A wet, sloppy snowstorm blanketed eastern Minnesota and snow stuck to trees, wires and roads. The air temperature during this event hovered right around freezing. The snow began in waves during the early morning hours of March 17th and then a heavier burst moved through eastern Minnesota during the wee hours of the morning of March 18th. It was warm enough that the major highways in the Twin Cities were mainly just wet by 8am, but side streets had icy snow stuck to them. Snowfall amounts were generally in the 2 to 5 inch range across central and eastern Minnesota. The Twin Cities Airport received 3.7 inches, which melted down to .46 liquid. This was the most snow to fall from a single storm since Christmas.
Below are some snowfall totals courtesy the National Weather Service
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 111 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008 ...SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM THE MARCH 17TH AND 18TH WINTER EVENT... THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION. SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME ------ ----------------------- -- -------------- ------- 6.00 7 NW MORA MN KANABEC 0839 AM 5.30 ST CLOUD MN STEARNS 0600 AM MEASURED NEAR ST CLOUD REGIONAL AIRPORT. 5.20 MILACA MN MILLE LACS 0700 AM 4.70 WASECA MN WASECA 0700 AM 4.20 5 NE FOREST LAKE MN CHISAGO 0800 AM 4.00 1 ESE ST JOSEPH MN STEARNS 1118 AM 4 INCHES EVENT TOTAL. 2.5 INCHES OVERNIGHT. 4.00 CARLOS MN DOUGLAS 1029 AM LIQUID PRECIPITATION .12 INCHES. 4.00 BLOOMER WI CHIPPEWA 0951 AM THREE AND ONE HALF INCHES FELL DURING THE OVERNIGHT. 4.00 NORTH BRANCH MN CHISAGO 0905 AM 4.00 RUSH CITY MN CHISAGO 0846 AM THREE INCHES STILL ON THE GROUND. 4.00 ANDOVER MN ANOKA 0810 AM 4.00 STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON 0800 AM THIS INCLUDES 0.63 TOTAL LIQUID PRECIPITATION. 4.00 BELGRADE MN STEARNS 0751 AM 4.00 FAIRMONT MN MARTIN 0700 AM 3.90 MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 0600 AM RECORDED AT MSP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. 3.80 1 S CLEAR LAKE MN SHERBURNE 0802 AM 3.70 WOODBURY MN WASHINGTON 0823 AM SINCE 5 PM YESTERDAY. 3.70 MENOMONIE WI DUNN 0808 AM 3.50 WEST ST PAUL MN DAKOTA 0839 AM 3.50 MURDOCK MN SWIFT 0757 AM 3.50 ST CROIX FALLS WI POLK 0751 AM WITH .33 LIQUID PRECIPITATION. 3.50 CHANHASSEN MN CARVER 0600 AM MEASURED AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 3.00 VINELAND MN MILLE LACS 1119 AM 3.00 4 E RIVER FALLS WI PIERCE 1029 AM 3.00 GILMAN MN BENTON 0905 AM SIX INCHES STILL ON THE GROUND. 3.00 LESTER PRAIRIE MN MCLEOD 0757 AM INCLUDES 0.35 INCHES OF WATER EQUIVALENT. 3.00 LADYSMITH WI RUSK 0700 AM 3.00 WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI 0700 AM 3.00 REDWOOD FALLS MN REDWOOD 0700 AM 3.00 BUFFALO MN WRIGHT 0700 AM 2.80 BLOOMINGTON MN HENNEPIN 0715 AM 2.80 HUTCHINSON MN MCLEOD 1029 AM LIQUID PRECIPITATION OF 0.32 INCHES. 2.60 EDEN PRAIRIE MN HENNEPIN 0930 AM 2.50 MONTGOMERY MN LE SUEUR 1029 AM LIQUID PRECIPATION EQUALS 0.27 INCHES. 2.50 PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT 1016 AM 2.50 ST JAMES MN WATONWAN 0829 AM 2.50 FRIDLEY MN ANOKA 0821 AM 2.5 INCHES IN THE LAST 12 HOURS. 2.50 MONTEVIDEO MN CHIPPEWA 0810 AM 0.27 INCHES OF LIQUID. 2.50 SPRING VALLEY WI PIERCE 0700 AM 2.50 JORDAN MN SCOTT 0700 AM 2.50 LITCHFIELD MN MEEKER 0641 AM 2.50 LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON 0614 AM 2.20 LAKEVILLE MN DAKOTA 1121 AM 2.10 JIM FALLS WI CHIPPEWA 0700 AM 2.00 RAMSEY MN ANOKA 0830 AM 2.00 HAMMOND MN GOODHUE 0700 AM 1.90 LONG PRAIRIE MN TODD 0700 AM 1.70 SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN 0700 AM 1.70 GAYLORD MN SIBLEY 0700 AM 1.60 WINNEBAGO MN FARIBAULT 0700 AM 1.50 RED WING MN GOODHUE 0722 AM TWO INCHES TOTAL ON THE GROUND. 1.50 RED WING MN GOODHUE 0718 AM TWO INCHES ON THE GROUND. 1.50 DURAND WI PEPIN 0700 AM 1.50 ZUMBROTA MN GOODHUE 0700 AM 1.50 MORGAN MN REDWOOD 0700 AM 1.10 ALBERT LEA MN FREEBORN 0700 AM 1.00 BLOOMER WI CHIPPEWA 0700 AM 1.00 FARIBAULT MN RICE 0700 AM 1.00 STANLEY WI EAU CLAIRE 0700 AM 0.90 EAU CLAIRE WI EAU CLAIRE 0600 AM MEASURED AT WQOW TV. 0.70 MORRIS MN STEVENS 0700 AM 0.50 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 0718 AM 0.30 AUGUSTA WI EAU CLAIRE 0700 AM $ MARGRAF PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 119 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION. SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME ------ ----------------------- -- -------------- ------- 6.00 EXELAND WI SAWYER 0700 AM 4.80 8 SW CLAM LAKE WI SAWYER 0700 AM 4.60 HAYWARD WI SAWYER 0600 AM 4.50 WRENSHALL MN CARLTON 0100 PM 4.50 PARK FALLS WI PRICE 0100 PM 4.50 20 NE PARK FALLS WI IRON 0900 AM 4.50 8 S HAYWARD WI SAWYER 0800 AM 4.50 GURNEY WI IRON 0600 AM SNOW DEPTH 4.5 4.30 4 S BRUNO MN PINE 0700 AM 4.30 SARONA WI WASHBURN 0600 AM SNOW DEPTH 12 INCHES 4.20 OULU WI BAYFIELD 0900 AM 4.00 2 N GRAND MARAIS MN COOK 0100 PM 4.00 TRADE LAKE WI BURNETT 0100 PM 4.00 MAPLE WI DOUGLAS 0900 AM 4.00 12 NNE DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 0900 AM 4.00 GLIDDEN WI ASHLAND 0700 AM 3.80 5 NW WASHBURN WI BAYFIELD 0900 AM 3.70 DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 0700 AM 3.50 4 N GRANTSBURG WI BURNETT 0800 AM 3.50 5 NW KNIFE RIVER MN ST. LOUIS 0800 AM 3.50 3 N PINE CITY MN PINE 0700 AM 3.50 3 W BUTTERNUT WI ASHLAND 0700 AM 3.20 1 W LUTSEN MN COOK 0600 AM 3.20 12 N ISLE MN AITKIN 0600 AM 3.00 5 WSW SOLON SPRINGS WI DOUGLAS 0100 PM 3.00 5 WSW SOLON SPRINGS WI DOUGLAS 0900 AM 3.00 SAGINAW MN ST. LOUIS 0900 AM 3.00 BEAVER BAY MN LAKE 0900 AM 3.00 10 S SUPERIOR WI DOUGLAS 0900 AM 3.00 MOOSE LAKE MN CARLTON 0800 AM 2.70 SILVER BAY MN LAKE 0600 AM 2.70 KERRICK MN PINE 0500 AM 2.50 4 SE FINLAND MN LAKE 0700 AM 2.50 3 W GRAND MARAIS MN COOK 0700 AM 2.50 5 S HERBSTER WI BAYFIELD 0600 AM 2.50 LITTLE MARAIS MN LAKE 0600 AM 2.00 ISLAND LAKE MN ST. LOUIS 0100 PM .21 SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT. SNOW DEPTH 19 IN. 1.90 7 NW TWO HARBORS MN LAKE 0700 AM SNOW DEPTH 20 INCHES 1.50 4 W WENTWORTH WI DOUGLAS 0900 AM 1.50 GILE WI IRON 0600 AM AT 0500 AM MODERATE SNOW STILL FALLING 1.30 15 N GRAND RAPIDS MN ITASCA 0700 AM 1.10 INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN KOOCHICHING 0100 PM 1.00 3 NE NISSWA MN CROW WING 0800 AM 1.00 EMBARRASS MN ST. LOUIS 0700 AM