13.20 1 E MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 13.20 3 WSW PRINCETON MN SHERBURNE 13.10 2 NE MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 13.00 NW EAU CLAIRE WI EAU CLAIRE 13.00 2 SW STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON 13.00 3 NW REDWOOD FALLS MN REDWOOD 13.00 ANNANDALE MN WRIGHT 13.00 ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 12.90 MADISON MN LAC QUI PARLE 12.70 1 ENE ST MICHAEL MN WRIGHT 12.50 N CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI 12.50 1 SSW RIVER FALLS WI PIERCE 12.50 3 NE BURNSVILLE MN DAKOTA 12.40 LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON 12.30 7 ESE ST CROIX FALLS WI POLK 12.20 2 N MAPLEWOOD MN RAMSEY 12.20 RICE MN BENTON 12.10 2 E HAM LAKE MN ANOKA 12.00 1 WSW GOLDEN VALLEY MN HENNEPIN 12.00 9 NNE BIRD ISLAND MN RENVILLE 12.00 3 W ELLSWORTH WI PIERCE 12.00 ST CROIX FALLS WI POLK 12.00 1 NE WATSON MN CHIPPEWA 12.00 MILACA MN MILLE LACS 12.00 5 ESE CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI 11.80 NNW WATERTOWN MN CARVER 11.80 DURAND WI PEPIN 11.70 1 E ST CLOUD MN STEARNS 11.50 1 SSE SARTELL MN STEARNS 11.40 4 SSW MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 11.40 3 SW MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 11.30 1 N EDINA MN HENNEPIN 11.20 ST CLOUD MN STEARNS OFFICIAL NWS OBSERVATION 11.00 ANDOVER MN ANOKA 11.00 1 SW LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON 11.00 2 W PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT 11.00 ELK RIVER MN SHERBURNE 11.00 MELROSE MN STEARNS 11.00 3 SSW WOLF CREEK MN CHISAGO 11.00 ROCKFORD MN HENNEPIN 11.00 BRANDON MN DOUGLAS 11.00 ALBANY MN STEARNS 10.80 6 WNW ELLSWORTH WI PIERCE 10.80 1 SE CHASKA MN CARVER 10.70 1 S HAMPTON MN DAKOTA 10.60 MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN OFFICIAL NWS OBSERVATION TAKEN AT THE MSP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 10.60 DASSEL MN MEEKER 10.50 MORA MN KANABEC 10.50 RED WING MN GOODHUE 10.50 REDWOOD FALLS MN REDWOOD 10.50 RIDGELAND WI DUNN 10.40 2 W MONTGOMERY MN LE SUEUR 10.30 5 NNE BIG LAKE MN SHERBURNE 10.30 6 ESE DRESSER WI POLK 10.10 ROSEMOUNT MN DAKOTA 10.10 LONG PRAIRIE MN TODD 10.00 2 SW ROSEVILLE MN RAMSEY 10.00 1 SSE BLOOMINGTON MN HENNEPIN 10.00 1 NW MILAN MN CHIPPEWA 10.00 2 E STANLEY WI CLARK 10.00 WACONIA MN CARVER 10.00 2 NNW RED WING MN GOODHUE 10.00 3 SW CARLOS MN DOUGLAS 10.00 CHIPPEWA FALLS WI CHIPPEWA 10.00 2 ESE NEW AUBURN WI CHIPPEWA 10.00 CARLOS MN DOUGLAS 9.80 4 NE WOODBURY MN WASHINGTON 9.80 1 N WOODBURY MN WASHINGTON 9.60 WATERTOWN MN CARVER 9.20 1 SW EDINA MN HENNEPIN 9.10 HAMBURG MN CARVER 9.00 HOLCOMBE WI CHIPPEWA 9.00 CLAYTON WI POLK 9.00 HOLCOMBE WI CHIPPEWA 9.00 1 SSW JORDAN MN SCOTT 9.00 3 N KIMBALL MN STEARNS 8.80 JIM FALLS WI CHIPPEWA 8.70 3 ENE MONTGOMERY MN RICE 8.70 1 SSW LONSDALE MN RICE 8.70 JIM FALLS WI CHIPPEWA 8.20 NEW PRAGUE MN SCOTT 8.00 1 NNE CUMBERLAND WI BARRON 8.00 CUMBERLAND WI BARRON 7.90 2 SE CHETEK WI BARRON 7.50 2 NNW CRYSTAL MN HENNEPIN 7.20 1 W WOODLAND MN HENNEPIN 7.10 LAMBERTON MN REDWOOD 7.00 2 N CUMBERLAND WI BARRON 7.00 RIVER FALLS WI PIERCE 6.50 CHETEK WI BARRON 6.50 3 N ALEXANDRIA MN DOUGLAS 6.20 HAUGEN WI BARRON 6.00 5 ESE NEW PRAGUE MN RICE 6.00 MOTLEY MN MORRISON 5.90 5 WNW LADYSMITH WI RUSK 5.70 3 SE NEW ULM MN BROWN 5.70 MORRIS MN STEVENS 5.70 2 WNW LADYSMITH WI RUSK 5.50 1 SE HENDERSON MN SIBLEY 5.50 SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN 5.50 2 SE CAMERON WI BARRON 5.20 CANNON FALLS MN GOODHUE 5.00 MADELIA MN WATONWAN 5.00 5 NW GLEN FLORA WI RUSK 5.00 ZUMBROTA MN GOODHUE 5.00 1 S LADYSMITH WI RUSK 5.00 OWATONNA MN STEELE 5.00 MADELIA MN WATONWAN 4.90 4 E NERSTRAND MN GOODHUE 4.90 ONAMIA MN MILLE LACS 4.70 3 WSW PRINCETON MN SHERBURNE 4.40 1 E OWATONNA MN STEELE 4.30 NORTH MANKATO MN NICOLLET 3.80 FARIBAULT MN RICE 3.60 1 WSW WASECA MN WASECA 2.10 SW ELLENDALE MN STEELE 2.00 WELLS MN FARIBAULT 1.70 4 E MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 1.00 1 NE FAIRMONT MN MARTIN 1.00 WINNEBAGO MN FARIBAULT 1.00 3 SE ALBERT LEA MN FREEBORN 0.70 1 S BLUE EARTH MN FARIBAULT 0.40 FAIRMONT MN MARTIN