Blizzard - December 19-20, 2012

Winter Storm and Blizzard clips southeast Minnesota on December 19th and 20.

A low pressure area that originated near the Oklahoma Panhandle on December 19th moved quickly to the northeast and by early afternoon on December 20 was located near Chicago. Heavy snow fell in a swath across Iowa and southern Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota as well. Snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches were common south and east of a line from Fairmont to Red Wing. Snow totals rapidly fell off northwest of this line to only about a half inch measured in the central Twin Cities area. The highest snowfall total found so far in Minnesota from this storm was 9.7 inches at Minnesota City in Winona County.

The biggest culprit with this storm were the strong winds that swept in behind the storms' wake. This caused blizzard conditions across southeast Minnesota. Despite the difficult driving conditions, highways and Interstates in Minnesota generally stayed open during the day of December 20. Interstate 35 was closed from the Iowa State Line to Albert Lea.

 


 

Listed below is a Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
245 PM CST THU DEC 20 2012

...UPDATED SNOWFALL TOTALS...

LOCATION      SNOWFALL  TIME    LAT/LON

MINNESOTA

...DODGE COUNTY...
MANTORVILLE                   7.5         1230 PM

...FILLMORE COUNTY...
SPRING VALLEY 3SW             8.0         0230 PM
HIGHLAND                      6.0         0230 PM
PETERSON 1S                   5.4         1230 PM

...HOUSTON COUNTY...
RENO 3SW                      4.9         1120 AM
LA CRESCENT 1N                4.7         0100 PM

...OLMSTED COUNTY...
ROCHESTER AIRPORT             7.0         1200 PM
DOVER 3S                      7.0         0230 PM
ROCHESTER SE SIDE             6.0         1030 AM
ROCHESTER WEST SIDE           6.0         1030 AM
ROCHESTER KTTC TV             5.6         0910 AM

...WABASHA COUNTY...
LAKE CITY                     7.5         1030 AM
WABASHA 7NW                   6.0         1100 AM
WABASHA 5S                    4.0         0130 PM

...WINONA COUNTY...
MINNESOTA CITY                9.7         1100 AM
ST CHARLES 5N                 6.5         1200 PM
ALTURA 5W                     6.0         0700 AM



PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
852 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012

...MOST OF OVERNIGHT STORM TOTALS FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WEST
CENTRAL WISCONSIN...

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
 ------  -----------------------  --  --------------   -------
  8.00   AUGUSTA                  WI  EAU CLAIRE       0655 AM
  5.50   1 SW DURAND              WI  PEPIN            0800 AM
  5.50   2 SSE ALBERT LEA         MN  FREEBORN         0800 AM
  5.20   SW ELLENDALE             MN  STEELE           0800 AM
  5.00   1 WNW WELLS              MN  FARIBAULT        0800 AM
  4.30   1 N OWATONNA             MN  STEELE           0526 AM
                 RELAYED VIA WCCO.
  4.00   3 SE ALBERT LEA          MN  FREEBORN         0800 AM
  4.00   1 E OWATONNA             MN  STEELE           0716 AM
  3.80   1 NE MINNESOTA LAKE      MN  BLUE EARTH       0712 AM
  3.50   1 NE FAIRMONT            MN  MARTIN           0800 AM
  3.50   1 SW EAU CLAIRE          WI  EAU CLAIRE       0700 AM
  3.50   FARIBAULT                MN  RICE             0700 AM
  3.00   WINNEBAGO                MN  FARIBAULT        0800 AM
  3.00   4 ESE RED WING           MN  GOODHUE          0800 AM
  2.80   MANKATO                  MN  BLUE EARTH       0529 AM
                 A LOT OF DRIFTING
  2.60   ELK MOUND                WI  DUNN             0746 AM
  2.50   MANKATO                  MN  BLUE EARTH       0636 AM
                 FLURRIES FINAL REPORT...KEYC.
  2.30   NORTHFIELD               MN  RICE             0800 AM
  2.30   MENOMONIE                WI  DUNN             0535 AM
  2.20   4 NNE MENOMONIE          WI  DUNN             0700 AM
  2.10   4 E MANKATO              MN  BLUE EARTH       0712 AM
                 KTOE
  2.00   1 SE STANLEY             WI  CHIPPEWA         0800 AM
  2.00   6 WNW ELLSWORTH          WI  PIERCE           0800 AM
  2.00   1 SSW RIVER FALLS        WI  PIERCE           0800 AM
  2.00   1 W VESELI               MN  RICE             0800 AM
  2.00   6 SSE RIVER FALLS        WI  PIERCE           0800 AM
  2.00   5 ESE NEW PRAGUE         MN  RICE             0716 AM
  2.00   1 W BALDWIN              WI  ST. CROIX        0700 AM
  2.00   1 NW EAU CLAIRE          WI  EAU CLAIRE       0700 AM
  2.00   HASTINGS                 MN  DAKOTA           0600 AM
  2.00   2 NNW RED WING           MN  GOODHUE          0600 AM
                 LOCK AND DAM 3
  1.80   3 N BOYCEVILLE           WI  DUNN             0800 AM
  1.80   EAU CLAIRE               WI  EAU CLAIRE       0430 AM
                 STILL SNOWING...WQOW.
  1.70   1 N HAMMOND              WI  ST. CROIX        0800 AM
  1.70   WNW FAIRMONT             MN  MARTIN           0800 AM
  1.50   2 SW CANNON FALLS        MN  GOODHUE          0800 AM
  1.50   4 ENE NICOLLET           MN  NICOLLET         0800 AM
  1.50   6 WSW ST PETER           MN  NICOLLET         0800 AM
  1.50   2 SE CHETEK              WI  BARRON           0800 AM
  1.50   12 N BRUCE               WI  RUSK             0716 AM
  1.50   3 ENE MONTGOMERY         MN  RICE             0716 AM
  1.50   1 NNE NEW PRAGUE         MN  SCOTT            0700 AM
  1.50   1 SSW LONSDALE           MN  RICE             0655 AM
  1.50   3 SE LAKE ELMO           MN  WASHINGTON       0655 AM
  1.40   1 ENE INVER GROVE HEIGH  MN  DAKOTA           0800 AM
  1.40   1 ENE INVER GROVE HEIGH  MN  DAKOTA           0800 AM
  1.40   3 NW JIM FALLS           WI  CHIPPEWA         0600 AM
  1.40   MADELIA                  MN  WATONWAN         0544 AM
  1.30   3 WNW LADYSMITH          WI  RUSK             0800 AM
  1.30   2 N WOODBURY             MN  WASHINGTON       0716 AM
  1.30   CLEAR LAKE               WI  POLK             0700 AM
  1.20   FARMINGTON               MN  DAKOTA           0517 AM
                 RELAYED FROM WCCO
  1.00   2 N APPLE VALLEY         MN  DAKOTA           0800 AM
  1.00   3 SW EAGAN               MN  DAKOTA           0800 AM
  1.00   3 NE BURNSVILLE          MN  DAKOTA           0716 AM
  1.00   3 W ELLSWORTH            WI  PIERCE           0700 AM
  1.00   CREDIT RIVER             MN  SCOTT            0640 AM
  1.00   4 ESE CLAYTON            WI  BARRON           0640 AM
  0.60   1 SE HENDERSON           MN  SIBLEY           0800 AM
  0.60   6 SSE MINNEAPOLIS        MN  HENNEPIN         0600 AM
                 MSP
  0.60   3 ESE NEW ULM            MN  NICOLLET         0600 AM
  0.50   4 ENE MONTICELLO         MN  SHERBURNE        0655 AM

Last modified: April 29, 2015

 

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