Minnesota, 1998

Heavy Snow in Minnesota, December 17 to 18, 1998

December 17 to 18, 1998 · NWS DLH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Heavy snow fell over northeastern Minnesota, generally east of International Falls and Grand Rapids and north of Duluth. 5 at Hermantown near Duluth.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS DLH wrote it up.

Heavy snow fell over northeastern Minnesota, generally east of International Falls and Grand Rapids and north of Duluth. Some of the heavier amounts were 8.3 inches at Marcell, 7 at Virginia, 8 at Two Harbors and at Trout Lake on the Gunflint Trail, and 6.5 at Hermantown near Duluth.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Koochiching

When
December 17, 5:00 AM CST to December 18, 10:30 AM CST
Where
Koochiching forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
48.245, -93.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When
December 17, 5:00 AM CST to December 18, 10:30 AM CST
Where
Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Itasca

When
December 17, 5:00 AM CST to December 18, 10:30 AM CST
Where
Northern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Central St. Louis

When
December 17, 5:00 AM CST to December 18, 10:30 AM CST
Where
Central St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Lake / North Shore

When
December 17, 5:00 AM CST to December 18, 10:30 AM CST
Where
Southern Lake / North Shore forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.557, -91.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern St. Louis / Carlton

When
December 17, 5:00 AM CST to December 18, 10:30 AM CST
Where
Southern St. Louis / Carlton forecast zone
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.091, -92.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, December 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5673525, 5673526, 5673527, 5673528, 5673529, 5673530.