Storm Rages: Bloomington 9″! 2″ in past hour!

Update 5:25pm:

0445 PM SNOW BLOOMINGTON M9.0 INCH HENNEPIN MN NWS EMPLOYEE

0455 PM SNOW 1 NW BURNSVILLE M8.2 INCH DAKOTA MN NWS EMPLOYEE

SNOWFALL SO FAR...

Update 4:45pm:

"Snomageddon" now in Deephaven and much of the metro with 1/4 mile visibility band of heavy snow (1/4S+) moving through! Snowfall rates now 1" per hour in metro.

Snow burst with visibilities at or under 1/4 mile in metro.

(click to enlarge!)

Heavy snow burst with dramatically reduced visibility.

Blowing snow with gusty winds.

Latest snowfall totals here:

0338 PM SNOW LESTER PRAIRIE E8.0 INCH MCLEOD MN TRAINED SPOTTER

0338 PM SNOW SHAKOPEE 44.77N 93.48W

02/20/2011 M6.5 INCH SCOTT MN CO-OP OBSERVER

0400 PM SNOW BLOOMINGTON M7.0 INCH HENNEPIN MN NWS EMPLOYEE

0400 PM SNOW ST PAUL 44.95N 93.10W

02/20/2011 M5.4 INCH RAMSEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER

HIGHLAND PARK

0400 PM SNOW WILLMAR 45.12N 95.05W

02/20/2011 M4.8 INCH KANDIYOHI MN CO-OP OBSERVER

0400 PM SNOW RED WING 44.58N 92.60W

02/20/2011 M6.0 INCH GOODHUE MN TRAINED SPOTTER

0400 PM SNOW SW ST PAUL 44.95N 93.10W

02/20/2011 M6.7 INCH RAMSEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER

Update 4pm:

Heavier snow band now moving into metro form the south. Expect snowfall intentsity to pick up during the hour, and coverage to increase in the north metro.

[image]

Heavy snow band moving north into metro.

Here are some upated snow totals:

Shakopee 6.5"

Bloomington 5.9"

Prior Lake 5.5"

SW Minneapolis 4.5"

Minnetonka 4.3"

Chanhassen (NWS) 4.1"

I still expect the peak of the storm between now and midnight. With 6.5" down so far in Shakopee, snow totals over a foot are still possible, especially in the south metro.

PH

****Update 3pm****

Every storm is different.

This one is throwing us some curves so far in the weather lab.

Radar and satellite trends:

Bands of moderate to heavy snow have been pummeling towns along the Minnesota River Valley all day.

[image]

Twin Cities radar loop shows both bands of heavy snows and dry pockets through mid-afternoon.

Redwood Falls, New Ulm and Mankato have snow totals at or above 8" so far, with snow still coming down in most areas along the Minnesota River.

In the metro, the heavier snow bands have favored the south metro. Snow totals around 3" and 4" are common from Deephaven to Prior Lake to Hastings.

But a pocket of drier air near the surface has been eroding the north end of the snow shield, and little or no snowfall has been observed in north metro communities such as Andover, Hugo, Anoka and Maple Grove. The dry pocket extends north and west of the metro to Big Lake, Monticello, and Annandale.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN

244 PM CST SUN FEB 20 2011

...FEBRUARY 20TH SNOWSTORM TOTALS...

THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET

CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE

FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.

SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT

INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME

------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------

8.30 NEW ULM MN BROWN 1038 AM

7.00 NORTH MANKATO MN NICOLLET 1117 AM

6.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 0112 PM

6.00 MADELIA MN WATONWAN 1229 PM

6.00 ELLENDALE MN STEELE 1038 AM

5.80 ST JAMES MN WATONWAN 1023 AM

5.50 FARIBAULT MN RICE 0127 PM

5.50 SSW MONTEVIDEO MN CHIPPEWA 1038 AM

5.00 MAPLETON MN BLUE EARTH 1117 AM

5.00 1 SSW MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 1038 AM

4.90 MENOMONIE WI DUNN 0230 PM

4.30 OWATONNA MN STEELE 1200 PM

ONE HALF MILE WEST OF TOWN.

4.20 HASTINGS MN DAKOTA 0145 PM

4.00 RED WING MN GOODHUE 0152 PM

4.00 NORTH MANKATO MN NICOLLET 1023 AM

4.00 1 S TRIMONT MN MARTIN 1023 AM

4.00 ST PETER MN NICOLLET 1023 AM

4.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 1023 AM

3.60 FARIBAULT MN RICE 1137 AM

3.50 EAU CLAIRE WI EAU CLAIRE 0105 PM

3.50 FARIBAULT MN RICE 1038 AM

3.50 ALBERT LEA MN FREEBORN 1023 AM

3.30 MENOMONIE WI DUNN 0116 PM

3.00 PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT 0154 PM

3.00 LAKEVILLE MN DAKOTA 1242 PM

3.00 BLUE EARTH MN FARIBAULT 1229 PM

3.00 LE CENTER MN LE SUEUR 1023 AM

3.00 NEW ULM MN BROWN 1023 AM

3.00 WASECA MN WASECA 1023 AM

2.80 HASTINGS MN DAKOTA 1229 PM

2.50 INVER GROVE HEIGHTS MN DAKOTA 1219 PM

2.50 SHAKOPEE MN SCOTT 1219 PM

2.50 OWATONNA MN STEELE 1023 AM

2.30 4 SW ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 1200 PM

NEAR HIGHLAND PARK

2.00 LITCHFIELD MN MEEKER 0105 PM

0.24 INCHES OF MOISTURE

2.00 FARMINGTON MN DAKOTA 1242 PM

1.90 MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 1229 PM

1.90 CHANHASSEN MN CARVER 1202 PM

MEASURED AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

1.40 OAKDALE MN WASHINGTON 0116 PM

1.20 2 N MENOMONIE WI DUNN 1242 PM

1.00 FARMINGTON MN DAKOTA 1038 AM

MEASURED AT CWSU FACILITY.

0.90 OAKDALE MN WASHINGTON 0115 PM

The next wave of moisture is surging north from southern Minnesota this afternoon. There has been lighting and thunder with this wave, and it should continue to push north into the metro and central Minnesota though late afternoon and evening. It remains to be seen just how far north this next wave will push.

Latest model data:

We're in between major model runs, and that pust us in "nowcasting" mode...watching radar, satellite and surface observations for clues to the storm's development.

The big picture is that the peak storm intensity should still arrive in the next 6-9 hours...through midnight as the surface low crosses Iowa. With 4" to 8" down already from the south metro to the Minnesota River, it's beginning to look like overall snowfall totals could fall into the 10" to 15" range in the heavy snow band, which should include the south metro. That band is trending south...with the epicenter lining up from the southern metro to the Minnesota River.

Surface map shows low center in Iowa, and "inverted trof" extending north into western Minnesota.

Blizzard and winter storm warnings remain in effect; let's see how far north the next wave of snowfall can push as we head toward the evening hours.

(click to enalrge)

Stay tuned as this evolving storm unfolds before our eyes!

PH