Winter Storm in Minnesota, November 9 to 11, 1998

A record-breaking low pressure system moved from northwestern Iowa, passed close to Duluth/Superior, then proceeded up the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior. Besides some heavy snow (8.2 inches at Duluth, 7 at Hackensack, and 6 in Deer River), the storm produced an all-time record low pressure at Duluth. At 1435 CST on the 10th, the pressure at Duluth International Airport fell to 28.475 inches (964.3 mb), breaking the old record of 28.55 inches (966.8 mb) set on Jan 11, 1975. Precipitation records for Nov 10th were also set in Duluth, with 2.33 inches of water equivalent and 7.2 inches of snow recorded. Regular weather records began in Duluth in October 1870. Snow totals would have been higher and more widespread, but the snow changed over to rain during much of the day on the 10th. The wet, heavy snow brought down many trees and power lines in Itasca and northern Cass counties where less of the snow changed over to rain. The deep low also created winds as high as 77 mph (67 kts) at Lake Superior shoreline observing sites, producing waves as high as 20 feet on the lake. Coincidentally, this storm occurred on the anniversary of the storm which sank the ore carrier Edmond Fitzgerald on Nov 10, 1975.