Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 9, 2008

Name: Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 9, 2008
Start: 2008-12-09T00:30
End: 2008-12-09T08:30
Location: Minnesota

December 9, 2008 · NWS MPX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 4

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 potent winter weather system organized in the central plains Monday morning December 8th, and moved rapidly northeast across the Midwest by Tuesday morning December 9th. The combination of gulf moisture, increasing wind speeds and localized high snowfall rates, portions of south central Minnesota received between four and six inches of snowfall and sustained wind speeds of 20 to 30 mph during the height of the snowstorm late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Local observations near Blue Earth in Faribault County, Waseca in Waseca County, Albert Lea In Freeborn County and Owatonna in Steele County had sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts over 30 mph at times during the early morning of Tuesday December 9th.

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 Dec 8, 11:36 PM CST, 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 8, 11:36 PM CST, 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1136 PM CST MON DEC 8 2008

.AVIATION... /06Z TAF ISSUANCE/

LOW PRESSURE ALOFT ALONG THE NE/IA BORDER ATTM AND MOVING ENE.
A BAND OF MODERATE SNOW STRETCHES FROM NEAR FAIRMONT TO EAU CLAIRE
AND WILL PERSIST FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AS GOOD FORCING AND
SNOW GROWTH EXIST. LIGHT SNOW EXTENDS TO THE NORTH TO ST CLOUD AND
APPLETON WITH IMPROVEMENT UNDERWAY AT ALEXANDRIA. OVERNIGHT...THE
SNOW WILL END ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST AREAS OF MN WITH BLSN A
CONCERN FOR KAXN AND KRWF AS PRESSURE RISES AND 15 TO 20 KNOT
WINDS OCCUR IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. THE SNOW WILL
TAPER OFF AROUND DAYBREAK FOR KMSP AND KRNH AND BY LATE MORNING FOR
KEAU. CEILINGS IMPROVING TO VFR AS WELL. MOMENTUM TRANSFER YIELDS
WIND GUSTS IN THE 16 TO 18 KNOT RANGE FOR THE TAF SITES ON
TUESDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 254 PM CST MON DEC 8 2008/

WE HAVE HAD SOME REPORTS OF SNOW IN THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE IN WC MN
DURING THE LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE BAND OF SNOW
ACROSS WC AND CENTRAL MN WILL DIMINISH DURING THE EVENING HOURS AS
ISENTROPIC LIFT DIMINISHES ACROSS THAT AREA AND REFOCUSES FARTHER
SOUTH. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE ADVYS IN THIS AREA THRU 03Z AS
ISSUED BY MID SHIFT AS COULD SEE ANOTHER INCH OR TWO OF SNOW.

NAM AND GFS 290K ISENTROPIC SURFACE HAS ALSO BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB
OF PAINTING THE WEATHER PICTURE MOVING UP FROM IOWA. BOTH HAD HUGE
100 MB COND PRESSURE DEFICITS DURING THE MORNING WITH RAPID
SATURATE DURING AFTERNOON...PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH CURRENT RADAR
TRENDS. MORNING RAOBS AS FAR NORTH AS MPX AND ABR HAVE SHOWN AN
ELEVATED WARM LAYER AND METARS ACROSS N IA HAVING BEEN REPORTING
MIXED PRECIP. LOW LEVELS WILL COOL NEXT FEW HOURS AS MORE VERTICAL
MOTION ADDED CHANGING PRECIP TO ALL SNOW. STARTED SOME HEADLINES
IN EARLIER UPDATE AT 21Z BECAUSE OF FRZG RAIN THREAT IN SC MN.

IR SATELLITE IMAGERY HAS BEEN SHOWING A VORT MOVING OUT OF E CO
INTO KS WHICH NAM BRINGS INTO NC IA THIS EVE AND THEN SHEARS ACRS
S WI BY 12Z TUES. APPROACH OF THIS FEATURE SHOULD HELP INCREASE
SNOWFALL RATES. MAIN SURFACE LOW NOW IN SC KS WILL BEGIN TO LIFT
FAIRLY RAPIDLY NE OVERNIGHT REACHING CENTRAL MO BY 12Z AND THEN
TRACK ACROSS OHIO VALLEY. THIS TRACK WOULD FAVOR HIGHER
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS S OF OUR AREA. MAJIC CHART DOES SHOW 60 TO
80 MICROBARS OF LIFT FROM 12Z MON TO 12Z TUES ACROSS SE MN WHICH
WOULD EQUATE TO THE 4 TO 8 INCH SNOW TOTALS WE ARE EXPECTING IN SC
MN. THIS IS ALSO PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE GARCIA METHOD WITH 3
TO 4 G/KG OVER NO MORE THAN A 12 HOUR PERIOD. MODEL QPF ALSO
PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH THESE NUMBERS. DID BACK OFF ON SNOW
AMOUNTS A BIT ACROSS PARTS OF EC MN INTO WI WITH LITTLE IF ANY
ACCUM TODAY AND MAIN ACCUMS FOR TONIGHT EXPECTED ACROSS OUR S CWA.

SOME CONCERN FOR WINDS INCREASING ENOUGH IN SC MN AFTER 06Z AS
SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS ALLOWING WINDS TO INCREASE
DURING THE PERIOD WHEN SNOW SHOULD STILL BE FALLING. FORTUNATELY
MAIN PLUNGE OF COLDER AIR AND PRESSURE FALL CENTER IS WEST OF OUR
AREA IN OFTEN FAVORED AREA FROM THE DAKOTAS INTO NEB/KS.

SOME MINOR SNOW EVENTS NEXT FEW DAYS AS MINOR WAVE COME DOWN IN
WNW FLOW. MORE INTERESTING SITUATION LATE IN THE WEEK/EARLY NEXT
WEEK AS DEEPER TROUGH DEVELOPS TO OUR WEST.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR ANOKA-BROWN-
     CARVER-CHISAGO-DAKOTA-HENNEPIN-MCLEOD-NICOLLET-RAMSEY-
     REDWOOD-RENVILLE-SCOTT-SIBLEY-WASHINGTON.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 AM CST TUESDAY FOR FARIBAULT-
     FREEBORN-STEELE-WASECA.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST TUESDAY FOR BLUE EARTH-
     GOODHUE-LE SUEUR-MARTIN-RICE-WATONWAN.

WI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR BARRON-
     CHIPPEWA-DUNN-POLK-RUSK-ST. CROIX.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST TUESDAY FOR EAU CLAIRE-
     PEPIN-PIERCE.

&&

RAH/BAP

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 8, 6:49 PM CST, 5 hours 41 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
649 PM CST MON DEC 8 2008

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
091200-
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-
KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-
ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE-
649 PM CST MON DEC 8 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTHERN AND
EASTERN MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. TOTAL SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS OF THREE TO FIVE INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...WITH
FIVE TO SEVEN INCH TOTALS ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. THIS WILL
MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVELING CONDITIONS.

IN ADDITION...STRENGTHENING NORTH WINDS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
OVERNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

SNOW WILL LINGER ACROSS FAR EAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND
WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN TUESDAY MORNING. SOME ADDITIONAL LIGHT
ACCUMULATION ALONG WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING WILL BE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS AND SNOWFALL OBSERVERS ARE URGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 8, 10:03 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1003 PM CST MON DEC 08 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1000 PM     SNOW             OWATONNA                44.09N 93.22W
12/08/2008  E3.5 INCH        STEELE             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

1000 PM     SNOW             FARIBAULT               44.30N 93.27W
12/08/2008  E3.0 INCH        RICE               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

MTF

Local storm report, Dec 8, 10:04 PM CST, 2 hours 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1004 PM CST MON DEC 08 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0306 PM     SNOW             2 SW MORRIS             45.57N 95.93W
12/08/2008  M2.0 INCH        STEVENS            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0306 PM     SNOW             LEAF VALLEY             46.05N 95.46W
12/08/2008  M3.2 INCH        DOUGLAS            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0306 PM     SNOW             ELROSA                  45.56N 94.95W
12/08/2008  M0.3 INCH        STEARNS            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0440 PM     SNOW             MADISON                 45.01N 96.19W
12/08/2008  M3.0 INCH        LAC QUI PARLE      MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            RECORDED BY KLQP RADIO STATION.

0521 PM     SNOW             BRANDON                 45.97N 95.60W
12/08/2008  M2.3 INCH        DOUGLAS            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0608 PM     SNOW             ST CLOUD                45.55N 94.17W
12/08/2008  M0.3 INCH        STEARNS            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0608 PM     SNOW             MINNEAPOLIS             44.96N 93.27W
12/08/2008  M1.5 INCH        HENNEPIN           MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0608 PM     SNOW             RICHFIELD               44.88N 93.28W
12/08/2008  M1.6 INCH        HENNEPIN           MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0705 PM     SNOW             2 NE HECTOR             44.76N 94.68W
12/08/2008  M3.0 INCH        RENVILLE           MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0900 PM     SNOW             PRIOR LAKE              44.73N 93.43W
12/08/2008  M2.0 INCH        SCOTT              MN   NWS EMPLOYEE

0900 PM     SNOW             CHANHASSEN              44.86N 93.56W
12/08/2008  M2.5 INCH        CARVER             MN   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            MEASURED AT THE NWS OFFICE.

0920 PM     SNOW             WINTHROP                44.54N 94.36W
12/08/2008  M2.0 INCH        SIBLEY             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0920 PM     SNOW             GLENCOE                 44.77N 94.15W
12/08/2008  M3.0 INCH        MCLEOD             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0955 PM     SNOW             WASECA                  44.08N 93.50W
12/08/2008  M2.0 INCH        WASECA             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

1000 PM     SNOW             FARIBAULT               44.30N 93.27W
12/08/2008  E3.0 INCH        RICE               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

1000 PM     SNOW             OWATONNA                44.09N 93.22W
12/08/2008  E3.5 INCH        STEELE             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

MTF

Local storm report, Dec 8, 10:05 PM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1005 PM CST MON DEC 08 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1000 PM     SNOW             ST JAMES                43.98N 94.63W
12/08/2008  M2.0 INCH        WATONWAN           MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

MTF

Local storm report, Dec 8, 11:10 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1110 PM CST MON DEC 08 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1107 PM     SNOW             EAU CLAIRE              44.82N 91.49W
12/08/2008  M2.3 INCH        EAU CLAIRE         WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SINCE 430 PM. STILL SNOWING.

&&

MDB

Local storm report, Dec 8, 11:38 PM CST, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1138 PM CST MON DEC 08 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1030 PM     SNOW             12 NNE BRUCE            45.63N 91.21W
12/08/2008  M1.0 INCH        RUSK               WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

RAH

Local storm report, Dec 8, 11:58 PM CST, 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1158 PM CST MON DEC 08 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1155 PM     SNOW             EDEN PRAIRIE            44.85N 93.46W
12/08/2008  M2.4 INCH        HENNEPIN           MN   NWS EMPLOYEE

&&

RAH

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Freeborn

When: December 9, 12:30 AM CST to 8:30 AM CST
Where: Freeborn forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 43.674, -93.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow developed across Freeborn County around 530 pm Monday afternoon, and became heavier during the evening and overnight period. Wind speeds increased significantly after 12 am with frequent gusts of 30 mph during the morning. Locally four to six inches fell around the county, but due to significant wind speeds of 20 to 25 mph with gusts over 30 mph, near blizzard conditions were felt along with considerable blowing and drifting of the snow.

Winter Storm, Faribault

When: December 9, 1:00 AM CST to 7:30 AM CST
Where: Faribault forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 43.674, -93.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow developed across Faribault County around 4 pm Monday afternoon, and became heavier during the evening and overnight period. Wind speeds increased significantly after 1 am with frequent gusts of 30 to 35 mph during the morning. Locally three to four inches fell around the county, but due to significant wind speeds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts over 35 mph, near blizzard conditions were felt along with considerable blowing and drifting of the snow.

Winter Storm, Waseca

When: December 9, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Waseca forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 44.022, -93.587 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow developed across Waseca County between 4 and 5 pm Monday afternoon, and became heavier during the evening and overnight period. Wind speeds increased significantly after 1 am with frequent gusts of 30 mph during the morning. Locally three to four inches fell around the county, but due to significant wind speeds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts over 35 mph, near blizzard conditions were felt along with considerable blowing and drifting of the snow.

Winter Storm, Steele

When: December 9, 2:00 AM CST to 8:30 AM CST
Where: Steele forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 44.022, -93.226 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow developed across Steele County between 4 and 5 pm Monday afternoon, and became heavier during the evening and overnight period. Wind speeds increased significantly after 2 am with frequent gusts of 30 to 35 mph during the morning. Locally four to six inches fell around the county, but due to significant wind speeds of 20 to 25 mph with gusts over 30 mph, near blizzard conditions were felt along with considerable blowing and drifting of the snow.

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

Every storm in Minnesota in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, December 2008

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: 147017, 147014, 147015, 147016.