The last two days Meteorological Winter brought real winter to Minnesota with up to a foot of snow and plenty of badly needed precipitation.
Winter returned in a big way to Minnesota, with the most significant precipitation event in the state since August 2011. The storm developed over Colorado during the day on February 28 and then moved northeastward. By the morning of the 29th the low pressure system was centered over southwest Minnesota. There was plenty of moisture with this storm, with many places in southern Minnesota reporting from one to almost two inches of precipitation, mostly in the form of rain. Faribault had the highest total found so far with 2.23 inches of precipitation. St. Peter had 2.01 inches.
The bulk of the moisture surged to the north across southern Minnesota during the evening hours of February 28th in the form of sleet and rain, with rain freezing on contact on exposed surfaces. As the band of precipitation moved to the north of the Twin Cities the precipitation changed over to snow. During the nighttime hours the rain and sleet changed to snow across the Twin Cities. Some spots in Anoka and Northern Hennepin County received a half foot of snow, amounts tapered off to the south across the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. As of the morning of February 29th, 7.5 inches fell at Andover in Anoka. farther south, Fridley had 5 inches. The St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota had 3.1 inches and 2.0 inches of snow was measured at the Twin Cities International Airport.
The largest snow totals statewide were across central Minnesota in a band from Alexandria to Grantsburg Wisconsin where up to a foot of snow had fallen as of the morning of February 29th. Scores of schools canceled class north of the Twin Cities and in outstate Minnesota. The highest totals in Minnesota were in northern Pine County.
The storm became a full-fledged blizzard in Duluth by sunrise on February 29, with visibilities dropping to near zero with heavy snow. Winds were averaging 45mph with gusts to 55mph in the Duluth area with gusts to 68mph on elevated bridges and roads in the Downtown Duluth area.
Listed below is a Public Information State from the Duluth National Weather Service Office.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 1110 AM CST THU MAR 1 2012 BELOW ARE SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM THE LEAP DAY 2012 SNOW STORM. THE SNOW BEGAN IN THE EVENING ACROSS SOUTHERN AREAS OF THE NORTHLAND...AND IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ACROSS THE NORTH. SNOW BEGAIN ALONG THE NORTH SHORE AND ARROWHEAD AAROUND MID MORNING. MOST OF THE SNOW FELL IN 24 HOURS OR LESS. SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME ------ ----------------------- -- -------------- ------- 20.00 4 W CLAM LAKE WI BURNETT 1037 AM 20.00 18 E HINCKLEY MN PINE 1200 AM 19.00 3 N BUTTERNUT WI ASHLAND 1246 PM 18.00 CORNUCOPIA WI BAYFIELD 0424 PM 17.00 5 SW PHILLIPS WI PRICE 0200 PM 17.00 WINTER WI SAWYER 0839 AM 4 TO 6 FOOT DRIFTS. 16.70 PARK FALLS WI PRICE 1130 AM 16.50 SARONA WI WASHBURN 0500 PM 16.50 2 N FIFIELD WI PRICE 1012 AM 16.00 EXELAND WI SAWYER 0955 PM 16.00 8 S HAYWARD WI SAWYER 0730 PM 16.00 4 SE PARK FALLS WI PRICE 0900 AM 15.80 4 S BRUNO MN PINE 0900 AM 15.50 4 SSW BRUNO MN PINE 0530 PM 15.50 5 SW PHILLIPS WI PRICE 0731 AM 15.30 2 W HAYWARD WI SAWYER 0500 PM 15.10 ASHLAND WI ASHLAND 1016 PM 15.00 BEAVER BAY MN LAKE 0810 AM 15.00 3 S ASHLAND WI ASHLAND 0645 PM STILL SNOWING 15.00 3 S ASHLAND WI ASHLAND 0500 PM 15.00 13 NW WEBSTER MN PINE 0347 PM 15.00 PRENTICE WI PRICE 0200 PM 15.00 BENOIT WI BAYFIELD 1238 PM 14.50 4 N GRANTSBURG WI BURNETT 1110 AM 7 INCHES SINCE 730 AM. 14.50 8 S HAYWARD WI SAWYER 1200 AM 14.30 SHELL LAKE WI WASHBURN 1055 AM 14.00 1 N SPOONER WI WASHBURN 1200 PM 14.00 SHELL LAKE WI WASHBURN 1050 AM 13.90 4 E CORNUCOPIA WI BAYFIELD 0747 PM 13.50 5 SW CABLE WI SAWYER 0800 AM 13.00 10 S SUPERIOR WI DOUGLAS 0714 AM 13.00 MASON WI BAYFIELD 0830 PM 13.00 OULU WI BAYFIELD 0500 PM 13.00 5 N WEBSTER WI BURNETT 0900 AM 13.00 12 NE WEBSTER WI BURNETT 0853 AM 13.00 2 W HAYWARD WI SAWYER 0830 AM 13.00 12 W DRUMMOND WI BAYFIELD 1200 AM IN TOWN OF BARNES 12.70 MADELINE ISLAND WI ASHLAND 1037 AM 12.40 4 W WASHBURN WI BAYFIELD 0730 PM 12.00 MAPLE WI DOUGLAS 0710 AM 12.00 MASON WI BAYFIELD 1220 PM 12.00 ASKOV MN PINE 0900 AM VSBY LESS THAN QUARTER MILE 12.00 GLIDDEN WI ASHLAND 0853 AM 11.70 4 N GRANTSBURG WI BURNETT 0742 AM 11.50 GILE WI IRON 1037 AM 11.50 GILE WI IRON 1239 PM 11.30 WRENSHALL MN CARLTON 0810 AM 11.00 6 NE CLOVERLAND WI DOUGLAS 0500 PM 11.00 SAXON WI IRON 0430 PM 11.00 MONTREAL WI IRON 0241 PM 11.00 2 NE MELLEN WI ASHLAND 1022 AM 10.50 5 WSW SOLON SPRINGS WI DOUGLAS 0730 PM 10.50 MAPLE WI DOUGLAS 0147 PM 10.30 7 NW TWO HARBORS MN LAKE 0710 AM 10.00 SILVER BAY MN LAKE 0810 AM 10.00 1 S SOLON SPRINGS WI DOUGLAS 0730 PM 10.00 1 W GORDON WI DOUGLAS 0700 PM 10.00 POPLAR WI DOUGLAS 0600 PM 10.00 S NAMEKAGON WI BAYFIELD 0530 PM 10.00 5 N TWO HARBORS MN LAKE 0500 PM 10.00 TRADE LAKE WI BURNETT 0427 PM 10.00 HERBSTER WI BAYFIELD 0200 PM 10.00 11 N BRULE WI DOUGLAS 0120 PM 10.00 BENNETT WI DOUGLAS 0920 AM 10.00 PINE CITY MN PINE 0840 AM 9.70 DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 0637 AM 9.50 5 NW DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 0600 PM 9.40 SAXON WI IRON 0851 AM 9.00 ALBORN MN ST. LOUIS 0540 PM 9.00 SAGINAW MN ST. LOUIS 0131 PM 9.00 2 N MELLEN WI ASHLAND 0851 AM 8.90 5 NW DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 0200 PM 0.3 INCHES MEASURED IN THE PAST ONE HOUR. 8.20 UPSON WI IRON 1037 AM 8.10 BRAINERD MN CROW WING 1015 AM 8.00 2 NE DULUTH MN ST. LOUIS 0231 PM 8.00 ALBORN MN ST. LOUIS 1025 AM 7.70 PILLAGER MN CASS 0700 PM 7.70 12 N ISLE MN AITKIN 1232 PM 7.50 CLOQUET MN CARLTON 0131 PM 7.50 CLOQUET MN CARLTON 1218 PM 7.50 2 SSW POPLAR WI DOUGLAS 1025 AM 7.20 MOOSE LAKE WI DOUGLAS 0200 PM 7.00 BRAINERD MN CROW WING 1232 PM 7.00 TAMARACK MN AITKIN 1130 AM 6.70 2 S BRIMSON MN ST. LOUIS 0830 PM 6.50 PILLAGER MN CASS 1235 PM 6.10 HOLYOKE MN CARLTON 0903 AM 6.00 AITKIN MN AITKIN 1130 AM 6.00 11 N BRULE WI DOUGLAS 1045 AM 6.00 LEADER MN CASS 0920 AM VSBY LESS THAN 1/4 MILE 5.80 3 N ILLGEN CITY MN LAKE 0714 AM 5.50 2 E PAYNE MN ST. LOUIS 0148 PM 4.50 PALISADE MN AITKIN 1130 AM 4.00 MCGREGOR MN AITKIN 0229 PM 4.00 DEERWOOD MN CROW WING 0150 AM OVER PAST 4 HOURS 3.70 LITTLE MARAIS MN LAKE 0700 PM 3.50 BALL CLUB MN ITASCA 0131 PM 3.50 WARBA MN ITASCA 1025 AM 2.50 GRAND RAPIDS MN ITASCA 1138 AM 2.00 PINE RIVER MN CASS 0247 PM 1.30 7 S BIGFORK MN ITASCA 0207 PM 0.80 MCKINLEY MN ST. LOUIS 0228 PM