More Snow, Again! February 11-12, 2019

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200-frame loop of NWS Chanhassen radar through morning on Tuesday February 12, 2019
Source:College of DuPage

Moderate to heavy snow associated with a strengthening storm system to our east affected Minnesota yet again on Monday evening and Tuesday, February 11-12, 2019.

The snow surged out of Iowa and into southern Minnesota late in the evening on the 11th, and started moving into the Twin Cities area around midnight. Waves of moderate to heavy snow continued through the morning, with the heaviest snow holding on the longest in southeastern Minnesota, and to a lesser extent along the St. Croix River, and up into the Arrowhead region in the northeastern part of the state.

Wisconsin bore the brunt of system, with six inches or more covering 95% of that state, and large areas receiving in excess of a foot of snow. The most intense snows did, however, clip far southeastern Minnesota. Accumulations of 6-10 inches were common south and southeast of Rochester and Wabasha, and some communities measured over a foot of new snow.  Outside of this heavy snow focal point, accumulations of 3-6 inches blanketed St. Cloud, Worthington, Mankato, the Twin Cities, Duluth, and much of Lake Superior's north shore. Once again, accumulations of an inch or more covered the majority of the state.

Select totals from southeastern Minnesota included 14.5 inches at Goodview and Caledonia, 13.8 inches at Spring Grove, 12 inches in Winona and Lewiston, 10 inches in Houston, and 6.8 inches officially at Rochester. Elsewhere around Minnesota, totals included 6.6 inches at Maplewood, six inches in Cambridge and also Knife River, 5.6 inches officially at the Twin Cities International Airport, 4.5 inches at the Duluth National Weather Service office, and three inches in Brainerd.

This snowfall was the latest in a series of five moderate to heavy snow events occurring in rapid succession over a 10-day period, and followed the previous event by fewer than 36 hours. You can read more about the other four snowfalls here:

In general, Minnesota has become much more winter-like since mid-January. From January 18th through the morning of February 13th, reporting stations in Minnesota averaged  almost 13 degrees F below normal, and nearly one inch wetter than normal. Considering that precipitation during this time typically would range from 0.45 inches to 0.75 inches, many stations have doubled or even tripled their normal precipitation during this period. Of course, "wetter" has meant "snowier," and snowfall totals during this period have ranged from 15 to 35 inches across the state.

The National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wisconsin, prepared a summary of the event, here. Below are select snowfall totals reported from southeastern Minnesota.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
210 PM CST TUE FEB 12 2019
...FEBRUARY 11-12 SNOWFALL REPORTS...
LOCATION                     AMOUNT
...MINNESOTA...
...DODGE COUNTY...
1 S KASSON                   8.5 IN
MANTORVILLE                  5.0 IN
1 SE MANTORVILLE             5.0 IN
1 NE KASSON                  4.5 IN
2 NE KASSON                  3.8 IN
KASSON                       3.5 IN
HAYFIELD                     3.3 IN
...FILLMORE COUNTY...
CHATFIELD                    9.0 IN
RUSHFORD                     9.0 IN
2 WSW FILLMORE               7.2 IN
PRESTON                      6.0 IN
SPRING VALLEY 3E             6.0 IN
MABEL                        5.5 IN
1 SSE PILOT MOUND            4.7 IN
1 W FILLMORE                 4.6 IN
...HOUSTON COUNTY...
CALEDONIA                    14.5 IN
SPRING GROVE                 13.8 IN
3 W STODDARD                 10.8 IN
1 S HOUSTON                  10.0 IN
1 W BROWNSVILLE              10.0 IN
2 NE MOUND PRAIRIE           9.1 IN
1 W LA CRESCENT              9.0 IN
2 NW BROWNSVILLE             8.9 IN
MONEY CREEK                  8.2 IN
LA CRESCENT                  8.0 IN
4 NW EITZEN                  7.0 IN
...MOWER COUNTY...
2 NE LANSING                 4.5 IN
4 WSW AUSTIN                 4.5 IN
1 ENE AUSTIN                 4.0 IN
AUSTIN                       3.5 IN
...OLMSTED COUNTY...
2 S PREDMORE                 7.8 IN
4 ESE DOUGLAS                7.8 IN
1 SSW ROCHESTER              7.5 IN
1 SE ROCHESTER               7.0 IN
ROCHESTER INTL AIRPORT       6.8 IN
3 ESE DOUGLAS                6.5 IN
BYRON                        6.5 IN
DOVER                        6.5 IN
1 SSW ROCHESTER              6.0 IN
4 ESE DOUGLAS                5.2 IN
2 SSE ROCHESTER              5.0 IN
ELBA 4.7 SW                  5.0 IN
1 ENE ROCHESTER              4.5 IN
2 NNW ROCHESTER              4.0 IN
ELGIN 2SSW                   3.9 IN
...WABASHA COUNTY...
1 N WABASHA                  10.5 IN
2 WSW KELLOGG                10.0 IN
PLAINVIEW                    5.2 IN
THEILMAN 1SSW                5.1 IN
3 SW ZUMBRO FALLS            5.1 IN
LAKE CITY                    5.0 IN
...WINONA COUNTY...
1 ESE GOODVIEW               14.5 IN
LEWISTON                     12.0 IN
WINONA                       12.0 IN
1 N PICKWICK                 11.5 IN
WINONA 4SW                   11.0 IN
2 SE WINONA                  11.0 IN
1 SE WINONA                  10.0 IN
2 SSE DAKOTA                 8.8 IN
4 NE PICKWICK                8.0 IN
2 NNW PICKWICK               7.6 IN
1 WSW WINONA                 7.0 IN
MINNESOTA CITY               6.9 IN
MINNESOTA CITY DAM 5         6.0 IN
WINONA DAM 5A                6.0 IN
ALTURA 5W                    6.0 IN
3 SE STOCKTON                6.0 IN
Last modified: February 13, 2019

 

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