Minnesota, 2001

Winter Storm in Minnesota, February 24 to 25, 2001

February 24 to 25, 2001 · NWS FSD · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Freezing rain was followed by snow and blowing snow. New snow accumulations varied from 2 inches at Worthington and other nearby points to 10 inches at Minneota.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 FSD wrote it up.

Freezing rain was followed by snow and blowing snow. New snow accumulations varied from 2 inches at Worthington and other nearby points to 10 inches at Minneota. Significant icing preceded the snow, with scattered reports of tree and power line damage. A dairy barn roof collapsed just northwest of Mountain Lake, killing one cow and injuring three others. Winds gusting to 40 mph and higher during and after the snowfall caused near blizzard conditions and considerable drifting, blocking roads and stranding vehicles. Travel was impossible in areas and some businesses, colleges, and technical schools were closed. Part of Interstate highway 90 was closed for more than 18 hours due to the icing, drifting snow, and poor visibilities. County and State snowplows were pulled off the roads until conditions improved.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 24, 10:50 AM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 10:50 AM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1050 AM CST SAT FEB 24 2001

PREV FCST ON THE MARK OVERALL...BUT HAVE UPDATED TO REMOVE FRZG
DRZL ADVY AND TO PUSH BACK WINTER PRECIP AND WARNING TIL LATE IN
AFTN MOST AREAS. EXPCT MAJOR DVLPMT WITH BOMBOGENESIS SE OF CWA BY
EVE...WITH ONLY THE AVN MODEL TOO FAR E WITH QPF THIS EVE. PLENTY OF
GULF MOISTURE AND NEG TILT DYNAMICS TO WORK WITH ON THIS FAIRLY FAST
MOVG SYS LATE THIS AFTN INTO TNGT.

.FSD...VARIOUS WSW HEADLINES THROUGH THE FSD CWA...CHECK THE LATEST
    FSDWSWFSD.

RSR

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Jackson

When
February 24, 2:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.674, -95.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cottonwood

When
February 24, 6:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Cottonwood forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
44.007, -95.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lincoln

When
February 24, 6:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
44.413, -96.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lyon

When
February 24, 6:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
44.414, -95.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Murray

When
February 24, 6:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Murray forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
44.022, -95.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nobles

When
February 24, 6:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Nobles forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.674, -95.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pipestone

When
February 24, 6:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Pipestone forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
44.023, -96.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Rock

When
February 24, 6:00 PM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.675, -96.253 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, February 2001

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: 5233348, 5233347, 5233349, 5233350, 5233351, 5233352, 5233353, 5233354.