After a predominantly mild and uneventful December, a major winter storm brought heavy snow, rain, and wind to Minnesota between December 26th and 28th.
A strong low pressure system formed in eastern Colorado on the morning of Wednesday December 26th, and then tracked northeastward to far southeastern Minnesota by the 27th, and into the Upper Great Lakes area by the 28th. Abundant moisture streamed into Minnesota ahead of this system, while cold air from central Canada moved in behind it. The result was 36 hours of precipitation from Wednesday into Friday, with heavy snow in the northern half of the state, rain in the far south and southeast, and a mix of snow and rain in between those areas.
The event kicked off with a band of heavy snow spreading from south to north across the state in the afternoon and evening of the 26th. By midnight, much of the Twin Cities area had received 2-4 inches of heavy wet snow, and up to six inches had fallen farther north and northwest. As warm air flowed in from the south, the snow changed to rain overnight, and the rain/snow line pushed northward into central Minnesota. To the north of that line, waves of occasionally heavy snow continued through the 27th, with accumulations exceeding one foot from the Brainerd Lakes area, towards Duluth, and up along the north shore of Lake Superior.
To the south of the rain/snow line, precipitation fell primarily as rain through the 27th. In parts of east-central and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities area, the initial snow never melted entirely, even as temperatures climbed above freezing and an inch of rain fell on top of it. This made for slushy conditions, with numerous large puddles and ponding of water near sewer grates that remained blocked by the snow.
Cold air and gusty winds eventually swept into the region, changing leftover rain showers to snow, and ending the precipitation altogether on the morning of Friday December 28th. Temperatures fell by 20 to 40 degrees from Thursday to Friday, flash-freezing puddles and turning the formerly slushy areas to a thick crust of ice.
Accumulating snow fell throughout Minnesota at some point during this storm, and all but the southeast corner of the state reported totals in excess of two inches. Accumulations of eight or more inches covered about 1/4 of the state, from the Arrowhead region of northeast Minnesota, back through Grand Rapids, Bemidji, Brainerd, Fergus Falls, and Alexandria. The highest totals included 12-13 inches in the Brainerd area, 13.1 inches at the National Weather Service office in Duluth, 19.2 inches just north of McGregor, 21.7 inches near Grand Marias, and 24 inches near Finland in Lake County.
Aside from the snow, the storm was notable for producing widespread precipitation totals in excess of one inch across all but the northwestern third of Minnesota. Some of the larger official totals included 1.59" at Red Wing, 1.48" at Wabasha and Chanhassen, 1.44" at Brimson, and 1.41" at Mabel. The one-day total of 1.19" at Duluth on December 27th was its sixth largest calendar-day December precipitation total on record.
Listed below are snowfall totals from the National Weather Service.
Public Information Statement National Weather Service Duluth MN 1202 PM CST Fri Dec 28 2018 ...48 HOUR SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM AROUND THE NORTHLAND... INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY DATE TIME ------ ----------------------- -- -------------- ----- ------- 24.0 3 E FINLAND MN LAKE 12/28 0900 AM 21.7 4 W GRAND MARAIS MN COOK 12/28 0700 AM 19.2 7 N MCGREGOR MN AITKIN 12/28 0700 AM 18.7 7 NNW TWO HARBORS MN LAKE 12/28 0829 AM 18.1 6 E ISLAND LAKE MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0900 AM 18.0 7 W HOVLAND MN COOK 12/28 0746 AM 15.3 1 W SILVER BAY MN LAKE 12/28 0904 AM 15.0 1 N FEDERAL DAM MN CASS 12/28 0800 AM 14.8 4 ESE CASINO MN CASS 12/28 0600 AM 14.2 CUYUNA MN CROW WING 12/28 0756 AM 14.1 2 NW DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0700 AM 14.0 14 W ISABELLA MN LAKE 12/28 0900 AM 13.7 11 N NASHWAUK MN ITASCA 12/28 0600 AM 13.5 1 WNW FREDENBERG MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0700 AM 13.5 LIBBY MN AITKIN 12/28 0800 AM 13.1 NWS DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0600 AM 13.0 2 SSW KABETOGAMA MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0700 AM 13.0 FORT RIPLEY MN CROW WING 12/28 0848 AM 12.9 1 N FORT RIPLEY MN CROW WING 12/28 0700 AM 12.8 3 N BRAINERD MN CROW WING 12/28 0925 AM 12.7 EAST GULL LAKE MN CASS 12/28 0800 AM 12.6 1 SW BRAINERD MN CROW WING 12/28 0700 AM 12.5 1 N CLOQUET MN CARLTON 12/28 0805 AM 12.5 3 NE NISSWA MN CROW WING 12/28 0900 AM 12.5 14 E SEA GULL LAKE MN COOK 12/28 1038 AM 12.1 6 S WHIPHOLT MN CASS 12/28 0700 AM 12.0 3 N SHAW MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0800 AM 12.0 2 SSE PINE RIVER MN CASS 12/28 0800 AM 12.0 KEEWATIN MN ITASCA 12/28 0800 AM 12.0 IRONTON MN CROW WING 12/28 0900 AM 12.0 GRAND RAPIDS 7 SE MN ITASCA 12/28 0901 AM 11.5 2 N MAHTOWA MN CARLTON 12/28 0831 AM 11.0 3 E ORR MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0600 AM 11.0 8 NNW COLERAINE MN ITASCA 12/28 0850 AM 10.9 WRENSHALL MN CARLTON 12/28 0800 AM 10.6 3 ENE WRIGHT MN CARLTON 12/28 0600 AM 10.6 7 N TACONITE MN ITASCA 12/28 1049 AM 10.5 3 NW AURORA MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0800 AM 10.5 MCKINLEY MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 1014 AM 10.2 1 WSW MAPLE WI DOUGLAS 12/28 0700 AM 10.2 3 ENE HOLYOKE MN CARLTON 12/28 0700 AM 10.1 2 ENE HOLYOKE MN CARLTON 12/28 0807 AM 10.0 1 NW BABBITT MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0700 AM 10.0 5 NE COHASSET MN ITASCA 12/28 0700 AM 9.5 1 ENE MOOSE LAKE MN CARLTON 12/28 1200 AM 9.5 3 NNE LESTER PARK MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0615 AM 9.5 4 SSE HERBSTER WI BAYFIELD 12/28 0658 AM 9.5 6 SW SNOW BANK LAKE MN LAKE 12/28 0800 AM 9.5 2 E CELINA MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0800 AM 9.3 WINTON MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0830 AM 9.0 3 W LEONIDAS MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0630 AM 9.0 2 SW TAMARACK MN AITKIN 12/28 0700 AM 9.0 1 NW KABETOGAMA MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0700 AM 8.6 3 S NORTHOME MN ITASCA 12/28 0700 AM 8.3 3 E WRENSHALL MN CARLTON 12/28 0700 AM 8.3 1 W SOLON SPRINGS WI DOUGLAS 12/28 0700 AM 8.2 1 WSW MAPLE WI DOUGLAS 12/28 0715 AM 8.1 4 NE SEA GULL LAKE MN COOK 12/28 0700 AM 8.0 7 SSW GRAND RAPIDS MN ITASCA 12/28 0600 AM 8.0 2 N MOQUAH WI BAYFIELD 12/28 0600 AM 8.0 1 SSW ELY MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0710 AM 8.0 2 NNW GARY NEW DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0900 AM 7.9 1 SE MALMO MN AITKIN 12/28 0800 AM 7.8 EMBARRASS MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0600 AM 7.8 2 E KETTLE RIVER MN CARLTON 12/28 0858 AM 7.0 3 NNW SANDSTONE MN PINE 12/28 0757 AM 6.8 6 SW WEBB LAKE WI BURNETT 12/28 0700 AM 6.8 2 SSW BAYFIELD WI BAYFIELD 12/28 0700 AM 6.8 3 SW BAYFIELD WI BAYFIELD 12/28 0800 AM 6.7 12 W DRUMMOND WI BAYFIELD 12/28 0700 AM 6.3 1 S INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN KOOCHICHING 12/28 0600 AM 6.1 3 E SAND BAY WI BAYFIELD 12/28 0700 AM 5.6 1 E LA POINTE WI ASHLAND 12/28 0800 AM 5.2 3 WSW INDUS MN KOOCHICHING 12/28 0800 AM 5.0 2 WNW SEELEY WI SAWYER 12/28 0600 AM 4.8 3 WNW CLAM LAKE WI BAYFIELD 12/28 0700 AM 4.5 ASHLAND WI ASHLAND 12/28 0700 AM 4.3 3 SW ASHLAND WI ASHLAND 12/28 0800 AM 4.2 PENCE WI IRON 12/28 0700 AM 4.0 2 ESE DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 12/28 0600 AM 4.0 1 NW HURLEY WI IRON 12/28 0800 AM 3.8 6 SW BUTTERNUT WI PRICE 12/28 0630 AM 3.8 HERBSTER WI BAYFIELD 12/28 1015 AM 3.5 3 NNW BUTTERNUT WI ASHLAND 12/28 0600 AM 3.2 2 E ODANAH WI ASHLAND 12/28 0700 AM 3.0 2 WNW STONE LAKE WI WASHBURN 12/28 0700 AM 3.0 6 NE HERTEL WI BURNETT 12/28 0900 AM 2.8 1 SSW GRANTSBURG WI BURNETT 12/28 0800 AM 2.1 1 S PHILLIPS WI PRICE 12/28 0700 AM 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.