Heavy Snow, Lac Qui Parle
- When
- November 21, 2:00 PM CST to November 22, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Lac Qui Parle forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.996, -96.173 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Minnesota, November 21 to 22, 2003
A very narrow band of snow, only about 15 miles wide, developed across west central Minnesota amid rapid mid-level frontogenesis. Snowfall rates were one to two inches per hour as the band of snow remained stationary during late afternoon and evening.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
A very narrow band of snow, only about 15 miles wide, developed across west central Minnesota amid rapid mid-level frontogenesis. Snowfall rates were one to two inches per hour as the band of snow remained stationary during late afternoon and evening. Madison picked up 10.5 inches, Dawson and Watson received 7 inches, as did the Regional Treatment Center on the north side of Willmar. Areas only 10 to 15 miles north or south of this snow band only picked up an inch or two of snow (e.g. Montevideo, just 7 miles southeast of Watson, received 2 inches, and New London, just 10 miles north of the Willmar Treatment Center, only picked up 2 inches). The band of snow weakened substantially as it moved east of Willmar.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Chippewa
- When
- November 21, 2:00 PM CST to November 22, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Chippewa forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 45.022, -95.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Kandiyohi
- When
- November 21, 2:00 PM CST to November 22, 1:00 AM CST
- Where
- Kandiyohi forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 45.152, -95.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Utah, November 21 to 22, 2003
- Winter Storm in South Dakota, November 21, 2003
- Winter Weather in Colorado, November 21 to 22, 2003
- Heavy Snow in South Dakota, November 21, 2003
- Winter Storm in Colorado, November 21 to 23, 2003
- Winter Weather in Colorado, November 21 to 22, 2003
- Winter Storm in Colorado, November 21 to 22, 2003
- Winter Weather in Utah, November 21 to 22, 2003
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, November 21, 2003
- Waterspout in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, November 21, 2003
- Ice Storm in Alaska, November 21, 2003
- Funnel Cloud in Oregon, November 21, 2003
More
Every storm in Minnesota in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, November 2003
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5330566, 5330567, 5330568.