With "spring" in full swing, yet another winter storm dropped more snowfall throughout the state of Minnesota. This storm came just two weeks after we saw as much as 12.0 inches of snow in some areas of the state.
With April bringing us temperatures well below average, we are now seeing snowfall amounts well above average. The average snowfall for the month of April in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area is 3.1 inches. Combining the two storm totals, some areas of the state have seen as much as 28.0 inches of snow.
A nearly stationary intense band of snow set up from southwest through northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin as low pressure tracked just to the south. Temperatures held steady in the upper 20s to lower 30s within the band of snow, however just to the south they reached the 40s and 50s. A sharp rain/snow line also remained nearly stationary, which led to extreme snowfall gradients across the area. For example, snowfall totals across Hennepin County ranged from nearly 13 inches in Rogers, MN to less than half a inch near Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.
Amounts were higher in the northern Twin Cities area. Many areas in Chisago County saw upwards of a foot of snow with the highest recorded amount being 20.0 inches in North Branch.
Intense snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hours caused several traffic delays, even 1 fatality as a result of slippery road conditions. Several schools closed early on the 16th and remained closed on the 17th.
With last years prolonged winter still fresh in people's minds, many are left wondering if this winter be over later rather than sooner.
Below are Storm Summaries from the National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1055 AM CDT THU APR 17 2014 ...SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM APRIL 16TH-17TH SNOWSTORM... THANK YOU TO COOP AND COCORAHS OBSERVERS...TRAINED SPOTTERS... OUR PARTNERS AND THE PUBLIC FOR THE FOLLOWING REPORTS. THE TOTALS ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION. SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME ------ ----------------------- -- -------------- ------- 20.00 1 NNW NORTH BRANCH MN CHISAGO 0700 AM 19.00 ISANTI MN ISANTI 1258 AM 17.50 NORTH BRANCH MN CHISAGO 0625 AM 17.00 8 ENE NORTH BRANCH MN CHISAGO 0800 AM 17.00 NOWTHEN MN ANOKA 1024 PM 16.00 CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI 0625 AM 15.90 RUSH CITY MN CHISAGO 0445 AM 15.00 3 N CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI 0700 AM 14.60 MONTICELLO MN WRIGHT 0841 PM 14.50 3 NE BIG LAKE MN SHERBURNE 0837 PM 14.50 MILACA MN MILLE LACS 0800 PM 14.00 5 NE FOREST LAKE MN CHISAGO 0700 AM 14.00 4 N ANDOVER MN ANOKA 0700 AM 14.00 LITCHFIELD MN MEEKER 0837 PM 14.00 ST FRANCIS MN ANOKA 0802 PM 13.80 MORA MN KANABEC 0700 AM 13.80 EAST BETHEL MN ANOKA 1046 PM 13.50 1 NW STACY MN CHISAGO 0700 AM 13.50 6 NNE BIG LAKE MN SHERBURNE 0700 AM 13.50 8 ESE PRINCETON MN ISANTI 0924 PM 13.50 2 NE MAPLE LAKE MN WRIGHT 0905 PM 13.10 OTSEGO MN WRIGHT 0600 AM 13.00 LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON 0600 AM 13.00 KINGSTON MN MEEKER 1100 PM 13.00 STACY MN CHISAGO 0810 PM 13.00 2 NNW SHELDON MN SHERBURNE 0800 PM 12.70 COSMOS MN MEEKER 0700 AM 12.70 8 S HILLMAN MN MORRISON 1045 PM 12.70 COSMOS MN MEEKER 0810 PM 12.70 1 NW ROGERS MN HENNEPIN 0800 PM 12.50 MILACA MN MILLE LACS 0730 AM 12.00 ST CROIX FALLS WI POLK 0700 AM 12.00 MORA MN KANABEC 0837 PM 11.80 3 E PRINCETON MN MILLE LACS 0805 PM 11.50 1 E ST MICHAEL MN WRIGHT 0700 AM 11.30 3 SE OTSEGO MN WRIGHT 0813 PM 11.30 ROGERS MN HENNEPIN 0753 PM 11.00 COON RAPIDS MN ANOKA 0824 AM 11.00 3 WSW PRINCETON MN SHERBURNE 0700 AM 11.00 2 SE LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON 0612 AM 11.00 CHAMPLIN MN HENNEPIN 0600 AM 11.00 ZIMMERMAN MN SHERBURNE 0942 PM 11.00 DAYTON MN HENNEPIN 0924 PM 10.20 1 NNE MAPLE GROVE MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 10.00 KIMBALL MN STEARNS 0600 AM 10.00 RAMSEY MN ANOKA 0810 PM 9.60 3 SSE HAM LAKE MN ANOKA 0700 AM 9.60 4 N BECKER MN SHERBURNE 0600 AM 9.30 DASSEL MN MEEKER 0800 AM 9.20 ONAMIA MN MILLE LACS 0800 AM 9.10 MONTROSE MN WRIGHT 0806 PM 9.00 RICE MN BENTON 0700 AM 9.00 8 N BRUCE WI RUSK 1025 AM 8.80 1 SSE SARTELL MN STEARNS 0700 AM 8.70 ST CLOUD STATE UNIV MN STEARNS 0700 AM 8.70 4 NW ONAMIA MN MILLE LACS 0700 AM 8.50 ST CLOUD AIRPORT MN SHERBURNE 0645 AM 8.50 HAM LAKE MN ANOKA 0900 PM 8.00 2 ENE PLYMOUTH MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 8.00 9 NNE BIRD ISLAND MN RENVILLE 0700 AM 8.00 HUTCHINSON MN MCLEOD 0600 AM 8.00 SARTELL MN STEARNS 0557 AM 7.70 8 N RENVILLE MN KANDIYOHI 0700 AM 7.50 CIRCLE PINES MN ANOKA 0815 AM 7.50 SW BLAINE MN ANOKA 0700 AM 7.50 DELANO MN WRIGHT 0928 PM 7.50 1 SW MAPLE GROVE MN HENNEPIN 0800 PM 7.50 3 ESE MONTROSE MN WRIGHT 0800 PM 6.90 RICE LAKE AIRPORT WI BARRON 0800 AM 6.90 2 N WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI 0800 AM 6.50 1 NNW WATERTOWN MN WRIGHT 0700 AM 6.50 WATERTOWN MN CARVER 0441 AM 6.50 MEDICINE LAKE MN HENNEPIN 0854 PM 6.10 2 SE FRIDLEY MN ANOKA 0200 AM 6.00 EAST FARMINGTON WI POLK 0710 AM 6.00 ALBANY MN STEARNS 0557 AM 6.00 PLYMOUTH MN HENNEPIN 1100 PM 6.00 HAUGEN WI BARRON 0931 PM 5.60 7 SSE BIRD ISLAND MN RENVILLE 0700 AM 5.50 HOLCOMBE WI CHIPPEWA 0700 AM 5.10 MADISON MN LAC QUI PARLE 0800 AM 5.10 NEW HOPE MN HENNEPIN 0900 PM 5.00 6 NNE WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI 0700 AM 5.00 MORRIS MN STEVENS 0700 AM 5.00 CARLOS MN DOUGLAS 0600 AM 5.00 GLENWOOD MN POPE 0900 PM 4.80 1 NE WATSON MN CHIPPEWA 0700 AM 4.00 DAWSON MN LAC QUI PARLE 0800 AM 4.00 LADYSMITH WI RUSK 0700 AM 4.00 MONTEVIDEO MN CHIPPEWA 0700 AM 4.00 1 WSW GOLDEN VALLEY MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 3.80 REDWOOD FALLS MN REDWOOD 0800 AM 3.00 LESTER PRAIRIE MN MCLEOD 0800 AM 3.00 2 SSE MINNETRISTA MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 3.00 LONG PRAIRIE MN TODD 0600 AM 2.50 2 WNW RICHFIELD MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 2.50 6 NE KENSINGTON MN DOUGLAS 0700 AM 2.40 U OF MN ST PAUL CAMPUS MN RAMSEY 0800 AM 2.10 NWS CHANHASSEN MN CARVER 0700 AM 2.00 VESTA MN REDWOOD 0700 AM 2.00 GLENCOE MN MCLEOD 0700 AM 2.00 WACONIA MN CARVER 0600 AM 1.70 MAPLEWOOD MN RAMSEY 0700 AM 1.70 1 SW EDINA MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 1.50 3 SSE DOWNTOWN MINNEAPO MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 1.40 NORTH ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 0822 AM 1.20 CHASKA MN CARVER 0600 AM 1.10 JORDAN MN SCOTT 0530 AM 1.00 STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON 0700 AM 1.00 2 NW ROSEVILLE MN RAMSEY 0700 AM 1.00 2 W PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT 0600 AM 0.70 2 NNW SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN 0700 AM 0.70 4 SSW DOWNTOWN MINNEAPO MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 0.50 SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN 0700 AM 0.50 1 ENE RICHFIELD MN HENNEPIN 0700 AM 0.50 1 NE FAIRMONT MN MARTIN 0700 AM 0.50 JIM FALLS WI CHIPPEWA 0555 AM 0.30 1 NE STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON 0700 AM 0.30 MSP INTL AIRPORT MN HENNEPIN 0645 AM