Image credit: NOAA/National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center
A large and windy winter storm affected Minnesota for 48 hours, leaving a wide swath of sculpted snow drifts across much of the state.
The storm formed as a low-pressure system in Colorado marched into the Plains and pulled Pacific and Gulf of Mexico moisture into the northern US, where cold air had been surging southward from Canada. These interactions produced two waves of snow in the region: one on Monday, as the moisture out ahead of the system streamed up and over the cold air into central Minnesota, and the next on Tuesday, as a new area of of lift and moisture associated with the center of the system moved across much of the state. Parts of central and northern Minnesota had little if any break between these waves of snow.
Monday began with snow poking into far western Minnesota after midnight, but a west-to-east band soon developed, intensifying through the day. Snow dropped the visibility to a half-mile or less for hours on end, as winds gusting over 25 mph blew the snow into large drifts. In the lower Red River Valley near Moorhead, wind over 35 mph combined with heavy snow produced whiteout conditions, prompting the National Weather Service office in Grand Forks to issue that region's 11th Blizzard Warning of the season, making this the most active blizzard season in at least 18 years in northwestern Minnesota.
By Monday evening, snowfall had accumulated to 4 to 8 inches from western Minnesota near Fergus Falls and Alexandria, through the Brainerd Lakes area, towards Duluth and the southern Arrowhead region. Isolated locations within that swath received over 10 inches of snow on Monday, with reports of over 16 inches from intense but small lake-effect snow bands in the Gary New Duluth area. Duluth officially reported 6.3 inches for Monday the 21st.
Light snow continued through Monday night in central and northern Minnesota, and began expanding southward as the next batch of energy lifted northeastward into the region. Freezing drizzle and sleet fell Monday night and Tuesday morning in far southern and southeastern Minnesota, where some communities also reported thunderstorms with sleet and snow. Faribault, Owatonna, and Stanton all reported thunderstorms at 9 AM on Tuesday, even with temperatures between just 9 and 12 degrees F. These are certainly among the coldest known instances of thunder in the past two decades in Minnesota.
By mid-morning Tuesday, light or moderate snow was falling over all but northwestern and far southeastern Minnesota. A particularly intense area of snow lasting 1-3 hours lifted northeastward from Fairmont and Albert Lea, through the Twin Cities. The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reported heavy snow with 25-30 mph wind gusts and visibility of a quarter-mile during three consecutive hourly observations at the height of the storm on Tuesday. The snow began tapering off in the early afternoon, as the heaviest snow moved into Wisconsin, but winds and light accumulations continued into the evening in eastern areas. Accumulations on Tuesday of 2-6 inches covered the eastern half of the state, with some higher amounts in parts of central Minnesota where overnight snows boosted Tuesday's totals.
The 2-day storm produced a large blanket of snow across Minnesota with an inch or more covering virtually the entire state, about 2/3 of the state receiving at 2 inches or more, a third receiving at least 6 inches, and about 15% of the state receiving 10 inches or more. The highest totals from National Weather Service cooperative observers or from CoCoRaHS include 20 inches on Park Point in Duluth, 18 inches at Little Falls, 16 inches near Pillager, 15.7 inches at Wrenshall, 14.9 inches at Fort Ripley, 14 inches at Mora, 13.7 inches at Carlton, 12.4 inches at Morris, and 12 inches at Finland. The Duluth National Weather Service officially recorded 10.4 inches, and the Twin Cities International Airport received 5.1 inches of snow.
Although not a record-shattering event, this was a large February winter storm, and only adds to the recent trend towards snowier February conditions.
The following snowfall reports were provided, courtesy of National Weather Service Forecast Offices in Duluth and the Twin Cities/Chanhassen.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 1013 AM CST WED FEB 23 2022 ...UPDATED FINAL STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL REPORTS BY COUNTY... LOCATION AMOUNT TIME/DATE PROVIDER ...MINNESOTA... ...AITKIN COUNTY... 12 N ISLE 12.5 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COOP 7 N MCGREGOR 10.7 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS TAMARACK 1.4 SW 6.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...CARLTON COUNTY... WRENSHALL 15.7 IN 0800 AM 02/23 UCOOP CARLTON 5.6 NE 13.7 IN 0900 AM 02/23 COCORAHS WRENSHALL 9.7 SSE 12.9 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS 3 E WRIGHT 11.5 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COOP CLOQUET 3.4 ENE 7.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...CASS COUNTY... PILLAGER 5.1 N 16.0 IN 0630 AM 02/23 COCORAHS REMER 11.5 WSW 9.1 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CASS LAKE 3.9 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COOP ...COOK COUNTY... LUTSEN 11.8 N 8.9 IN 0745 AM 02/23 COCORAHS GRAND MARAIS 3.8 NNE 5.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS GRAND MARAIS 4.4 W 5.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...CROW WING COUNTY... FORT RIPLEY 0.8 N 14.9 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS 5 W PINE CENTER 11.5 IN 0952 AM 02/23 PUBLIC TROMMALD 6.1 NW 11.0 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS BRAINERD 10.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP CROSBY 1.1 SW 10.0 IN 0745 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...ITASCA COUNTY... BLACKBERRY 10.0 IN 0959 AM 02/23 PUBLIC COLERAINE 0.7 S 9.1 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS GRAND RAPIDS 6.1 N 7.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS COHASSET 7.6 NNW 7.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS BOVEY 13.4 N 4.4 IN 0740 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...LAKE COUNTY... FINLAND 0.8 NNE 12.0 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS 1 W SILVER BAY 11.9 IN 0745 AM 02/23 TRAINED SPOTTER TWO HARBORS 9.9 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP 2 SW TWO HARBORS 9.6 IN 0700 AM 02/23 TRAINED SPOTTER WOLF RIDGE 9.0 IN 0721 AM 02/23 COOP TWO HARBORS 0.4 ESE 8.6 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ELY 25 E 3.6 IN 0707 AM 02/23 COOP ...PINE COUNTY... 6 SW FINLAYSON 12.0 IN 0900 AM 02/23 TRAINED SPOTTER STURGEON LAKE 7.5 ESE 11.2 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...ST. LOUIS COUNTY... DULUTH 1.2 SE 20.0 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS DULUTH 17.6 NNW 13.6 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS BRIMSON 2 S 11.7 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP WRIGHT 9.2 NNE 11.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS DULUTH 11.8 NNE 10.7 IN 0730 AM 02/23 COCORAHS NWS DULUTH 10.4 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COOP DULUTH 4.6 NE 10.0 IN 0730 AM 02/23 COCORAHS HIBBING 11.6 SSW 9.2 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS COTTON 5.7 ESE 9.0 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CHISHOLM 0.4 WSW 8.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CANYON 4.6 NNE 8.8 IN 0730 AM 02/23 COCORAHS IRON JUNCTION 3.4 NNW 7.5 IN 0530 AM 02/23 COCORAHS EMBARRASS 5.8 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COOP WINTON 0.1 WSW 3.5 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CELINA 2 E 3.0 IN 0900 AM 02/23 COOP COOK 8NE 2.9 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COOP KABETOGAMA 0.7 SSW 2.3 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ORR 3 E 2.2 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COOP --- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1048 AM CST WED FEB 23 2022 ...SNOWFALL REPORTS... LOCATION AMOUNT TIME/DATE PROVIDER ...MINNESOTA... ...ANOKA COUNTY... COON RAPIDS 1.5 NE 5.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS COON RAPIDS 1.1 SW 4.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS RAMSEY 3NE 4.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS LINO LAKES 2.4 NNW 3.8 IN 0900 AM 02/23 COCORAHS NOWTHEN 2.9 SSE 3.7 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS BLAINE 2.7 WSW 3.6 IN 0745 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ANDOVER 1N 3.5 IN 0500 AM 02/23 COOP ANOKA 1SE 3.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...BENTON COUNTY... RICE 3.6 E 7.7 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS RICE 6.5 SSE 7.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS RICE 7.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP SAINT CLOUD 1.1 NE 5.1 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...BLUE EARTH COUNTY... MANKATO 1.3 SW 4.4 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS GARDEN CITY 2.7 WSW 3.5 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...BROWN COUNTY... NEW ULM 0.8 SW 2.2 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...CARVER COUNTY... VICTORIA 1WSW 5.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CHASKA 0.6 E 4.7 IN 0618 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CARVER 1W 4.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS WATERTOWN 0.5 NNW 3.0 IN 0430 AM 02/23 COCORAHS VICTORIA 2ENE 2.2 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...CHIPPEWA COUNTY... MONTEVIDEO 0.4 SSW 2.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...CHISAGO COUNTY... RUSH CITY 3NE 7.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS NORTH BRANCH 1NNW 4.0 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS STACY 1W 3.1 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...DAKOTA COUNTY... APPLE VALLEY 3ESE 7.0 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ROSEMOUNT 3WNW 6.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS EAGAN 2.2 SSW 6.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS INVER GROVE HEIGHTS 1.0 S 6.2 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS APPLE VALLEY 3SSE 5.8 IN 0620 AM 02/23 COCORAHS HASTINGS 1.6 NW 5.7 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS NORTHFIELD 2NE 4.6 IN 0548 AM 02/23 COCORAHS LAKEVILLE 2WSW 3.5 IN 0747 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...DOUGLAS COUNTY... FARWELL 5N 2.5 IN 0830 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...FARIBAULT COUNTY... WINNEBAGO 2.0 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COOP ...GOODHUE COUNTY... DENNISON 2.0 NNE 5.8 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS VASA 5NNE 5.7 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CANNON FALLS 0.5 SE 5.5 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS RED WING 5.0 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COOP RED WING LOCK AND DAM 5.0 IN 0830 AM 02/23 COOP NERSTRAND 4E 4.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...HENNEPIN COUNTY... MINNETONKA 3.8 SW 5.9 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ROBBINSDALE 0.6 SSE 5.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MINNEAPOLIS 1.5 WNW 5.3 IN 0702 AM 02/23 COCORAHS EDINA 1SE 5.2 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MINNEAPOLIS 3.8 NNE 5.2 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MINNEAPOLIS 3.4 SE 4.9 IN 0830 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MINNETONKA 2.7 SW 4.8 IN 0843 AM 02/23 COCORAHS PLYMOUTH 2.6 E 4.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS OSSEO 0.1 SW 4.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS PLYMOUTH 2ENE 4.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS EDINA 1SW 4.3 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ST. LOUIS PARK 2ESE 4.2 IN 0720 AM 02/23 COCORAHS EXCELSIOR 1.8 W 4.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CHAMPLIN 1SW 3.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ST. BONIFACIUS 2ENE 3.1 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MAPLE GROVE 1.4 WSW 3.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MINNEAPOLIS 4.9 SE 3.0 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ST. BONIFACIUS 1SW 3.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS LONG LAKE 0.2 WSW 2.9 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS PLYMOUTH 2.8 WSW 2.6 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS 2 W ROGERS 2.4 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...ISANTI COUNTY... PRINCETON 6.6 E 8.3 IN 0900 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...KANABEC COUNTY... MORA 2.5 S 14.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MORA 12.1 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP ...KANDIYOHI COUNTY... PRINSBURG 0.1 WNW 2.7 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS WILLMAR 5N 2.6 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COOP ...LAC QUI PARLE COUNTY... DAWSON 2.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP ...LE SUEUR COUNTY... NEW PRAGUE 0.5 SE 5.1 IN 0730 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MONTGOMERY 2.1 N 3.3 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS LE CENTER 5NNW 2.8 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...MARTIN COUNTY... FAIRMONT 0.7 E 2.3 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...MCLEOD COUNTY... HUTCHINSON 5N 2.9 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...MILLE LACS COUNTY... MILACA 12.5 IN 0730 AM 02/23 COOP ONAMIA 4WNW 7.6 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...MORRISON COUNTY... LITTLE FALLS 1.2 SW 18.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS LITTLE FALLS 9.3 WNW 13.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS PILLAGER 2.2 SW 11.9 IN 0730 AM 02/23 COCORAHS CAMP RIPLEY 4E 11.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS HOLDINGFORD 6.0 NW 10.0 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS HILLMAN 8.3 N 4.7 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...NICOLLET COUNTY... ST. PETER 6WSW 2.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS NEW ULM 3.9 ESE 2.3 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS NEW ULM 3SE 2.1 IN 0554 AM 02/23 COOP ...RAMSEY COUNTY... ROSEVILLE 1NW 6.1 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ROSEVILLE 0.4 ENE 6.0 IN 0702 AM 02/23 COCORAHS NORTH ST. PAUL 1WNW 5.9 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS NEW BRIGHTON 1.1 WSW 5.6 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ROSEVILLE 2WNW 5.1 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MENDOTA HGTS 2WNW 4.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS FALCON HEIGHTS 0.8 NE 3.6 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS FALCON HEIGHTS 0.4 NNW 3.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ROSEVILLE 0.7 SSE 3.3 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS SAINT PAUL 3.6 WNW 3.1 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS SAINT PAUL 3.8 WSW 2.2 IN 0736 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...REDWOOD COUNTY... REDWOOD FALLS 2.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP ...RENVILLE COUNTY... LAKE LILLIAN 5SE 2.5 IN 0830 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...RICE COUNTY... NORTHFIELD 0.6 ESE 4.7 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS DUNDAS 0.4 SW 4.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS FARIBAULT 1.6 S 3.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS FARIBAULT 3.2 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP NORTHFIELD 0.6 SE 3.1 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...SCOTT COUNTY... SHAKOPEE 2.9 NW 5.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS PRIOR LAKE 1WSW 4.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...SHERBURNE COUNTY... ORROCK 2SE 3.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS BIG LAKE 2.7 SSE 2.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...STEARNS COUNTY... MELROSE 6.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COOP SAINT JOSEPH 0.2 N 5.5 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ALBANY 3SSE 4.9 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS PLEASANT LAKE 4.9 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ST CLOUD 4.4 IN 0500 AM 02/23 UCOOP COLD SPRING 0.8 W 4.3 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ST AUGUSTA 2.1 S 4.2 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS KIMBALL 3N 3.5 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COOP ...STEELE COUNTY... OWATONNA 1.6 E 3.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS OWATONNA 0.8 E 2.8 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ELLENDALE 0.3 SW 2.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...STEVENS COUNTY... MORRIS 1.1 WNW 12.4 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS DONNELLY 2WNW 11.1 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...SWIFT COUNTY... BENSON 0.1 SW 4.8 IN 0840 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...TODD COUNTY... LONG PRAIRIE 10.4 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COOP LONG PRAIRIE 2.1 NNE 10.4 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...WASECA COUNTY... WASECA 1NNE 3.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...WASHINGTON COUNTY... STILLWATER 2 SW 6.6 IN 0600 AM 02/23 COCORAHS WOODBURY 0.3 NNW 6.6 IN 0620 AM 02/23 COCORAHS WOODBURY 1.7 N 6.6 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS WOODBURY 1.8 SSE 6.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS OAKDALE 0.4 S 5.0 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS STILLWATER 1NE 5.0 IN 0616 AM 02/23 COCORAHS AFTON 1E 4.3 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ...WRIGHT COUNTY... ST. MICHAEL 1E 5.0 IN 0800 AM 02/23 COCORAHS MAPLE LAKE 4.3 NNE 3.4 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS ST. MICHAEL 2ENE 2.6 IN 0700 AM 02/23 COCORAHS OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURES. WE THANK ALL VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS FOR THEIR DEDICATION. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
February 23, 2022.