Minnesota, 2001

Winter Storm in Minnesota, January 29 to 30, 2001

January 29 to 30, 2001 · NWS FSD · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Freezing rain produced ice storm conditions in some areas, with scattered reports of tree and power line damage. The freezing rain was followed by 3 to 7 inches of snow, along with winds gusting to 40 mph which caused blowing and drifting snow.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$80,000
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 produced ice storm conditions in some areas, with scattered reports of tree and power line damage. The freezing rain was followed by 3 to 7 inches of snow, along with winds gusting to 40 mph which caused blowing and drifting snow. Travel became difficult, and many businesses and schools closed.

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 Jan 29, 11:00 AM CST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 29, 11:00 AM CST, 1 hour before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1100 AM CST MON JAN 29 2001

UPDATED SIOUX CITY AREA EARLIER TO WNTR STRM WRNG THIS MRNG FOR MXED
FRZG RAIN AND SNW. FRZG FRZG RAIN IS SPRDG N THRU NW IA MOVG OVR SW
MN EARLY THIS AFTN AND IT SHLD CONT. SNW MIXED WITH FRZG RAIN AND
SLEET ALNG I-29 IN SE SD. SNW WAS OVR WRN AREAS FM JAMES RVR VALLEY
W. HVY SNW STILL LOOKG GOOD LATE THIS AFTN INTO TUE MRNG...AS SFC LO
OVR WRN MO MOVES N ACRS IA TNGT AND INTO SRN MN TUE MRNG AND UPR LO
MOVES ACRS IA. WILL CONT WRNGS AND ADVSY AS IS FOR NOW.

.FSD...WINTER STORM WARNING THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
SDZ039-040-054>056-060>062-065>067, MNZ071-072-097-098
ICE STORM WARNING TODAY...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT MNZ081-090,
IAZ003-013-014-021-022-032
WINTER STORM WARNING THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SDZ068-071,
IAZ001-002-012-020-031, MNZ080-0895
SNOW ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SDZ038-050-052-053-
057>059-063-054

WB

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, Cottonwood

When
January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Cottonwood forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.007, -95.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jackson

When
January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.674, -95.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lincoln

When
January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.413, -96.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lyon

When
January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.414, -95.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Murray

When
January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Murray forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.022, -95.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nobles

When
January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Nobles forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.674, -95.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pipestone

When
January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Pipestone forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.023, -96.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Rock

When
January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
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, January 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: 5229796, 5229797, 5229798, 5229799, 5229800, 5229801, 5229802, 5229803.