Minnesota, 2002

Winter Storm in Minnesota, February 24, 2002

February 24, 2002 · NWS MPX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Six to nine inches snow fell as low pressure developed over Kansas and moved into Wisconsin. Winds were typically 15 to 25 mph, causing only a little drifting snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 MPX wrote it up.

Six to nine inches snow fell as low pressure developed over Kansas and moved into Wisconsin. Winds were typically 15 to 25 mph, causing only a little drifting snow. Some accumulations include 9 inches at Little Falls, 8 inches at Mora, 7.5 inches at Litchfield, 7 inches at St. Cloud and Milaca, and 6 inches at Long Prairie.

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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 24, 3:30 AM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 3:30 AM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
330 AM CST SUN FEB 24 2002

SNOW HAS DEVELOPED IN WEST CENTRAL MN IN REGION OF ISENTROPIC LIFT
AND STRONG QG FORCING AHEAD OF A WAVE EXITING THE ROCKIES.  STRONG
UPPER DIVERGENCE DEVELOPS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIGHT ENTRANCE OF AN
UPPER JET TO THE NORTH. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS MATCHING THE DYNAMICS
WITH THE MOISTURE AND IDENTIFYING THE RAIN/SNOW LINE.  MODELS HAVE
DEVELOPED THE PRECIPITATION FAIRLY WELL...BUT THE INITIAL
TEMPERATURES ARE QUITE POOR.  BASED ON THICKNESS CONSIDERATIONS...
THE FORECAST WILL MAKE THE MAXIMUM SNOWFALL IN WARN AND URN ZONES.
EAST CENTRAL MN AND W CENTRAL WI WILL BE MORE TRANSITIONAL...BUT THE
DYNAMICS LAST INTO EVENING AND SHOULD PROVIDE FOR SOME SNOW
ACCUMULATION.  WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED FOR MOST OF
THE FORECAST AREA EXCEPT SOME OF S CENTRAL MN AND W CENTRAL WI.

THE REST OF THE FORECAST BRINGS MUCH COLDER AIR OVER THE STATE INTO
THE EARLY WEEK.  STRONG CYCLONIC CURVATURE AND ARCTIC AIR SHOULD
PRODUCE PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES INTO TUESDAY.  THE
EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST REMAINS UNCHANGED.

.MSP...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES TODAY AND THIS EVENING...NORTH AND
EAST OF A FAIRMONT...MANKATO...RED WING...CHIPPEWA FALLS LINE.
 SCOTT

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Benton

When
February 24, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Benton forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.699, -93.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Kanabec

When
February 24, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Kanabec forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.945, -93.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Meeker

When
February 24, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Meeker forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.123, -94.527 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mille Lacs

When
February 24, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Mille Lacs forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.938, -93.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Morrison

When
February 24, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Morrison forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.013, -94.268 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stearns

When
February 24, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Stearns forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.552, -94.613 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Todd

When
February 24, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Todd forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.071, -94.898 (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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, February 2002

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: 5282206, 5282207, 5282208, 5282209, 5282210, 5282211, 5282212.