Heavy Snow and High Wind in Minnesota, November 9 to 11, 1998

Intense low pressure system tracked across southern and central Minnesota bringing heavy snow to parts of the west. Canby reported 13.5 inches of snow with accompanying lightning and thunder. Madison reported 10 inches. Snowfall in excess of 5 inches occurred from Staples and Long Prairie south to Willmar and Granite Falls. Strong winds followed the heavy snowfall with wind gusts exceeding 60 mph in some western and central Minnesota locations. A 64 mph wind gust was reported at St. Cloud State University while a Willmar radio station reported a 69 mph gust. Other notable gusts included 62 mph at Mankato, 61 mph at Madison and New Ulm, 59 mph at Redwood Falls and Glenwood, and 58 mph at Benson. These strong winds blew a school bus off the road in Albert Lea causing two children to be hospitalized. Dozens of schools were closed or started late on Tuesday, the 11th. Airline flights from the Twin Cities to Sioux Falls SD were cancelled. Interstate highways 90, 94 and 35 were closed for a time due to snow and/or winds. A new all time record low pressure for Minnesota was set around noon on 10 November at Albert Lea and Austin as the low pressure system passed overhead. The automated weather observing equipment at both airports measured a barometric pressure of 28.43 inches, which broke the previous record of 28.55 inches set on 11 January 1975 in Duluth. Records for measuring low pressure date back to October 1870.Also, a new all time record low pressure for the Twin Cities was set with a barometric pressure reading of 28.55 inches. The previous record was 28.77 inches, set on 13 April 1964.