Round two of two powerful winter storms plagued the upper Midwest in less than 48 hours as another fast moving system brought substantial snowfall, low temperatures, blizzard conditions and dangerously cold wind chills values.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS MPX wrote it up.
Round two of two powerful winter storms plagued the upper Midwest in less than 48 hours as another fast moving system brought substantial snowfall, low temperatures, blizzard conditions and dangerously cold wind chills values.
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 20, 3:33 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
333 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008
.DISCUSSION...
INVERTED TROF STRETCHES FROM FLAG ISLAND TO THE TWIN CITIES TO
EASTERN IA AT MID AFTERNOON. MODERATE SNOW IN PROGRESS ALONG AND
AHEAD OF THE TROF WHILE AN 8 MILLIBAR PRESSURE GRADIENT COVERS
WESTERN MN IN THE WAKE OF THE TROF WITH 25 TO 30 MPH SUSTAINED
WINDS. MNDOT CAMERAS SHOWING CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW WITH OBSERVATIONS SITES SHOWING VISIBILITIES DOWN TO A HALF
MILE. OBSERVER IN DONNELLY AT 3 PM INDICATING 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY
AND REALLY STRONG SUSTAINED NW WINDS. THE TROF WILL BE MOVING
SLOWLY ACROSS THE WI CWA THIS EVENING WITH SNOW FOR FAR EASTERN MN
AND WEST CENTRAL WI. THE SNOW HAS ENDED OVER THE FAR EASTERN
DAKOTAS ALONG WITH CLEARING...AND THIS WILL BE SPREADING ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MN THROUGH THIS EVENING. BASED ON
THE WIND AND FRESH SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 7 INCHES TODAY...
WILL KEEP THE BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT. WILL ALSO KEEP THE
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT AS ACCUMULATING SNOW IS NOT OVER
YET FOR EASTERN MN AND WEST CENTRAL WI AND THE WINDS WILL ALSO BE
ON THE RISE THIS EVENING.
TEMPERATURES ARE ALREADY SEVERAL DEGREES ZERO IN THE FAR WESTERN
CWA. THIS COUPLED WITH THE WIND IS ALREADY CREATING WIND CHILLS
TO MINUS 35. OVERNIGHT...AN UPPER LOW WILL PASS SE ACROSS MN AND
WI. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL INCREASE ACROSS ALL OF THE CWA LATE
IN NIGHT AND CONTINUE ON SUNDAY AS LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS IN THE
CENTRAL GREAT LAKES AS A PV BOOT ARRIVES. THIS WILL CONTINUE 20 TO
30 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. WIND CHILLS
TOMORROW WILL RUN FROM MINUS 25 IN THE TWIN CITIES TO MINUS 40 IN
WEST CENTRAL MN.
IT WILL BEGIN TO SETTLE DOWN SUNDAY NIGHT AS ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE
MOVES IN. A VERY COLD NIGHT EXPECTED WITH LOWS FROM MINUS 20 IN
WEST CENTRAL MN TO MINUS 10 AT EAU CLAIRE. THE TRANQUIL PERIOD
WILL NOT LAST LONG AS A PACIFIC SHORT WAVE AND ASSOCIATED LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM PUSH INTO THE DAKOTAS ON MONDAY AND MOVE ACROSS
THE FA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. PUSHED POPS INTO THE LIKELY
CATEGORY FOR MONDAY NIGHT AS LOW/MID LEVEL WAA AND FRONTOGENESIS
DEVELOP. CONTINUED WITH LIKELY POPS ON TUESDAY. SPEED OF THE
FASTER GFS PREFERRED OVER THE SLOWER NAM AFTER HOW TODAYS SNOW
DEVELOPED. GFS 280K THETA SURFACE SHOWING UPGLIDE AND STRONG
ADIABATIC OMEGA OVER US BY TUESDAY MORNING. MIXING RATIOS ARE ONCE
AGAIN AROUND 1.5 G/KG. CURRENTLY HAVE THE GRIDS LOADED WITH 3 TO
4 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION CWA WIDE FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO
TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
LONGER RANGE SOLUTIONS OF THE ECMWF AND GFS INDICATING YET
ANOTHER STORM POSSIBLE FOR US LATE NEXT WEEK/WEEKEND. AFTER THAT...
SOME HINTS FROM BOTH MODELS THAT THE FLOW ALOFT MAY BECOME MORE
ZONAL WITH THE ARCTIC AIR RETREATING A LITTLE.
&&
.AVIATION... /18Z TAF ISSUANCE/
INVERTED TROUGH PASSING EAST OVER THE TWIN CITIES METRO AT 19Z.
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL MOVE INTO MSP SOON AND ONLY INCREASE IN SPEED
AT TAF SITES FURTHER WEST. BACK EDGE OF SNOW TO MOVE TO AXN AND
RWF BY MID-AFTN WITH SCATTERING NOT TOO FAR BEHIND THAT. BACK EDGE
ASSOCIATED WITH A MID-LEVEL COLD FRONT...WHICH AHEAD OF THIS
FEATURE WILL HELP TO FOCUS SOME NORTH TO SOUTH ORIENTED MODERATE
TO HEAVY SNOW BANDS NEAR MSP...RNH...AND WI TAF SITES THIS AFTN.
PREVAILING VISBYS OF A HALF MILE WILL BE LIKELY IN ANY OF THESE
ALONG WITH IFR CIGS. SNOW TO STOP AT MSP SOON AFTER 00Z WITH NO
GOOD CHANCE AGAIN UNDER MID- MORNING TOMORROW. BLOWING SNOW TO
GREATLY REDUCE VISBYS IN THE WESTERN TAF SITES THROUGH EVE...WITH
SOME GUSTS OF 30 TO 35 KTS POSSIBLE. MVFR VISBYS MOST LIKELY AT
MSP IN THESE BLOWING SNOW SCENARIOS. WI TAF SITES TO ALSO LIKELY
SEE MVFR GIVEN MORE TREE COVER. WRAPAROUND SNOW/SNOW SHOWER
POTENTIAL TOMORROW SEEMS BEST AT MSP AND WI TAF SITES. WITH THE
STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS...IFR VISBYS WOULD SEEM LIKELY UNDER
ANY SNOW.
&&
.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR ANOKA-BENTON-
CARVER-CHISAGO-DAKOTA-DOUGLAS-FREEBORN-GOODHUE-HENNEPIN-
ISANTI-KANABEC-KANDIYOHI-LE SUEUR-MCLEOD-MEEKER-MILLE LACS-
MORRISON-POPE-RAMSEY-RICE-SCOTT-SHERBURNE-SIBLEY-STEARNS-
STEELE-TODD-WASECA-WASHINGTON-WRIGHT.
BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR BLUE EARTH-BROWN-
CHIPPEWA-FARIBAULT-LAC QUI PARLE-MARTIN-NICOLLET-REDWOOD-
RENVILLE-STEVENS-SWIFT-WATONWAN-YELLOW MEDICINE.
WI...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR BARRON-CHIPPEWA-
DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-PEPIN-PIERCE-POLK-RUSK-ST. CROIX.
&&
RAH/MTFHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1239 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 211200- 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- 1239 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST IN WEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO TONIGHT AS NORTHWEST WINDS CONTINUE TO INCREASE. DESPITE SNOW CEASING IN WESTERN MINNESOTA BY LATE AFTERNOON...THE WINDS WILL LEAD TO BLOWING OF SNOW AND NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. WINTER STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE OUTLOOK AREA...WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW INTO EARLY EVENING AND DEVELOPING BLOWING SNOW BY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...STRONG WINDS...AND ASSOCIATED COLD WIND CHILLS WILL CONTINUE MUCH OF SUNDAY AS THE WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES GRADUALLY EAST OF THE AREA. YET ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE AREA WITH POTENTIAL ACCUMULATING SNOW HAS ITS SIGHTS SET ON OUR AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND SNOWFALL OBSERVERS ARE URGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
540 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0516 PM SNOW GRANITE FALLS 44.81N 95.54W
12/20/2008 M7.0 INCH YELLOW MEDICINE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JPRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
543 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0516 PM SNOW 4 N BURNSVILLE 44.82N 93.27W
12/20/2008 M4.8 INCH HENNEPIN MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JPRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
547 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0516 PM SNOW WACONIA 44.85N 93.79W
12/20/2008 M5.0 INCH CARVER MN NWS EMPLOYEE
&&
JPRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
552 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0516 PM SNOW WACONIA 44.85N 93.79W
12/20/2008 M5.5 INCH CARVER MN NWS EMPLOYEE
&&
JPRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
556 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0533 PM SNOW CHANHASSEN 44.86N 93.56W
12/20/2008 M2.0 INCH CARVER MN OFFICIAL NWS OBS
STORM TOTAL 4.7 SO FAR
&&
LRSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
557 PM CST SAT DEC 20 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0557 PM SNOW EAU CLAIRE 44.82N 91.49W
12/20/2008 M1.8 INCH EAU CLAIRE WI BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
LRSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
A long period of mainly light snow occurred across Pepin County with locally four to six inches across the county by the late afternoon. Several hours of one mile or less in surface visibilities were noted from regional airport sensors.
A long period of mainly light snow occurred across Pierce County with locally four to six inches across the county by the late afternoon. Several hours of one mile or less in surface visibilities were noted from regional airport sensors.
A long period of mainly light snow occurred across St. Croix County with locally four to six inches across the county by the late afternoon. Several hours of one mile or less in surface visibilities were noted from regional airport sensors.
A long period of mainly light snow occurred across Dunn County with locally four to six inches across the county by the late afternoon. Several hours of one mile or less in surface visibilities were noted from regional airport sensors.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, December 2008
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: 148364, 148365, 148366, 148363.