Another Heavy Snowfall, February 20, 2019

snow map
Map of snowfall, February 20, 2019
Image credit: NOAA/NOHRSC and MN State Climatology Office

After a brief respite, the snowy February resumed, as the sixth heavy snow of February 2019 broke a slew of weather records across the state.

A surface low pressure system, supported by very strong winds aloft, tracked from Texas into the Upper Mississippi River Valley on Wednesday February 20th. The main ingredients working in favor of heavy snowfall production were 1) cold air already in place, and 2) a strong surge of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. As the moisture surged into the region ahead of the low pressure system, heavy snow developed rapidly, advancing from south to north within a period of about 18 hours.

The snow began in southern Minnesota around midnight, reaching Twin Cities and St. Cloud between 3 and 5 AM, Brainerd by 6 AM, and Duluth and northeastern Minnesota after 8 AM. The snow became heavy very quickly, with dozens of reports of visibility reduced to 1/4 mile or less during the day.

The entire state saw accumulating snows, with totals greater than 6 inches across the southeastern half of the state, and also extending along the shore of Lake Superior. A swath of 8-10 inches, with some higher totals, extended from the southwest corner of Minnesota, through Marshall, Mankato, and the Twin Cities. Totals observed around the state included a high mark of 14.6 inches at New Ulm, 10.9 inches at Bird Island, 9.1 inches at the Twin Cities International Airport, and 6.8 inches at Silver Bay.

The storm solidified this as the snowiest February on record at many stations across Minnesota (and additional snows after this one only added to the new records). Four of Minnesota's five "first-order" weather stations broke February snowfall records. Interestingly, the storm itself had stiff competition from major winter storms on February 20th of 2011 and 2014, and as a result did not break many daily snowfall records for the date.

Comparison of February record snowfall with snowfall for Feb 2019. Bold/italics represents record values.
Station Name

Snowfall, Feb. 2019

Old Feb. Snowfall Record

Year

Feb 2019 distance from snowfall record

Duluth36.4"33.9"1939+2.5"
International Falls25.4"32.3"1992-6.9"
Rochester40.0"20.1"2007+19.9"
St. Cloud27.6"21.6"1971+6.0"
Twin Cities39.0"26.5"1962+12.5"

 

The following summary of snowfall reports was provided by the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. These reports are only from that office's jurisdiction, and do not represent the entirety of the state.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
LOCATION                     AMOUNT    TIME/DATE       PROVIDER             
NEW ULM 3SE                  14.6 IN   0524 AM 02/21   COOP                 
BELLE PLAINE                 12.8 IN   0549 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
MANKATO 1ESE                 11.5 IN   0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
2 S ANDOVER                  11.0 IN   0440 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
DALLAS                       11.0 IN   0530 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
6 N HENDERSON                11.0 IN   0635 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
2 W NEW PRAGUE               11.0 IN   0815 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
WATERTOWN                    11.0 IN   0415 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
BIRD ISLAND 7SSE             10.9 IN   0700 AM 02/21   COOP                 
WACONIA                      10.7 IN   0600 AM 02/21   UCOOP                
INVER GROVE HGTS 1ENE        10.4 IN   0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
2 WSW VICTORIA               10.1 IN   0627 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
BLOOMINGTON                  10.0 IN   0635 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
FARIBAULT                    10.0 IN   0700 AM 02/21   COOP                 
1 WSW GRANITE FALLS          10.0 IN   0414 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
LE SUEUR                     10.0 IN   0415 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
1 WSW OSSEO                  10.0 IN   0623 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
RICE LAKE                    10.0 IN   0800 AM 02/21   COOP                 
1 SW ST. PETER               10.0 IN   0630 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
2 NE MONTROSE                9.8 IN    0645 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
WILLMAR 5N                   9.6 IN    0600 AM 02/21   COOP                 
RUSH CITY 3NE                9.5 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
ST. CROIX FALLS              9.5 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
CHANHASSEN (NWS)             9.3 IN    0600 AM 02/21   COOP                 
5 S ST. CLOUD                9.3 IN    0843 AM 02/21   PUBLIC               
2 SE OTSEGO                  9.2 IN    0500 PM 02/20   COCORAHS             
MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL AIRPORT 9.1 IN    0600 PM 02/20   OFFICIAL NWS OBS     
RICHFIELD                    9.1 IN    0755 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
BURNSVILLE                   9.0 IN    0548 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
DELANO                       9.0 IN    0500 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
EAST BETHEL 4ENE             9.0 IN    0315 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
ELK RIVER                    9.0 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COOP                 
1 S GOLDEN VALLEY            9.0 IN    0530 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
MADISON LAKE                 9.0 IN    0715 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
MENDOTA HEIGHTS              9.0 IN    0440 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
5 SSW NYE                    9.0 IN    0602 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
PRESCOTT                     9.0 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
PRIOR LAKE                   9.0 IN    0525 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
PRIOR LAKE 1WSW              9.0 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
ST. PETER                    9.0 IN    0534 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
WYOMING                      9.0 IN    0627 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
ZIMMERMAN                    9.0 IN    0730 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
NORTH ST. PAUL 1NNW          8.9 IN    0630 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
1 NW SAUK RAPIDS             8.6 IN    0530 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
CHETEK 2SE                   8.5 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
7 W CLEARWATER               8.5 IN    0703 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
DARWIN                       8.5 IN    0623 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
2 SW EAST BETHEL             8.5 IN    0905 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
EDINA 1SE                    8.5 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
1 ENE MAPLE PLAIN            8.5 IN    0625 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
3 S MINNEAPOLIS              8.5 IN    0430 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
MINNEAPOLIS DWTN             8.5 IN    0600 AM 02/21   COOP                 
3 S MINNETONKA               8.5 IN    0541 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
NORTH BRANCH                 8.5 IN    0520 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
NORTH ST. PAUL 1WNW          8.5 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
7 SE PLEASANT LAKE           8.5 IN    0549 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
ALBANY 3SSE                  8.4 IN    0650 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
APPLE VALLEY 3ESE            8.4 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
LADYSMITH 2WNW               8.3 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
2 N SOUTH HAVEN              8.3 IN    0511 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
ELLSWORTH 1E                 8.2 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COOP                 
MILACA                       8.2 IN    0730 AM 02/21   COOP                 
1 S PLYMOUTH                 8.2 IN    0930 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
ROBBINSDALE                  8.2 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
ANDOVER                      8.0 IN    0500 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
DAWSON                       8.0 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COOP                 
MELROSE                      8.0 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COOP                 
MINNEAPOLIS                  8.0 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
RED WING                     8.0 IN    0830 AM 02/21   COOP                 
5 SSE ST. CLOUD              8.0 IN    0430 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
VICTORIA 2ENE                8.0 IN    0800 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
2 NW FORESTON                7.9 IN    1019 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
BROOKLYN CENTER              7.8 IN    0450 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
1 W HASTINGS                 7.8 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
HASTINGS                     7.7 IN    0827 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
BALDWIN                      7.5 IN    0730 AM 02/21   COOP                 
CAMBRIDGE                    7.5 IN    0426 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
MONTEVIDEO                   7.5 IN    0548 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
CAMP RIPLEY 4E               7.4 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
CLAYTON 3ENE                 7.4 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
ELK MOUND 1ENE               7.4 IN    0715 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
ST. CLOUD AIRPORT            7.4 IN    0600 AM 02/21   OFFICIAL NWS OBS     
NORTH BRANCH 1NNW            7.3 IN    0600 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
BRICELYN                     7.2 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COOP                 
ORROCK 2SE                   7.2 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
ST. PAUL PARK                7.2 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
CARLOS                       7.0 IN    0559 AM 02/21   CO-OP OBSERVER       
1 WNW CEDAR FALLS            7.0 IN    0650 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
2 WNW DAYTON                 7.0 IN    0515 PM 02/20   COCORAHS             
6 SW FOLEY                   7.0 IN    0531 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
KIMBALL 3N                   7.0 IN    0600 AM 02/21   COOP                 
1 E MENOMONIE                7.0 IN    0430 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
1 WNW ROGERS                 7.0 IN    0703 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
2 W UPSALA                   7.0 IN    0524 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
VESELI 1W                    7.0 IN    0500 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
NORTHFIELD 2NE               6.9 IN    0605 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
ROBERTS                      6.9 IN    0800 AM 02/21   COOP                 
5 N WILLMAR                  6.7 IN    0645 PM 02/20   CO-OP OBSERVER       
RIVER FALLS 1SW              6.5 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
1 NNW MINNESOTA LAKE         6.4 IN    0506 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
RICE                         6.4 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COOP                 
ROSEVILLE 2WNW               6.3 IN    0600 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
4 NE CHIPPEWA FALLS          6.2 IN    0800 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
CANNON FALLS                 6.1 IN    0800 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
1 NNW ZUMBROTA               6.0 IN    0644 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
OWATONNA                     5.8 IN    0630 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
CHIPPEWA FALLS               5.5 IN    0800 AM 02/21   COOP                 
COLD SPRING                  5.5 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
JIM FALLS 3NW                5.3 IN    0630 AM 02/21   COOP                 
7 SSW ALTOONA                5.0 IN    0430 PM 02/20   TRAINED SPOTTER      
BLOOMER                      5.0 IN    0800 AM 02/21   COOP                 
EAU CLAIRE                   5.0 IN    0600 AM 02/21   OFFICIAL NWS OBS     
STARBUCK                     5.0 IN    0821 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
DURAND                       4.8 IN    0800 AM 02/21   COOP                 
3 WNW DURAND                 4.6 IN    0430 PM 02/20   PUBLIC               
LONG PRAIRIE                 4.6 IN    0600 AM 02/21   COOP                 
NYE 2E                       4.5 IN    0800 AM 02/21   COCORAHS             
DONNELLY 2WNW                3.3 IN    0700 AM 02/21   COCORAHS
Last modified: March3, 2019

 

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