A compact but intense area of snow brought widespread 6-12" accumulations to southern Minnesota.
A small low pressure area with a tight circulation produced heavy snow beginning just before midnight in far southwestern on Saturday February 8th. By 3 AM on the 9th, the snow had overspread Highway 14, all the way to Rochester, with waves of heavy snow flanking it to the north, into portions of the Twin Cities.
The heavy snow only lasted six hours in most places, with an additional six hours of lighter snow lasting through late morning in most areas. Temperatures in the 10s F allowed the snow to accumulate rapidly--at rates of 2 inches per hour in some of the heaviest bands. Isolated reports of lightning and thunder accompanied the heaviest of the snow at times during Sunday morning.
The snow piled up "over the boots" throughout the southern 1/5th of Minnesota, as an area from Marshall, to Mankato, to Rochester received 8-14 inches. Totals of 4-8 inches reached up towards Willmar and the Twin Cities, with a razor-sharp cutoff north of that line. The northern half of Minnesota received nothing from this event.
The deep powdery snow refreshed the southern Minnesota landscape, and was followed by bright sunshine, leading to some classically wintry scenes.
Following are some snowfall totals rounded up by the National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 333 PM CST SUN FEB 9 2020 ..SNOWFALL REPORTS LOCATION AMOUNT TIME/DATE PROVIDER ..MINNESOTA ..ANOKA COUNTY BLAINE 4.0 IN 1053 AM 02/09 PUBLIC OAK GROVE 1.7 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ..BLUE EARTH COUNTY LAKE CRYSTAL 15.5 IN 1038 AM 02/09 PUBLIC 2 ESE MANKATO 11.5 IN 0700 AM 02/09 COCORAHS PEMBERTON 9.0 IN 0828 AM 02/09 PUBLIC 1 SW SKYLINE 9.0 IN 0610 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 1 ENE MANKATO 8.5 IN 0959 AM 02/09 PUBLIC 1 SSW JUDSON 8.0 IN 0722 AM 02/09 COCORAHS ..BROWN COUNTY NEW ULM 11.0 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 1 SSW NEW ULM 11.0 IN 1145 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER 1 SW SLEEPY EYE 9.5 IN 0930 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 6 NNW SVEADAHL 8.6 IN 0720 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 2 NNW SPRINGFIELD 8.5 IN 0900 AM 02/09 COCORAHS ..CARVER COUNTY CHASKA 5.5 IN 1245 PM 02/09 PUBLIC WACONIA 4.7 IN 1030 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER ..DAKOTA COUNTY LAKEVILLE 7.0 IN 1005 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER APPLE VALLEY 6.5 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 1 E BURNSVILLE 6.0 IN 0100 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 2 SW APPLE VALLEY 5.8 IN 0145 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ROSEMOUNT 5.0 IN 1055 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER ..FARIBAULT COUNTY 1 WNW WINNEBAGO 8.0 IN 0630 AM 02/09 CO-OP OBSERVER 1 WNW WELLS 6.0 IN 0740 AM 02/09 CO-OP OBSERVER ..FREEBORN COUNTY ALBERT LEA 6.0 IN 1130 AM 02/09 BROADCAST MEDIA ..GOODHUE COUNTY 2 E DENNISON 10.5 IN 1100 AM 02/09 PUBLIC 1 ENE CANNON FALLS 9.0 IN 1130 AM 02/09 PUBLIC 4 E NERSTRAND 7.8 IN 1000 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 1 NW ZUMBROTA 7.0 IN 0200 PM 02/09 COCORAHS RED WING 6.6 IN 1200 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ..HENNEPIN COUNTY BLOOMINGTON 7.5 IN 1037 AM 02/09 NWS EMPLOYEE 1 NE BLOOMINGTON 6.5 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 2 N GOLDEN VALLEY 6.0 IN 0100 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 2 ESE MOUND 6.0 IN 1000 AM 02/09 COCORAHS EDINA 5.7 IN 1215 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 3 NE MINNEAPOLIS 5.7 IN 0222 PM 02/09 COCORAHS ST. BONIFACIUS 5.5 IN 1113 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER MAPLE PLAIN 5.3 IN 1000 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER 2 ESE EDEN PRAIRIE 5.1 IN 1028 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 3 WSW LONG LAKE 4.7 IN 1200 PM 02/09 COCORAHS 1 SE MAPLE GROVE 4.5 IN 0100 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 2 WNW OSSEO 4.5 IN 1145 AM 02/09 PUBLIC 1 N MAPLE GROVE 3.8 IN 1145 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 1 WNW ROGERS 2.0 IN 0140 PM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER ..LAC QUI PARLE COUNTY DAWSON 6.0 IN 0700 AM 02/09 COOP 2 SW MONTEVIDEO 5.5 IN 0700 AM 02/09 CO-OP OBSERVER ..LE SUEUR COUNTY LE CENTER 5NNW 9.5 IN 1000 AM 02/09 COCORAHS NEW PRAGUE 1.0 S 9.0 IN 1130 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 4 SSW KASOTA 8.5 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ..MARTIN COUNTY FAIRMONT 6.0 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ..MCLEOD COUNTY 2 NNW PLATO 5.0 IN 1153 AM 02/09 PUBLIC 1 W HUTCHINSON 3.4 IN 0700 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 6 N HUTCHINSON 2.0 IN 0700 AM 02/09 COCORAHS ..MEEKER COUNTY 3 WSW WATKINS 2.0 IN 0900 AM 02/09 COCORAHS ..NICOLLET COUNTY NORTH MANKATO 10.8 IN 0846 AM 02/09 PUBLIC ST. PETER 9.3 IN 0150 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 4 N NICOLLET 8.8 IN 0115 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ..RAMSEY COUNTY 2 N NEWPORT 6.5 IN 1228 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 3 WSW ST. PAUL 6.0 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 2 N ST. PAUL 5.7 IN 1200 PM 02/09 PUBLIC SHOREVIEW 3.8 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ..REDWOOD COUNTY LUCAN 13.5 IN 0100 PM 02/09 PUBLIC MORGAN 10.5 IN 1104 AM 02/09 PUBLIC BELVIEW 8.8 IN 0700 AM 02/09 COCORAHS ..RENVILLE COUNTY BIRD ISLAND 8.2 IN 0650 AM 02/09 COCORAHS 8 SSE BIRD ISLAND 8.0 IN 0700 AM 02/09 CO-OP OBSERVER 2 WNW DANUBE 4.4 IN 0700 AM 02/09 COCORAHS ..RICE COUNTY 3 W VESELI 9.7 IN 1100 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER LONSDALE 8.3 IN 1124 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER NORTHFIELD 7.9 IN 1022 AM 02/09 PUBLIC 1 N FARIBAULT 7.6 IN 0700 AM 02/09 CO-OP OBSERVER ..SCOTT COUNTY 3 WNW SAVAGE 7.3 IN 0115 PM 02/09 DEPT OF HIGHWAYS SHAKOPEE 7.1 IN 1017 AM 02/09 PUBLIC BELLE PLAINE 7.0 IN 1245 PM 02/09 PUBLIC JORDAN 7.0 IN 0927 AM 02/09 PUBLIC PRIOR LAKE 7.0 IN 0145 PM 02/09 PUBLIC SHAKOPEE 6.5 IN 0115 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ..SHERBURNE COUNTY 4 W SPENCER BROOK 1.2 IN 1000 AM 02/09 COCORAHS ..SIBLEY COUNTY WINTHROP 10.0 IN 1230 PM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER 6 SE GREEN ISLE 8.8 IN 0936 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER 2 WNW GREEN ISLE 8.0 IN 0700 AM 02/09 COCORAHS WINTHROP 5.0 SW 8.0 IN 0246 PM 02/09 COCORAHS ..STEELE COUNTY 1 NE OWATONNA 10.3 IN 1230 PM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER 5 E LEMOND 8.8 IN 1230 PM 02/09 PUBLIC ELLENDALE 8.4 IN 0700 AM 02/09 COCORAHS ..SWIFT COUNTY BENSON 2.0 IN 1100 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER ..WASECA COUNTY WASECA 10.0 IN 1058 AM 02/09 PUBLIC ..WASHINGTON COUNTY WOODBURY 5.7 IN 1215 PM 02/09 PUBLIC 4 N BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE 4.5 IN 1215 PM 02/09 COCORAHS ..WATONWAN COUNTY ST. JAMES 12.5 IN 0928 AM 02/09 PUBLIC ..WRIGHT COUNTY 4 NW WATERTOWN 5.6 IN 1046 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER 2 NE MONTROSE 3.5 IN 1200 PM 02/09 PUBLIC COKATO 3.0 IN 0200 PM 02/09 PUBLIC BUFFALO 2.3 IN 1058 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER ST. MICHAEL 2.0 IN 1054 AM 02/09 TRAINED SPOTTER ..YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY 1 NNE CANBY 8.0 IN 0800 AM 02/09 CO-OP OBSERVER
Modified February 10, 2020