Broken Spring: Storm smashes April snowfall records; Desperately Seeking 50F

#1 - Snowiest April on record in St. Cloud with 22.0" so far

#1 - Snowiest April on record in Duluth with 41.7" so far

5th snowiest winter on record in Duluth with 120.3" so far

4th snowiest April on record in Twin Cities with 14.0" so far

Image: snowcrystals.com

Uncharted Territory

We're living in uncharted weather territory these days.

Our late season snow blitz is smashing snowfall records. Duluth is now digging out from the snowiest April on record. The Twin Cities is at #4.

In this Updraft we count up the inches from the latest megastorm, tally mounting snowfall records and search for brighter milder days.

The sun will come out Saturday. One of these days, our "broken spring" will finally arrive.

One of these days.

7.2" "official" snowfall total at MSP Airport from latest storm

10" in Deephaven and Delano in west metro

12" in Buffalo & St. Cloud

15" near Elk River in the NW metro

17.7" at Duluth NWS

22" in Two Harbors

23" in Babbitt

A little perspective please?

This perplexing and extreme "spring" weather pattern has been a head scratcher for meteorologists all Minnesotans who are desperately seeking springtime.

You know frustration levels are high when listeners start hurling profanity laced tweets at your local weatherman.

Really?

Hey, I'm just the messenger? Yeah, right.

Would it be better if I lied about what's coming our way? Okay, don't answer that.

I suppose a little perspective is in order here.

Yes, "spring" as we know it is broken this year. We are on weather overload. I get it.

The "weather natives" are restless. Even hostile.

Tornado sirens blaring in the middle of yet another unwelcome April snowstorm? That's enough to drive even the most winter hardy Minnesotans over the edge.

But at least our neighborhoods are not in lockdown, with tactical police teams going door to door searching our homes for a dangerous killer.

Our hearts go out to the people of Boston this weekend. Over the years I've played hockey with and against many Boston boys and I can tell you this, they are strong and resilient and will bounce back from this tragic week.

After the downright crazy events in Boston this week, dealing with a remarkably snowy April in Minnesota doesn't seem like such a crisis.

The Little Storm That Could:

Let's face it, this storm was everything it was advertised to be, and more.

The storm intensified, and slowed right over Minnesota. That kept the pinwheel of rotating snowfall right over Minnesota, and produced some prolific snowfall totals.

Nearly 2 feet of snow in Babbitt on April 18th? Wow.

If you think we have it bad in the metro, think about what folks "up north" are dealing with this "spring."

Here's a look at the prolific snow totals up north.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN

113 PM CDT FRI APR 19 2013

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

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

23.00 5 N BABBITT MN ST. LOUIS 0600 AM

22.00 CORNUCOPIA WI BAYFIELD 0822 AM

22.00 5 N TWO HARBORS MN LAKE 0515 AM

21.40 ASKOV MN PINE 0606 AM

21.10 6 ESE BOULDER LAKE MN ST. LOUIS 0900 AM

20.00 12 S SUPERIOR WI DOUGLAS 0740 AM

20.00 LAKE NICHOLS MN ST. LOUIS 0455 AM

19.50 HAWTHORNE WI DOUGLAS 1130 AM

19.30 5 SE SUPERIOR WI DOUGLAS 0953 AM

19.30 4 S SAWYER MN CARLTON 0645 AM

19.20 HOLYOKE MN CARLTON 0630 AM

19.10 2 W HIBBING MN ST. LOUIS 0600 AM

19.00 HAWTHORNE WI DOUGLAS 0800 AM

18.20 HOLYOKE MN CARLTON 0355 AM

18.00 BRULE WI DOUGLAS 0838 AM

18.00 MAPLE WI DOUGLAS 0725 AM

18.00 EVELETH MN ST. LOUIS 0630 AM

17.70 DULUTH NWS MN ST. LOUIS 0700 AM

17.30 2 W SHESHEBEE MN AITKIN 0713 AM

17.30 KEEWATIN MN ITASCA 0700 AM

17.30 7 N MCGREGOR MN AITKIN 0600 AM

17.00 10 S EVELETH MN ST. LOUIS 0604 AM

17.00 ALBORN MN ST. LOUIS 0452 AM

17.00 POPLAR WI DOUGLAS 0452 AM

16.80 CHISHOLM MN ST. LOUIS 0600 AM

16.30 4 W WASHBURN WI BAYFIELD 0535 AM

16.00 SOLON SPRINGS WI DOUGLAS 1110 AM

16.00 MOOSE LAKE MN CARLTON 1024 AM

16.00 OULU WI BAYFIELD 0715 AM

16.00 1 NNW GRAND PORTAGE MN COOK 0700 AM

16.00 FLOODWOOD MN ST. LOUIS 0652 AM

16.00 EMBARRASS MN ST. LOUIS 0625 AM

Twin Cities: 3" to 15"??

If I issued a metro snowfall forecast of 3" to 15" would you take me away in a rubber suit?

Reports into Twin Cities NWS show a huge variation in metro snowfall from east to west.

That's because warmer air managed to mix more precip as rain and lower snowfall totals in the eastern metro. The heaviest snowfall bands rotated over the west metro Thursday.

Here's the list:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN

1222 PM CDT FRI APR 19 2013

THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE FINAL TOTAL FOR EACH LOCATION. THERE MAY BE MORE DAYS ADDED TOGETHER IN COMBINATION...ENABLE TO ARRIVE AT THE FINAL NUMBER...

SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT

INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME

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

15.00 2 SSW ELK RIVER MN SHERBURNE 1000 AM

14.00 MORA MN KANABEC 1000 AM

13.50 6 NNE BIG LAKE MN SHERBURNE 1100 AM

13.50 3 W RICE MN STEARNS 1100 AM

13.50 3 ESE RICE MN BENTON 1000 AM

12.30 MONTICELLO MN WRIGHT 1023 AM

12.20 1 E MOUND MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

12.10 1 W WOODLAND MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

12.00 1 ENE ST MICHAEL MN WRIGHT 1100 AM

12.00 BUFFALO MN WRIGHT 1000 AM

12.00 ST CLOUD SCSU MN STEARNS 1000 AM

11.80 2 NW CHASKA MN CARVER 1000 AM

11.50 1 ESE CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI 1100 AM

11.00 1 NNW COLD SPRING MN STEARNS 1100 AM

11.00 ANDOVER MN ANOKA 1013 AM

11.00 BROWNTON MN MCLEOD 1000 AM

10.80 4 NE WATERTOWN MN WRIGHT 1100 AM

10.70 CRYSTAL MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

10.60 FRIDLEY MN ANOKA 1047 AM

10.30 HAMBURG MN CARVER 1000 AM

10.10 1 W ST LOUIS PARK MN HENNEPIN 1000 AM

10.00 2 ENE PLYMOUTH MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

10.00 2 ENE PLYMOUTH MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

10.00 3 N CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI 1100 AM

10.00 DELANO MN WRIGHT 1000 AM

10.00 MINNEAPOLIS DOWNTOWN MN HENNEPIN 1000 AM

9.80 ST CLOUD STC AIRPORT MN SHERBURNE 1000 AM

9.80 3 SE NEW ULM MN BROWN 1000 AM

9.70 LONG PRAIRIE MN TODD 1000 AM

9.60 RICE MN BENTON 1000 AM

9.50 STACY MN CHISAGO 1100 AM

9.50 MILACA MN MILLE LACS 1000 AM

9.40 GAYLORD MN SIBLEY 1000 AM

9.30 3 N KIMBALL MN STEARNS 1000 AM

9.30 2 E JORDAN MN SCOTT 1000 AM

9.10 CHANHASSEN NWSFO MN CARVER 1056 AM

9.00 4 SSW MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

9.00 9 NNE BIRD ISLAND MN RENVILLE 1100 AM

9.00 WILD RIVER STATE PARK MN CHISAGO 1000 AM

9.00 LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON 1000 AM

9.00 1 S CHANHASSEN MN CARVER 1000 AM

8.80 WATERTOWN MN CARVER 1000 AM

8.50 3 SSE HAM LAKE MN ANOKA 1100 AM

8.50 6 WSW ST PETER MN NICOLLET 1100 AM

8.40 1 NNE MAPLE GROVE MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

8.40 U OF M ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 1047 AM

8.00 ST AUGUSTA MN STEARNS 1209 PM

8.00 1 SW LITTLE FALLS MN MORRISON 1100 AM

8.00 6 WNW SPICER MN KANDIYOHI 1100 AM

8.00 1 WSW GOLDEN VALLEY MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

8.00 2 W PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT 1100 AM

8.00 MONTEVIDEO MN CHIPPEWA 1100 AM

8.00 2 NNE MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

8.00 7 SSE BIRD ISLAND MN RENVILLE 1100 AM

8.00 NEW PRAGUE MN SCOTT 1000 AM

8.00 REDWOOD FALLS MN REDWOOD 1000 AM

8.00 MELROSE MN STEARNS 1000 AM

7.80 1 SSW SWANVILLE MN MORRISON 1100 AM

7.50 3 ESE EDEN PRAIRIE MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

7.50 2 WNW RICHFIELD MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

7.40 LITCHFIELD MN MEEKER 1000 AM

7.30 1 SW EDINA MN HENNEPIN 1100 AM

7.20 MINNEAPOLIS MSP AIRPORT MN HENNEPIN 1000 AM

Snowfall records smashed:

This storm put several Minnesota locations over the top for new April snowfall records.

This is the snowiest April on record in St. Cloud with 22" so far.

In th Twin Cities we're #4 in April snow so far.

In Duluth this is now the snowiest April on record, and the 5th snowiest winter with a staggering 120.3" of snow...so far.

Next Up: Welcome sunshine

It was good to see the sun Friday afternoon at the Weather Lab.

We'll enjoy a repeat performance Saturday morning as a bubble of cool but sunny high pressure drifts over Minnesota. Clouds will gradually increase Saturday afternoon.

The next weather system will slide in Sunday. This one looks much, much weaker than our last blitz. Look for some scattered mixed precip early Sunday...trending toward rain showers by Sunday afternoon.

Temps should crack the 40 degree mark in southern Minnesota.

Saturday: Science Museum of Minnesota celebrates "Stewardship and Science" for Earth Day 2013:

I'm stoked to be part of the SMM's Earth Day 2013 program Saturday.

I'll be giving the keynote on Minnesota's Changing Climate. What will Minnesota look like in 2040? Place your bets.

Here's a preview of the big Earth Day extravaganza at SMM on April 20th.

Hope to see you there.

Mixed bag again early next week:

This may come with a plug your ears warning if you just can't take it anymore.

Monday into Tuesday may feature another weather system that has the potential for a mix of rain-sleet snow once again.

Too early to say how this will pan out, but right now it does not look anything like what we saw Thursday.

Stay tuned.

Models insist: Warming trend late next week?

I know...we've heard it before.

I'm not buying the Euro notion of 64F in the metro next Friday...but I think there's a strong chance we'll see 50s by late next week.

Weather finger & toes crossed.

PH