In case there was any doubt having a white Christmas for 2007, Mother Nature brought more snow and cold to Minnesota. The snow arrived in two separate events. The first event was associated with a cold front that moved across the state during the wee hours of Saturday, December 22. The precipitation began as rain and changed over to a wet, slushy snow. Cold air swooped across the state by mid morning and cemented the slush to ice. Snow totals were generally in the one to three inch range over eastern Minnesota.
A strong low pressure center organized over the southern plains and moved northeast into northern Wisconsin by Sunday, December 23. The storm became stationary as it gained strength. This setup eastern Minnesota for the "backwash" snow from the system. Snow moved into the Twin Cities from the northeast around 8-9am on the 23rd and lasted for about 12 hours dropping about 2 to 4 inches of snow. Strong northwesterly winds caused much blowing and drifting. Duluth saw 9.2 inches of lake-enhanced snow. Babbit had one of the higher totals found in northeastern Minnesota with 14.5 inches of snow measured.
There were at least 350 accidents, spin outs and cars in the ditch on the 22nd in the state, and even more on the 23rd. At least seven people were killed in vehicular incidents associated with the weekend snow storms.
Snowfall totals and event reports courtesy of the National Weather Service:
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 853 AM CST MON DEC 24 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 1230 PM SNOW 12 N BRUCE 45.63N 91.27W 12/23/2007 M6.0 INCH RUSK WI TRAINED SPOTTER 1230 PM SNOW LADYSMITH 45.46N 91.10W 12/23/2007 E6.0 INCH RUSK WI LAW ENFORCEMENT 1230 PM SNOW 12 NW BALSAM LAKE 45.58N 92.63W 12/23/2007 M5.0 INCH POLK WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0310 PM SNOW ST PAUL 44.95N 93.10W 12/23/2007 M3.7 INCH RAMSEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER MEASURED IN SW ST. PAUL. 3.7 INCHES TODAY. WEEKEND TOTAL 4.9 INCHES. MEASURED WIND GUST OF 41 MPH. 0330 PM SNOW CUMBERLAND 45.54N 92.02W 12/23/2007 M6.0 INCH BARRON WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0345 PM SNOW NORTH ST PAUL 45.01N 93.00W 12/23/2007 M3.7 INCH RAMSEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER TOTAL SNOW DEPTH 8 INCHES. 0402 PM SNOW 10 N ST CROIX FALLS 45.55N 92.63W 12/23/2007 E3.8 INCH POLK WI TRAINED SPOTTER MEASURED IN CUSHING. ACCUMULATION FROM TODAY. 0405 PM SNOW 5 N OGILVIE 45.90N 93.42W 12/23/2007 M1.8 INCH KANABEC MN TRAINED SPOTTER MEASURED IN ANN LAKE TOWNSHIP. SNOW DEPTH 9 INCHES. 0407 PM SNOW OWATONNA 44.09N 93.22W 12/23/2007 E2.0 INCH STEELE MN NWS EMPLOYEE 0500 PM SNOW STANLEY 44.96N 90.94W 12/23/2007 M6.8 INCH CHIPPEWA WI CO-OP OBSERVER 0500 PM SNOW RUSH CITY 45.68N 92.97W 12/23/2007 M3.0 INCH CHISAGO MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0522 PM SNOW EAU CLAIRE 44.82N 91.49W 12/23/2007 M6.7 INCH EAU CLAIRE WI OFFICIAL NWS OBS 0.35 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT 0530 PM SNOW WOODBURY 44.91N 92.92W 12/23/2007 M4.4 INCH WASHINGTON MN TRAINED SPOTTER STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL 0641 PM SNOW MINNEAPOLIS 44.96N 93.27W 12/23/2007 M3.9 INCH HENNEPIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER MEASURED IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS NEAR 46TH AND BLOOMINGTON. 0655 PM SNOW MEDICINE LAKE 45.00N 93.42W 12/23/2007 M3.5 INCH HENNEPIN MN NWS EMPLOYEE 0754 PM SNOW CLAYTON 45.32N 92.17W 12/23/2007 M4.5 INCH POLK WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0755 PM SNOW CAMBRIDGE 45.56N 93.23W 12/23/2007 M3.5 INCH ISANTI MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0755 PM SNOW FRIDLEY 45.08N 93.26W 12/23/2007 M3.5 INCH ANOKA MN NWS EMPLOYEE 0800 PM SNOW NEW HOPE 45.04N 93.39W 12/23/2007 M3.9 INCH HENNEPIN MN CO-OP OBSERVER 0800 PM SNOW 7 S HILLMAN 45.91N 93.89W 12/23/2007 E2.1 INCH MORRISON MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0900 PM SNOW LUCK 45.58N 92.47W 12/23/2007 E7.5 INCH POLK WI TRAINED SPOTTER 8.0 INCHES FOR WEEKEND TOTAL. 0921 PM SNOW RED WING 44.58N 92.60W 12/23/2007 E3.5 INCH GOODHUE MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0921 PM SNOW SW ST PAUL 44.95N 93.10W 12/23/2007 M4.0 INCH RAMSEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER HIGHLAND PARK AREA. 1014 PM SNOW RUSH CITY 45.68N 92.97W 12/23/2007 M3.2 INCH CHISAGO MN TRAINED SPOTTER 1200 AM SNOW CHANHASSEN 44.86N 93.56W 12/24/2007 M2.4 INCH CARVER MN OFFICIAL NWS OBS 1224 AM SNOW MINNEAPOLIS 44.96N 93.27W 12/24/2007 M3.1 INCH HENNEPIN MN OFFICIAL NWS OBS MEASURED AT MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. 1227 AM SNOW ST CLOUD 45.55N 94.17W 12/24/2007 M2.1 INCH STEARNS MN OFFICIAL NWS OBS 0800 AM SNOW LONG PRAIRIE 45.98N 94.86W 12/24/2007 M0.6 INCH TODD MN CO-OP OBSERVER 24 HOUR TOTAL. PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 1230 AM CST MON DEC 24 2007 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0220 PM SNOW ORR 48.06N 92.82W 12/23/2007 M8.3 INCH ST. LOUIS MN CO-OP OBSERVER 0239 PM SNOW TWO HARBORS 47.03N 91.68W 12/23/2007 E10.0 INCH LAKE MN DEPT OF HIGHWAYS 0239 PM SNOW 23 N TOFTE 47.89N 90.88W 12/23/2007 M3.0 INCH COOK MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0239 PM SNOW SILVER BAY 47.29N 91.28W 12/23/2007 M6.0 INCH LAKE MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0239 PM SNOW 1 E ISLAND LAKE 47.01N 92.17W 12/23/2007 M7.0 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER TWO DAY TOTAL 0245 PM SNOW 15 N AITKIN 46.75N 93.71W 12/23/2007 M2.0 INCH AITKIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0245 PM SNOW NISSWA 46.50N 94.30W 12/23/2007 M2.0 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0245 PM SNOW PEQUOT LAKES 46.60N 94.32W 12/23/2007 M0.8 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0300 PM SNOW DANBURY 46.01N 92.37W 12/23/2007 M7.0 INCH BURNETT WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0315 PM SNOW TOWER 47.81N 92.29W 12/23/2007 M9.0 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER TWO DAY TOTAL. 0315 PM SNOW DULUTH 46.78N 92.12W 12/23/2007 M7.5 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER WEST DULUTH...DENFELD TOWNSHIP. 0320 PM SNOW HERTEL 45.81N 92.18W 12/23/2007 M5.0 INCH BURNETT WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0330 PM SNOW MAPLE 46.59N 91.72W 12/23/2007 M13.5 INCH DOUGLAS WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0330 PM SNOW 2 E BUTTERNUT 46.01N 90.46W 12/23/2007 M11.5 INCH ASHLAND WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0330 PM SNOW HOYT LAKES 47.51N 92.15W 12/23/2007 M9.3 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER TWO DAY TOTAL. 0330 PM SNOW 3 NE NISSWA 46.53N 94.25W 12/23/2007 M1.5 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0336 PM HEAVY SNOW MELLEN 46.32N 90.66W 12/23/2007 E16.0 INCH ASHLAND WI TRAINED SPOTTER STILL SNOWING HEAVY. 0345 PM SNOW BAYFIELD 46.81N 90.82W 12/23/2007 M10.5 INCH BAYFIELD WI TRAINED SPOTTER CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. 0355 PM SNOW ELY 47.91N 91.85W 12/23/2007 M12.0 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0355 PM SNOW BABBITT 47.65N 91.94W 12/23/2007 M14.5 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0400 PM SNOW 1 SW HINCKLEY 46.00N 92.95W 12/23/2007 M3.2 INCH PINE MN TRAINED SPOTTER TWO DAY TOTAL. 0400 PM SNOW OULU 46.63N 91.53W 12/23/2007 M12.5 INCH BAYFIELD WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0400 PM SNOW 8 S HAYWARD 45.89N 91.48W 12/23/2007 M7.5 INCH SAWYER WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0400 PM SNOW CLAM LAKE 46.16N 90.92W 12/23/2007 M12.5 INCH ASHLAND WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0420 PM SNOW SARONA 45.71N 91.81W 12/23/2007 M6.5 INCH WASHBURN WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0445 PM SNOW POPLAR 46.58N 91.79W 12/23/2007 M16.0 INCH DOUGLAS WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0500 PM SNOW 7 WNW POPLAR 46.62N 91.92W 12/23/2007 M10.5 INCH DOUGLAS WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0500 PM SNOW PHILLIPS 45.70N 90.40W 12/23/2007 M14.0 INCH PRICE WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0515 PM SNOW 20 NE PARK FALLS 46.14N 90.15W 12/23/2007 M10.0 INCH IRON WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0530 PM SNOW GLIDDEN 46.13N 90.58W 12/23/2007 M18.0 INCH ASHLAND WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0600 PM SNOW 14 N BRULE 46.76N 91.58W 12/23/2007 M10.0 INCH DOUGLAS WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0600 PM SNOW ASKOV 46.19N 92.78W 12/23/2007 M6.9 INCH PINE MN TRAINED SPOTTER TWO DAY TOTAL. 0600 PM SNOW 10 SW SUPERIOR 46.59N 92.21W 12/23/2007 M12.5 INCH DOUGLAS WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0600 PM SNOW GRAND RAPIDS 47.23N 93.52W 12/23/2007 M3.0 INCH ITASCA MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0600 PM SNOW BEAVER BAY 47.26N 91.30W 12/23/2007 M6.0 INCH LAKE MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0600 PM SNOW 4 N GRANTSBURG 45.84N 92.68W 12/23/2007 M5.8 INCH BURNETT WI TRAINED SPOTTER SNOW DEPTH 11.5 INCHES. 0615 PM SNOW CLOQUET 46.73N 92.49W 12/23/2007 M10.5 INCH CARLTON MN NWS EMPLOYEE 0615 PM SNOW KERRICK 46.34N 92.59W 12/23/2007 M9.8 INCH PINE MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0615 PM SNOW BAYFIELD 46.81N 90.82W 12/23/2007 M14.2 INCH BAYFIELD WI TRAINED SPOTTER WEST END OF TOWN. 0620 PM SNOW CULVER 46.93N 92.56W 12/23/2007 M6.3 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER SNOW DEPTH 22 INCHES. 0630 PM SNOW WRENSHALL 46.62N 92.38W 12/23/2007 M7.6 INCH CARLTON MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0630 PM SNOW GILE 46.43N 90.23W 12/23/2007 M15.0 INCH IRON WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0700 PM SNOW KENNAN 45.53N 90.59W 12/23/2007 M14.5 INCH PRICE WI TRAINED SPOTTER TOTAL SINCE 6PM SATURDAY. CONSIDERABLE DRIFTING UP TO 5 FEET. 0700 PM SNOW 5 S HERBSTER 46.76N 91.26W 12/23/2007 M16.0 INCH BAYFIELD WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0855 PM SNOW DULUTH 46.78N 92.12W 12/23/2007 M10.3 INCH ST. LOUIS MN OFFICIAL NWS OBS DULUTH NWS FORECAST OFFICE. 0900 PM SNOW 4 SW BRUNO 46.24N 92.73W 12/23/2007 M9.8 INCH PINE MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0900 PM SNOW 2 E YELLOWLAKE 45.94N 92.34W 12/23/2007 M6.8 INCH BURNETT WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0900 PM SNOW COTTON 47.17N 92.47W 12/23/2007 M8.0 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER 0920 PM SNOW SAXON 46.49N 90.42W 12/23/2007 M16.0 INCH IRON WI TRAINED SPOTTER 0945 PM SNOW MASON 46.44N 91.06W 12/23/2007 M9.0 INCH BAYFIELD WI TRAINED SPOTTER 1005 PM SNOW GILE 46.43N 90.23W 12/23/2007 M16.5 INCH IRON WI TRAINED SPOTTER 1045 PM SNOW 1 E GHEEN 47.97N 92.79W 12/23/2007 M12.0 INCH ST. LOUIS MN TRAINED SPOTTER 1100 PM SNOW MERCER 46.17N 90.06W 12/23/2007 M8.0 INCH IRON WI TRAINED SPOTTER PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 612 AM CST MON DEC 24 2007 ...SIXTH LARGEST DECEMBER SNOW STORM IN LA CROSSE WISCONSIN... ...TENTH LARGEST SINGLE DAY SNOW STORM IN LA CROSSE WISCONSIN... ...FIFTH SNOWIEST DECEMBER IN LA CROSSE WISCONSIN SO FAR... LA CROSSE DECEMBER SNOW STORMS... FROM DECEMBER 22ND THROUGH DECEMBER 23RD...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SNOW OBSERVER NEAR LA CROSSE REGIONAL AIRPORT REPORTED 11.4 INCHES OF SNOW. THIS WAS THE SIXTH LARGEST DECEMBER SNOW STORM IN LA CROSSE. IT WAS THE LARGEST DECEMBER SNOW STORM SINCE 1990 WHEN 14.4 INCHES FELL ON DECEMBER 3RD. THE LARGEST DECEMBER SNOW STORM OCCURRED BACK IN 1927 WHEN 18.3 INCHES OF SNOW FELL FROM DECEMBER 6TH THROUGH DECEMBER 7TH. IN THE TABLE BELOW ARE THE TOP TEN LARGEST DECEMBER SNOW STORMS IN LA CROSSE. LARGEST DECEMBER SNOW STORMS IN LA CROSSE WI 1909 - 2007 SNOWFALL RANK TOTAL DATE/DATES ---- -------- ---------- 1 18.3 INCHES DECEMBER 6-7 1927 2 14.4 INCHES DECEMBER 3 1990 3 13.0 INCHES DECEMBER 29-31 1923 4 12.0 INCHES DECEMBER 21-23 1920 5 11.8 INCHES DECEMBER 4-6 1925 6 11.4 INCHES DECEMBER 22-23 2007 7 10.0 INCHES DECEMBER 26 1911 8 9.9 INCHES DECEMBER 28-30 1971 9 9.3 INCHES DECEMBER 27-28 1966 10 9.1 INCHES DECEMBER 27-28 1968 LA CROSSE SNOWIEST DECEMBER DAYS... ON DECEMBER 23RD...7.0 INCHES OF SNOW FELL. THIS TIED DECEMBER 10 1971 FOR THE TENTH LARGEST SINGLE DAY DECEMBER SNOW. THIS WAS THE LARGEST SNOW IN A SINGLE DAY SNOW IN A DECEMBER SINCE DECEMBER 17 1990 WHEN 7.1 INCHES OF SNOW FELL. IN THE TABLE BELOW ARE THE TOP TEN LARGEST DECEMBER SINGLE DAY SNOWS IN LA CROSSE. LARGEST SINGLE DECEMBER SNOWS IN LA CROSSE WI 1909 - 2007 SNOWFALL RANK TOTAL DATE/DATES ---- -------- ---------- 1 16.7 INCHES DECEMBER 7 1927 2 14.4 INCHES DECEMBER 3 1990 3 10.0 INCHES DECEMBER 26 1911 4 9.0 INCHES DECEMBER 21 1920 5 8.6 INCHES DECEMBER 28 1966 6 8.5 INCHES DECEMBER 12 1972 7 8.1 INCHES DECEMBER 30 1971 8 7.4 INCHES DECEMBER 28 1968 9 7.1 INCHES DECEMBER 17 1990 10 7.0 INCHES DECEMBER 23 2007 7.0 INCHES DECEMBER 10 1970 SNOWIEST DECEMBERS IN LA CROSSE... THROUGH DECEMBER 23RD...22.0 INCHES OF SNOW HAS BEEN REPORTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SNOW OBSERVER NEAR LA CROSSE REGIONAL AIRPORT. THIS IS ALREADY THE FIFTH SNOWIEST DECEMBER IN LA CROSSE. THIS IS THE SNOWIEST DECEMBER SINCE 2000 WHEN 25.5 INCHES OF SNOW FELL. THE SNOWIEST DECEMBER OCCURRED BACK 1990 WHEN 30.4 INCHES OF SNOW FELL. IN THE TABLE BELOW ARE THE TOP TEN SNOWIEST DECEMBERS IN LA CROSSE. SNOWIEST DECEMBERS IN LA CROSSE WI 1884 - 2007 SNOWFALL RANK TOTAL YEAR ---- -------- ---- 1 30.4 INCHES 1990 2 26.6 INCHES 1985 3 25.5 INCHES 2000 25.5 INCHES 1927 5 22.0 INCHES 2007 6 21.9 INCHES 1911 7 19.8 INCHES 1969 8 19.5 INCHES 1950 9 18.8 INCHES 1977 10 18.6 INCHES 1972 NORMALLY LA CROSSE RECEIVES 9.6 INCHES IN A TYPICAL DECEMBER AND 44.3 INCHES DURING A NORMAL SNOW SEASON.