Winter Storm, December 26-28, 2018

snow photo
deep snow near Glenwood. Courtesy of Pope County SWCD.

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.

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