Golden Snowball Challenge: Current snow estimates

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Here are the latest unofficial entries in this leg of News Cut’s “Golden Snowball Challenge,” the competition between area meteorologists to see how most accurately predicts snowfall in the Twin Cities.

Meteorologist
Prediction
Official
Belinda Jensen (KARE)
10-13"
11.5"
Craig Edwards (MPR)
14"
14"
Jonathan Yuhas (KARE)
6-12"
9"
Chris Shaffer (WCCO)
19-21"
20"
Erik Maitland (KMSP)
6-12"
9"
Keith Marler (KMSP)
10-14"
12"
Huttner, Paul (MPR)
12-18"
15"
Paul Douglas
8-12"
10"
Ron Trenda (WCCO)
9-14"
11.5"
Patrick Hammer (KSTP)
7-14"
10.5"
Dave Dahl (KSTP)
8-14"
11"
National Weather Serivce
16-22"
19"
Ian Leonard (KMSP)
10-14″
12″

With two storms already completed, here are the current standings:

Meteorologist
Storms
Points
Average
Patrick Hammer (KSTP)
1
10
10
Paul Huttner
2
17
8.5
National

Weather Service

2
4
2
Chikage Windler (KSTP)
1
0
0
Mike Fairbourne (WCCO)
1
0
0
Jonathan Yuhas (KARE)
1
0
0
Mike Augustyniak (WCCO)
1
-5
-5
Keith Marler (KMSP)
1
-5
-5
Don Moldenhauer (BMTN)
1
-5
-5
Ian Leonard (KMSP)
1
-8
-8
Paul Douglas (MinnPost)
1
-8
-8

If you’re a weather stat freak — and even if you’re not — here are the top snowfalls of all-time, as reported by the Minnesota Climatology Working Group at the University of Minnesota.

28.4 inches: October 31 – November 3, 1991 (Halloween Blizzard)

21.1 inches: November 29 – December 1, 1985

20.0 inches: January 22 – January 23, 1982

17.4 inches: January 20 – January 21, 1982

16.8 inches: November 11 – November 12, 1940 (See story on Armistice Day Blizzard)

16.7 inches: March 3 – March 4, 1985

16.7 inches: March 11 – March 14, 1940

16.5 inches: December 27 – December 28, 1982

16.0 inches: January 20 – January 21, 1917

16.0 inches: March 8 – March 9, 1999

14.7 inches: March 31, 1985