The December 8-9, 2012 snowstorm is the largest snowstorm for the Twin Cities since the 13.8 inches that fell in the February 20-21, 2011 storm.
Winter arrived in a big way across central and southern Minnesota with a winter storm and blizzard that began late in the day of December 8 and tapered off late in the evening on December 9. A potent area of low pressure moved from southern Montana across southern South Dakota on December 9th and to Lake Huron by the 10th. There were copious amounts of moisture with this storm along with plenty of cold air to assure most of the precipitation would fall as snow. The heaviest snow fell in a 60 mile wide band from Canby and Olivia in west central Minnesota, eastward across the northern Twin Cities and further east into West Central Wisconsin. winter storm warnings were posted for the Twin Cities, with blizzard warnings across western Minnesota.
Some of the higher storm totals found include 17.3 inches at Sacred Heart in Renville County and 16.5 inches in Forest Lake in Washington County and 15.2 inches at Maplewood in Ramsey County. The Twin Cities International Airport measured 10.6 inches making this the largest snowstorm at the Twin Cities International Airport since February 20-21, 2011. The largest snowstorm in December is the "Domebuster" storm of December 10-11, 2010.
The 10.5 inches that fell on December 9th at the Twin Cities International Airport is the 4th highest calendar day snowfall for December.
Top Four Calendar Day Snowfalls for December (beginning with the winter of 1884-85) date snowfall (inches) 12/11/2010 16.3 (December 10 - 11 storm total = 17.1) 12/28/1982 12.0 (December 27 - 28 storm total = 16.5) 12/17/1908 10.8 12/9/2012 10.5
This snow had high water content with it with precipitation amounts from .75 to over an inch of liquid for the storm total. The Twin Cities International Airport saw .95 inches of liquid from this event, the heaviest daily precipitation total since July 24, 2012. The warm pavement at the start of the storm, coupled with the high water content and the rapidly cooling temperatures caused secondary roads to have washboard ice for days after the event, making travel difficult. High temperatures in the low 40's helped to melt this snow on December 12 and travel became easier.
Listed below is a Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
115 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012
...FINAL SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM THE DEC 8-9 STORM...
SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT
INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY
------ ----------------------- -- --------------
17.30 SACRED HEART MN RENVILLE
17.00 3 SE LAKE ELMO MN WASHINGTON
16.50 1 SW CHISAGO CITY MN CHISAGO
16.50 FOREST LAKE MN WASHINGTON
16.50 3 SW ISANTI MN ISANTI
16.30 HUGO MN WASHINGTON
16.20 MENOMONIE WI DUNN
16.00 CLEAR LAKE MN SHERBURNE
15.90 4 SSE SILVER CREEK MN WRIGHT
15.50 ROBERTS WI ST. CROI
15.30 3 SSE HAM LAKE MN ANOKA
15.20 MENOMONIE WI DUNN
15.00 1 SW MONTEVIDEO MN CHIPPEWA
15.00 SPRING VALLEY WI PIERCE
14.70 EAU CLAIRE WI EAU CLAIRE
OFFICIAL NWS OBSERVATION FROM WQOW.
14.70 1 ESE MILROY MN REDWOOD
14.30 ELK MOUND WI DUNN
14.20 1 NNW COLD SPRING MN STEARNS
14.10 2 WNW RICHFIELD MN HENNEPIN
14.00 3 W ROSEMOUNT MN DAKOTA
14.00 2 NE BUFFALO MN WRIGHT
14.00 4 E ELLSWORTH WI PIERCE
13.80 1 NE STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON
13.80 SE MAPLE LAKE MN WRIGHT
13.70 1 WSW LITTLE CANADA MN RAMSEY
13.60 CHANHASSEN MN CARVER
OFFICIAL NWS OBSERVATION FROM THE
NWS OFFICE IN CHANHASSEN
13.50 HASTINGS MN DAKOTA
13.50 1 NE ELK MOUND WI DUNN
13.50 5 ENE MINNEAPOLIS MN RAMSEY
13.50 SPRING LAKE PARK MN ANOKA
13.30 1 NNW NORTH ST PAUL MN RAMSEY
13.30 3 N BOYCEVILLE WI DUNN
13.30 2 N WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI
13.30 2 SW STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON
13.30 WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI
13.20 1 E MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN
13.20 3 WSW PRINCETON MN SHERBURNE
13.10 2 NE MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN
13.00 NW EAU CLAIRE WI EAU CLAIRE
13.00 2 SW STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON
13.00 3 NW REDWOOD FALLS MN REDWOOD
13.00 ANNANDALE MN WRIGHT
13.00 ST PAUL MN RAMSEY
12.90 MADISON MN LAC QUI PARLE
12.70 1 ENE ST MICHAEL MN WRIGHT
12.50 N CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI
12.50 1 SSW RIVER FALLS WI PIERCE
12.50 3 NE BURNSVILLE MN DAKOTA
12.40 LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON
12.30 7 ESE ST CROIX FALLS WI POLK
12.20 2 N MAPLEWOOD MN RAMSEY
12.20 RICE MN BENTON
12.10 2 E HAM LAKE MN ANOKA
12.00 1 WSW GOLDEN VALLEY MN HENNEPIN
12.00 9 NNE BIRD ISLAND MN RENVILLE
12.00 3 W ELLSWORTH WI PIERCE
12.00 ST CROIX FALLS WI POLK
12.00 1 NE WATSON MN CHIPPEWA
12.00 MILACA MN MILLE LACS
12.00 5 ESE CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI
11.80 NNW WATERTOWN MN CARVER
11.80 DURAND WI PEPIN
11.70 1 E ST CLOUD MN STEARNS
11.50 1 SSE SARTELL MN STEARNS
11.40 4 SSW MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN
11.40 3 SW MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN
11.30 1 N EDINA MN HENNEPIN
11.20 ST CLOUD MN STEARNS
OFFICIAL NWS OBSERVATION
11.00 ANDOVER MN ANOKA
11.00 1 SW LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON
11.00 2 W PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT
11.00 ELK RIVER MN SHERBURNE
11.00 MELROSE MN STEARNS
11.00 3 SSW WOLF CREEK MN CHISAGO
11.00 ROCKFORD MN HENNEPIN
11.00 BRANDON MN DOUGLAS
11.00 ALBANY MN STEARNS
10.80 6 WNW ELLSWORTH WI PIERCE
10.80 1 SE CHASKA MN CARVER
10.70 1 S HAMPTON MN DAKOTA
10.60 MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN
OFFICIAL NWS OBSERVATION TAKEN AT
THE MSP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
10.60 DASSEL MN MEEKER
10.50 MORA MN KANABEC
10.50 RED WING MN GOODHUE
10.50 REDWOOD FALLS MN REDWOOD
10.50 RIDGELAND WI DUNN
10.40 2 W MONTGOMERY MN LE SUEUR
10.30 5 NNE BIG LAKE MN SHERBURNE
10.30 6 ESE DRESSER WI POLK
10.10 ROSEMOUNT MN DAKOTA
10.10 LONG PRAIRIE MN TODD
10.00 2 SW ROSEVILLE MN RAMSEY
10.00 1 SSE BLOOMINGTON MN HENNEPIN
10.00 1 NW MILAN MN CHIPPEWA
10.00 2 E STANLEY WI CLARK
10.00 WACONIA MN CARVER
10.00 2 NNW RED WING MN GOODHUE
10.00 3 SW CARLOS MN DOUGLAS
10.00 CHIPPEWA FALLS WI CHIPPEWA
10.00 2 ESE NEW AUBURN WI CHIPPEWA
10.00 CARLOS MN DOUGLAS
9.80 4 NE WOODBURY MN WASHINGTON
9.80 1 N WOODBURY MN WASHINGTON
9.60 WATERTOWN MN CARVER
9.20 1 SW EDINA MN HENNEPIN
9.10 HAMBURG MN CARVER
9.00 HOLCOMBE WI CHIPPEWA
9.00 CLAYTON WI POLK
9.00 HOLCOMBE WI CHIPPEWA
9.00 1 SSW JORDAN MN SCOTT
9.00 3 N KIMBALL MN STEARNS
8.80 JIM FALLS WI CHIPPEWA
8.70 3 ENE MONTGOMERY MN RICE
8.70 1 SSW LONSDALE MN RICE
8.70 JIM FALLS WI CHIPPEWA
8.20 NEW PRAGUE MN SCOTT
8.00 1 NNE CUMBERLAND WI BARRON
8.00 CUMBERLAND WI BARRON
7.90 2 SE CHETEK WI BARRON
7.50 2 NNW CRYSTAL MN HENNEPIN
7.20 1 W WOODLAND MN HENNEPIN
7.10 LAMBERTON MN REDWOOD
7.00 2 N CUMBERLAND WI BARRON
7.00 RIVER FALLS WI PIERCE
6.50 CHETEK WI BARRON
6.50 3 N ALEXANDRIA MN DOUGLAS
6.20 HAUGEN WI BARRON
6.00 5 ESE NEW PRAGUE MN RICE
6.00 MOTLEY MN MORRISON
5.90 5 WNW LADYSMITH WI RUSK
5.70 3 SE NEW ULM MN BROWN
5.70 MORRIS MN STEVENS
5.70 2 WNW LADYSMITH WI RUSK
5.50 1 SE HENDERSON MN SIBLEY
5.50 SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN
5.50 2 SE CAMERON WI BARRON
5.20 CANNON FALLS MN GOODHUE
5.00 MADELIA MN WATONWAN
5.00 5 NW GLEN FLORA WI RUSK
5.00 ZUMBROTA MN GOODHUE
5.00 1 S LADYSMITH WI RUSK
5.00 OWATONNA MN STEELE
5.00 MADELIA MN WATONWAN
4.90 4 E NERSTRAND MN GOODHUE
4.90 ONAMIA MN MILLE LACS
4.70 3 WSW PRINCETON MN SHERBURNE
4.40 1 E OWATONNA MN STEELE
4.30 NORTH MANKATO MN NICOLLET
3.80 FARIBAULT MN RICE
3.60 1 WSW WASECA MN WASECA
2.10 SW ELLENDALE MN STEELE
2.00 WELLS MN FARIBAULT
1.70 4 E MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH
1.00 1 NE FAIRMONT MN MARTIN
1.00 WINNEBAGO MN FARIBAULT
1.00 3 SE ALBERT LEA MN FREEBORN
0.70 1 S BLUE EARTH MN FARIBAULT
0.40 FAIRMONT MN MARTIN