April snowfall record falls; snow tapers off Sunday evening in metro

If you're going to have a lot of April snow, you might as well have enough to set a record.

That's what happened in the Twin Cities metro area this weekend.

The snow total at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from late Friday though 7 a.m. Sunday was 12.9 inches:

Additional snow this afternoon and evening will be enough to make this our highest snow total from any single April snowstorm in the Twin Cities, eclipsing the 13.6 inches of April 14, 1983.

Our official Twin Cities snowfall total for the month of April is already at 23.2 inches, which breaks our old April record of 21.8 inches, set in 1983:

It's interesting that April is now the snowiest month of our 2017-2018 snow season in the Twin Cities:

Note that the chart only goes through Saturday for this April, so the chart doesn't include our Sunday morning total of .7 inches at MSP airport.

You'll also notice that the Twin Cities had less than one inch of April snow in 2015, 2016 and 2017!

According to Climatologist/Meteorologist Dr. Mark Seeley:

 This is only the 5th time in 134 years that April has been the snowiest month of the snow season. Others were 1906-1907, 1956-1957, 1982-1983, 2001-2002, and 2012-2013.

This was a very unusual April in the Twin Cities!

Lingering snow

Periods of snow will continue in Minnesota and Wisconsin this afternoon and evening, with a few inches of additional accumulation. The snow will linger over northeastern Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin Sunday night.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential snow pattern Sunday afternoon through Monday morning:

The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of snow.

We’ll probably add about 3 to 4 inches to our Twin Cities metro area storm totals before the snow ends tonight.

Higher snow amounts, in the 6 to 9 inch range, are expected over parts of northeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Warnings and advisories

The Twin Cities metro area and much of central and southern Minnesota remain in a winter weather advisory until 10 p.m. Sunday:

Details of the advisory:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

726 AM CDT Sun Apr 15 2018

...HISTORIC WINTER STORM WINDING DOWN TODAY...

.Snow and wind have been diminishing across southern Minnesota

and west central Wisconsin this morning. However, the slow

movement of the weather system will continue light snow and gusty

northerly winds over the area today.

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for a small part of east

central Minnesota and all of west central Wisconsin through

10 PM. Snowfall from 5 to 9 inches is expected to occur today and

linger into the evening before ending.

A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for much of central

and southern Minnesota today into this evening. A general 2 to 5

inches of additional snowfall will occur in the advisory area. The

gusty northerly winds will continue to cause considerable blowing

and drifting snow.

MNZ059>063-068>070-076>078-152030-

/O.CON.KMPX.WW.Y.0018.000000T0000Z-180416T0300Z/

Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-Carver-Scott-Dakota-

Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-

Including the cities of Monticello, Minneapolis, Blaine, St Paul,

Stillwater, Chaska, Shakopee, Hastings, Le Sueur, Faribault,

and Red Wing

726 AM CDT Sun Apr 15 2018

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS

EVENING...

* WHAT...Snow. Additional snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches

are expected.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central and

southeast Minnesota.

* WHEN...Until 10 PM CDT this evening.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on slippery road conditions. In

addition, some reductions to visibility are likely. Winds

gusting as high as 35 mph will cause patchy blowing and

drifting snow.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means periods of snow will

cause primarily travel difficulties. Expect snow covered roads

and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving. The

latest road conditions for Minnesota can be found at 511mn.org

and for Wisconsin at 511wi.gov, or by calling 5 1 1 in either

state.

Chisago and Isanti counties and western Wisconsin have a winter storm warning until 10 p.m. this Sunday:

MNZ045-052-053-WIZ014>016-023>028-152030-

/O.CON.KMPX.WS.W.0008.000000T0000Z-180416T0300Z/

Kanabec-Isanti-Chisago-Polk-Barron-Rusk-St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-

Pepin-Chippewa-Eau Claire-

Including the cities of Mora, Cambridge, Center City, Osceola,

Rice Lake, Ladysmith, Hudson, River Falls, Prescott, Menomonie,

Durand, Chippewa Falls, and Eau Claire

726 AM CDT Sun Apr 15 2018

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS

EVENING...

* WHAT...Heavy snow. Additional snow accumulations of 4 to 7

inches are expected.

* WHERE...Portions of northwest and west central Wisconsin and

east central Minnesota.

* WHEN...Until 10 PM CDT this evening.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on difficult travel conditions.

Winds gusting as high as 35 mph will cause patchy blowing and

drifting snow.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Storm Warning for snow means severe winter weather

conditions will make travel very hazardous or impossible. If you

must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your

vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for

Minnesota can be found at 511mn.org and for Wisconsin at

511wi.gov, or by calling 5 1 1 in either state.

Winter storm warnings continue until Sunday evening near the Mississippi River to the southeast:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service La Crosse WI

1143 AM CDT Sun Apr 15 2018

...Periods of Snow Continue This Afternoon...

.Periods of snow will continue through the afternoon and into

early this evening. Visibility will be reduced to under 1 mile at

times under heavier snow bands, with gusty winds also leading to some

blowing and drifting snow in open areas. Additional snowfall

accumulations of 1 to 5 inches are expected through early evening,

highest near and north of Interstate 94. Expect hazardous travel

conditions, with many roads remaining snow-covered and slick.

MNZ088-096-WIZ041>044-053-160000-

/O.CON.KARX.WS.W.0008.000000T0000Z-180416T0000Z/

Winona-Houston-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau-Adams-Vernon-

Including the cities of Winona, Caledonia, La Crosse, Sparta,

Tomah, Mauston, Friendship, and Viroqua

1143 AM CDT Sun Apr 15 2018

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS

EVENING...

* WHAT...Heavy snow. Additional snow accumulations of 2 to 4

inches are expected.

* WHERE...Portions of central, southwest and west central

Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota.

* WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT this evening.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on difficult travel conditions.

Expect significant reductions in visibility at times.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Storm Warning for snow means severe winter weather

conditions will make travel very hazardous. If you must travel,

keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case

of an emergency. The latest road conditions for the state you are

calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

Duluth and areas along the north shore are in a winter storm warning through Sunday night:

Details of that warning:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Duluth MN

326 AM CDT Sun Apr 15 2018

...HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS ACROSS NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND

PORTIONS OF MINNESOTA THROUGH TONIGHT...

.An early spring storm system continues to affect the region early

this morning and will continue to do so through tonight,

impacting all of northwest Wisconsin and parts of northeast and

east central Minnesota. Area radars this morning showed several

bands of light to moderate snow moving through the region. Snow

coverage and intensity will increase this morning and afternoon.

Snowfall rates could exceed an inch per hour at times today,

especially in northwest Wisconsin. In addition, low visibility is

expected because of strong northeast winds that will accompany the

falling snow. The wind will continue to be strong, especially

around Lake Superior. The wind and snow will combine to produce

blizzard conditions, mainly through the evening, in parts of

northwest Wisconsin from Superior east towards Bayfield and Ashland,

resulting in near impossible travel conditions.

MNZ037-152200-

/O.CON.KDLH.WS.W.0012.000000T0000Z-180416T1200Z/

Carlton/South St. Louis-

Including the city of Duluth

326 AM CDT Sun Apr 15 2018

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT MONDAY...

* WHAT...Heavy snow and blowing snow. Additional snow

accumulations of 6 to 9 inches, with localized amounts up to

11 inches, are expected.

* WHERE...Carlton/South St. Louis County.

* WHEN...Until 7 AM CDT Monday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on difficult travel conditions. Winds

gusting as high as 45 mph will cause patchy blowing and

drifting snow.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Storm Warning for snow and blowing snow means severe

winter weather conditions will make travel very hazardous or

impossible. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food

and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest

road conditions for Minnesota can be found at 511mn.org, and for

Wisconsin at 511wi.gov, or by calling 511 in either state.

Waves are impressive on the big lake today:

Updates

Updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and you can also find updated weather information on the MPR news live weather blog.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will have road condition updates.

Snow totals

Snow amounts from our weekend storm were in the 11 to 16 inch range around the Twin Cities metro area through early Sunday, and updated totals will be coming in this afternoon and evening.

The NWS interactive snowfall map allows you to see the location and time of snow measurements. It’s zoomable for more detail. Snow reports are also relayed in text form as they come in.

Hope you have a good week!