Image credit: Midwest Regional Climate Center
For the third week in a row, Minnesotans were treated to a mid-week weather system, this one sprawling over three days and bringing wind-driven waves of rain and snow to the majority of the state. Central and eastern Minnesota had been treated to a slurry of wet snow just 36 hours earlier, and this one ended with a carpet of slush over virtually the entire state.
This event began as a large Alberta Clipper system moved from southwestern Canada into the high plains of Montana on Monday April 4th, before ingesting rich southerly moisture and grinding its way across the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin through Thursday the 7th. This unusually wet and slow-moving "Franken-clipper" intensified on Tuesday into early Wednesday, before weakening slowly for the rest of its journey through the region.
The first wave of rain and snow pushed eastward across the state Tuesday April 5th during the morning and early afternoon, producing just light rain in southern Minnesota, and wet, slushy snow in the central and north. Precipitation during this period was generally light, with most areas receiving a quarter-inch or less. A more impressive wave of heavier precipitation developed during the late afternoon, evening, and overnight, as the intensifying storm lifted the inbound moisture over a spiraling array of temperature boundaries, resulting in moderate rain in the south, with occasionally very heavy snow pinwheeling counterclockwise across the northern half of the state.
As the storm moved eastward early Wednesday morning, a cold front plunged through the state, turning much of the rain to wet snow. From Wednesday morning until the precipitation ended late on Thursday, the precipitation fell either as rain mixed with snow, or as all snow. Strong winds persisted for the entirety of the storm, but the gustiest conditions occurred from Wednesday night through Thursday, with 40 - 55 mph gusts common in open areas.
By storm's end almost all of Minnesota had received some precipitation, with a half-inch or more covering about 60% of the state, and about 25% of the state receiving an inch or more. Northeastern Minnesota hit the precipitation jackpot, where totals of 1.25 to 2.25 inches were common.
The snow fell as a heavy slush, which accumulated, melted, and then re-accumulated in many places. In the Twin Cities, snow covered the ground three mornings in a row, even though it melted during each day. In northern Minnesota, the snows were more serious, with a foot or more falling near Finland, Silver Bay, and outside of Grand Marais, and with totals of at least six inches reported around Hibbing, Duluth, Orr, Two Harbors, Cass Lake, Pine River, and Northome.
Following are snowfall totals by county in northern and northeastern Minnesota from the Duluth National Weather Service, along with some wind gusts reported in northwestern Minnesota, courtesy of the Grand Forks National Weather Service.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 1102 AM CDT FRI APR 8 2022 ..72 HOUR SNOWFALL AND PRECIPITATION REPORTS SEE BELOW FOR 3-DAY TOTAL SNOWFALL AND PRECIPITATION (INCLUDING LIQUID EQUIVALENT FROM SNOWFALL) REPORTS. SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE THOSE GREATER THAT 1 INCH. LIQUID PRECIPITAITON REPORTS ARE THOSE GREATER THAN 0.1 INCH. ..SNOWFALL REPORTS LOCATION AMOUNT TIME/DATE PROVIDER ..MINNESOTA ..AITKIN COUNTY TAMARACK 1.4 SW 1.1 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS ..CARLTON COUNTY WRENSHALL 9.7 SSE 5.6 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS 3.3 W CLOQUET 4.7 IN 0830 AM 04/08 COOP WRENSHALL 4.6 IN 0800 AM 04/08 UCOOP CLOQUET 3.4 ENE 4.2 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS 3 E WRIGHT 2.3 IN 0600 AM 04/08 COOP ..CASS COUNTY REMER 11.5 WSW 7.8 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COCORAHS CASS LAKE 6.6 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COOP OUTING 2.9 ENE 5.2 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS PILLAGER 5.1 N 5.0 IN 0640 AM 04/08 COCORAHS FEDERAL DAM 3 WNW 4.3 IN 1000 AM 04/08 COOP ..COOK COUNTY LUTSEN 11.8 N 11.3 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS HOVLAND 2.8 WNW 8.7 IN 0730 AM 04/08 COCORAHS GRAND MARAIS 3.8 NNE 8.3 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS 3.7 NE SEA GULL LAKE 8.1 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COOP GRAND MARAIS 6.6 NW 7.4 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS TOFTE 4.9 NE 4.9 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS GRAND MARAIS 4.4 WSW 2.3 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS ..CROW WING COUNTY NISSWA 4.2 ENE 3.4 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COCORAHS ..ITASCA COUNTY NORTHOME 3 S 6.5 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COOP MARCELL 0.7 NNW 4.6 IN 0830 AM 04/08 COCORAHS BOVEY 13.4 N 3.3 IN 0654 AM 04/08 COCORAHS COHASSET 7.6 NNW 3.3 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS COLERAINE 0.7 S 3.0 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS WARBA 2.2 NNW 2.3 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS ..KOOCHICHING COUNTY INDUS 3.0 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COOP INTERNATIONAL FALLS 5.1 SSW 2.9 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS INTERNATIONAL FALLS 0.6 NW 1.5 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS ..LAKE COUNTY FINLAND 0.8 NNE 12.5 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COCORAHS WOLF RIDGE 9.5 IN 0733 AM 04/08 COOP SILVER BAY 0.4 W 7.9 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COCORAHS TWO HARBORS 2.1 NW 7.0 IN 0628 AM 04/08 COCORAHS TWO HARBORS 3.6 WNW 7.0 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS TWO HARBORS 0.4 ESE 3.7 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COCORAHS TWO HARBORS 2.8 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COOP ELY 25 E 2.2 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COOP ..PINE COUNTY STURGEON LAKE 7.5 ESE 1.7 IN 0600 AM 04/08 COCORAHS KERRICK 2.4 NNW 1.5 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS STURGEON LAKE 0.4 ENE 1.4 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS ..ST. LOUIS COUNTY DULUTH 11.8 NNE 8.5 IN 0730 AM 04/08 COCORAHS DULUTH 7.9 SW 8.5 IN 0900 AM 04/08 COCORAHS NWS DULUTH 8.0 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COOP BRIMSON 2.0 S 7.0 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS BRIMSON 2 S 7.0 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COOP CHISHOLM 0.4 WSW 6.9 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS ORR 3 E 6.1 IN 0600 AM 04/08 COOP CHISHOLM 0.7 NW 4.1 IN 0630 AM 04/08 COCORAHS KABETOGAMA 1.5 NW 3.8 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COCORAHS DULUTH 4.6 NE 3.6 IN 0730 AM 04/08 COCORAHS KABETOGAMA 3.5 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COOP DULUTH 17.6 NNW 3.2 IN 0630 AM 04/08 COCORAHS DULUTH 15.4 NNW 3.0 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS 3.8 S TOWER 2.8 IN 0730 AM 04/08 COOP WRIGHT 9.2 NNE 2.6 IN 0650 AM 04/08 COCORAHS DULUTH 17.6 NNW 2.6 IN 0700 AM 04/08 COCORAHS COTTON 5.7 ESE 2.6 IN 0800 AM 04/08 COCORAHS IRON JUNCTION 3.4 NNW 2.4 IN 0600 AM 04/08 COCORAHS COOK 8NE 2.1 IN 0600 AM 04/08 COOP ELY 5.2 NNW 2.1 IN 0730 AM 04/08 COCORAHS CANYON 4.6 NNE 1.8 IN 0730 AM 04/08 COCORAHS DULUTH 1.2 SE 1.7 IN 0557 AM 04/08 COCORAHS EMBARRASS 1.6 IN 0600 AM 04/08 COOP - PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND 410 AM CDT THU APR 7 2022 ..HIGHEST WIND REPORTS OVER THE PAST 24HRS LOCATION SPEED TIME/DATE PROVIDER FERGUS FALLS AP MN 58 MPH 0655 PM 04/06 AWOS E GRAND FORKS MN 6 SE 58 MPH 0501 PM 04/06 MNDOT ROTHSAY MN 0.5 NW 53 MPH 0630 PM 04/06 MNDOT TENNEY MN 2 W 52 MPH 0245 PM 04/06 MNDOT LAKE PARK MN 0.5 W 52 MPH 0500 PM 04/06 MNDOT MOORHEAD AP MN 51 MPH 0235 PM 04/06 AWOS HENDRUM MN 4 ENE 51 MPH 0613 PM 04/06 MNDOT DILWORTH MN 2 S 50 MPH 0550 PM 04/06 MNDOT EMERADO US 2 MP 340.4 50 MPH 0610 PM 04/06 NDDOT DONALDSON MN 1 W 49 MPH 0150 PM 04/06 MNDOT CROOKSTON AP MN 48 MPH 1235 PM 04/06 AWOS ELBOW LAKE AP MN 47 MPH 0535 PM 04/06 AWOS ST VINCENT MN 1 E 47 MPH 0130 PM 04/06 MNDOT CAMPBELL MN 3 SE 46 MPH 0620 PM 04/06 NDAWN OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURES. WE THANK ALL VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS FOR THEIR DEDICATION. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
Updated April 8, 2022.