Storm Rages: Storm peak next 3-6 hours
4:15pm Update:
The storm is nearing peak intensity now from the Dakotas all the way into Wisconsin.
Let's take a tour of conditions across the storm.
Eastern Dakotas:
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Winter storm warnings continue for eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley into Minnesota. Latest snowfall totals here.
I-94 from Alexandria through the Twin Cities:
The storm continues to rage along I-94. Heavy snow "banding" is evident on doppler radar just south and into the metro, indicating snowfall rates of 1"+ per hour in some areas.
Expect peak snowfall intensities of 1" per hour between now and 8pm.
[image]
Here are some updated snowfall totals from Twin Cities NWS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
406 PM CST MON DEC 20 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1231 PM SNOW ST JAMES 43.98N 94.63W
12/20/2010 M4.5 INCH WATONWAN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
1239 PM SNOW 2 SW PRIOR LAKE 44.71N 93.46W
12/20/2010 M0.6 INCH SCOTT MN TRAINED SPOTTER
1242 PM SNOW RICHFIELD 44.88N 93.28W
12/20/2010 M0.4 INCH HENNEPIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
IN PAST HOUR
1249 PM SNOW MADELIA 44.05N 94.42W
12/20/2010 M6.5 INCH WATONWAN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0147 PM SNOW MANKATO 44.17N 93.99W
12/20/2010 E4.0 INCH BLUE EARTH MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0156 PM SNOW RICE 45.75N 94.23W
12/20/2010 M1.2 INCH BENTON MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0158 PM SNOW LAKEVILLE 44.68N 93.24W
12/20/2010 E1.5 INCH DAKOTA MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0159 PM SNOW RICHFIELD 44.88N 93.28W
12/20/2010 M1.0 INCH HENNEPIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0201 PM SNOW 1 WSW NEW BRIGHTON 45.06N 93.22W
12/20/2010 M1.3 INCH RAMSEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0214 PM SNOW NEW MARKET 44.57N 93.35W
12/20/2010 M2.0 INCH SCOTT MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0240 PM SNOW LITCHFIELD 45.12N 94.53W
12/20/2010 M2.0 INCH MEEKER MN CO-OP OBSERVER
0241 PM SNOW 4 SSW MINNEAPOLIS 44.91N 93.29W
12/20/2010 M1.0 INCH HENNEPIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0242 PM SNOW SACRED HEART 44.78N 95.35W
12/20/2010 M5.0 INCH RENVILLE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0300 PM SNOW JANESVILLE 44.12N 93.71W
12/20/2010 M6.0 INCH WASECA MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0319 PM SNOW BLOOMINGTON 44.83N 93.32W
12/20/2010 M1.8 INCH HENNEPIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0328 PM SNOW NNW ST CLAIR 44.08N 93.86W
12/20/2010 M7.0 INCH BLUE EARTH MN TRAINED SPOTTER
SINCE 830 AM MIXED WITH SLEET DURING PAST HOUR
0330 PM SNOW NORTH MANKATO 44.18N 94.03W
12/20/2010 M6.0 INCH NICOLLET MN BROADCAST MEDIA
0330 PM SNOW RUSH CITY 45.68N 92.97W
12/20/2010 M1.0 INCH CHISAGO MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0345 PM SNOW MADELIA 44.05N 94.42W
12/20/2010 M7.5 INCH WATONWAN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0346 PM SNOW 2 SW DELANO 45.02N 93.81W
12/20/2010 M3.0 INCH WRIGHT MN NWS EMPLOYEE
IN PAST 6 HOURS
0354 PM SNOW WAITE PARK 45.55N 94.22W
12/20/2010 M1.9 INCH STEARNS MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0357 PM SNOW WINTHROP 44.54N 94.36W
12/20/2010 M4.5 INCH SIBLEY MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0400 PM SNOW 2 W PRIOR LAKE 44.73N 93.47W
12/20/2010 M3.3 INCH SCOTT MN NWS EMPLOYEE
Mankato-Rochester-La Crosse:
Heavy snow is also moving through south central and southeast Minnesota. Expect peak snowfall, with visibilities down to 1/4 mile at times during the next 6 hours.
Here are the latest snowfall totals for southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin. (Rochester-La Crosse area)
Stay safe as the snow continues to pile up this evening!
PH
3pm Update:
"A snowplow pulls up to the site on the Bath Road on Monday during a snowstorm where an Albert Lea school bus slid off the shoulder and into the ditch. A short bus came and took the children back to town. A Freeborn County sheriff's deputy waits by the bus."
Courtesy Tim Engstrom/Albert Lea Tribune
Snow coverage and intensity are cranking up as expected. So far in the metro between 1" and 2" has fallen. I measured 2" at the Deephaven Weather Lab at 3pm.
[image]
Twin Cities doppler shrouded in snow. Notice the brighter bands of heavier snow moving in.
Southwest Minnesota has already piled up between 3" and 6"+ in some areas.
Visibilities are between 3/4 mile and 1/2 mile in the metro...which corresponds to snowfall rates around .5" to .75" per hour.
Twin Cities Metro
CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS
TWIN CITIES LGT SNOW 22 18 85 E17 29.89F VSB 3/4 WCI 8
ST PAUL SNOW N/A N/A N/A SE10 29.93F VSB 1/2
CRYSTAL SNOW 23 19 85 E9 29.89F VSB 1/2 WCI 13
BLAINE LGT SNOW 21 18 86 E9 29.91S VSB 3/4 WCI 11
EDEN PRAIRIE SNOW 22 19 89 E12 29.87F VSB 1/2 WCI 10
LAKEVILLE LGT SNOW 19 19 100 E12 29.88S VSB 3/4 WCI 7
SOUTH ST PAUL LGT SNOW 22 19 87 E9 29.91F VSB 3/4 WCI 12
LAKE ELMO LGT SNOW 21 18 86 E9 29.93S VSB 1 WCI 11
Slow snowy travel again. This is Highway 394 at Penn Ave just west of downtown Minneapolis.
MNDOT Update: Numerous incidents now in the metro. Details here.
Camera Description Details Location Impact Time
422 Stall on Mainline I-494 EB @ Penn Ave 1 lane blocked Mon @ 15:10
315 Crash on Mainline U.S.169 SB @ Valley Park Dr Right shoulder blocked Mon @ 14:50
715 Crash on Mainline I-694 WB @ T.H.61 Left shoulder blocked Mon @ 15:08
673 Crash on Mainline T.H.10 EB E of Co Rd J Just cleared Mon @ 14:47
213 Crash on Mainline T.H.100 NB @ 50th St EB Just cleared Mon @ 14:34
6 Crash on Exit I-35E NB @ T.H.36 WB Left shoulder blocked Mon @ 15:00
327 Stall on Exit U.S.169 NB @ Minnetonka Blvd Just cleared Mon @ 13:59
280 Crash on Mainline T.H.280 SB @ Territorial Rd Right shoulder blocked Mon @ 14:29
631 Crash on Mainline I-35W SB Left lane blocked Mon @ 14:21
109 Crash on Mainline T.H.77 SB @ T.H.62 EB Left shoulder blocked Mon @ 13:43
723 Crash on Mainline I-694 WB @ Stillwater Blvd Left shoulder blocked Mon @ 13:37
322 Crash on Exit U.S.169 NB @ I-494 WB Left lane partially blocked Mon @ 14:46
281 Crash on Mainline T.H.280 SB @ Energy Park Dr Right shoulder blocked Mon @ 14:30
Updated: Mon Dec 20 15:17
Here are some totals from NWS.
SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT
INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
6.50 MADELIA MN WATONWAN 1249 PM
4.50 ST JAMES MN WATONWAN 1231 PM
4.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 0147 PM
3.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 1246 PM
UPDATED TOTAL
2.50 NORTH MANKATO MN NICOLLET 1150 AM
SINCE 830 AM.
1.50 LAKEVILLE MN DAKOTA 0158 PM
1.30 1 WSW NEW BRIGHTON MN RAMSEY 0201 PM
1.20 RICE MN BENTON 0156 PM
1.00 RICHFIELD MN HENNEPIN 0159 PM
1.00 NORTH MANKATO MN NICOLLET 1047 AM
OVER PAST 2.5 HOURS
0.60 2 SW PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT 1239 PM
0.50 SLEEPY EYE MN BROWN 0823 AM
0.40 RICHFIELD MN HENNEPIN 1242 PM
IN PAST HOUR
Redwood Falls and Olivia have heavy snow with visibilities at 1/4 mile! This reflects snowfall accumuation rates of an inch or more per hour in southwest MN!
REDWOOD FALLS HVY SNOW 26 24 92 E12G18 29.79F VSB 1/4 WCI 16
OLIVIA SNOW 27 23 86 E12G17 29.82R VSB 1/4 WCI 16
PH