Winter Storm in Minnesota, March 31, 2009

Name: Winter Storm in Minnesota, March 31, 2009
Start: 2009-03-31T02:00
End: 2009-03-31T23:59
Location: Minnesota

March 31, 2009 · NWS DLH · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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: 13

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 DLH wrote it up.

A broad and slow moving low pressure system brought a prolonged period of snow to northeast Minnesota. The snow began early in the morning and became heavy during the day, with snowfall rates of over 1 inch per hour. There was a break in the heavy snow late in the afternoon and evening of the 31st before another band of heavier snow brought additional accumulations overnight and the following day, April 1st. Light freezing rain and rain were reported during the break in the snow. Over 7 inches of snow fell across northeast Minnesota, with localized amounts of a foot in southern Cass County, and up to 18 inches across the north shore of Lake Superior from near Two Harbors to Grand Portage. Gusty winds caused significant blowing and drifting of the snow, especially along the north shore of Lake Superior.

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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 30, 8:30 PM CST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 30, 8:30 PM CST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
930 PM CDT MON MAR 30 2009

.UPDATE...MAIN FOCUS FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT IS RESOLVING TIMING
ISSUES WITH REGARD TO IMPENDING SPRING STORM.

THE BAND OF SNOW THAT MOVED THROUGH CROW WING AND CASS COUNTIES
EARLIER IN THE EVENING SEEMS TO HAVE FALLEN APART SOMEWHAT AS IT
MOVED NORTHWARD INTO DRIER AIR THIS EVENING. AN OBSERVER NEAR
GRAND RAPIDS REPORTED MAINLY FLURRIES AS THE BAND MOVED THROUGH
THAT AREA. THE AIR ACROSS THE AREA IS STILL PRETTY DRY...WITH
DEWPOINTS MAINLY IN THE TEENS ACROSS THE AREA. KDLH RADAR SHOWS
SOME IMPRESSIVE MID LEVEL RETURNS...BUT NOT TOO MUCH REACHING THE
GROUND AT THIS POINT. THE BAND WAS BECOMING A BIT MORE ESTABLISHED
THOUGH...AND WAS ACTING TO MOISTEN THE AIRMASS CURRENTLY IN PLACE.

THE LATEST NAM IS COMING IN...AND SHOWS LITTLE SYNOPTIC SCALE
DIFFERENCE FROM THE PREVIOUS RUN. THE 00Z RUN IS PERHAPS A LITTLE
SLOWER AND STRONGER THAN THE 18Z RUN. THE GFS 00Z RUN IS NOT IN
YET.

THE MAIN SYSTEM SHOULD QUICKLY EVOLVE AS THE NIGHT WEARS ON...WITH
IMPRESSIVE PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF THUNDERSTORMS STARTING TO
DEVELOP IN WESTERN IOWA AND THE SIOUX FALLS AREA. OTHER
PRECIPITATION WAS STARTING TO DEVELOP OVER EASTERN IOWA AND SE
MN/WC WI. THIS WILL BE THE TREND FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT AS THE
IMPRESSIVE LLJ TRANSPORTS ABUNDANT MOISTURE NORTHWARD INTO OUR
ARA. THE PRECIPITATION SHIELD WILL BECOME WRAPPED INTO THE
STORM...RESULTING IN SOME IMPRESSIVE SNOWFALL RATES LATER TONIGHT
INTO TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT. SHOULD SEE A RAPID INCREASE IN
SNOWFALL FROM SOUTH TO NORTH AS THE NIGHT WEARS ON...WITH SNOW
BECOMING HEAVY AT TIMES AROUND THE MORNING COMMUTE...AND SPREADING
NORTHWARD. CURRENT GRIDS/ZONES HAVE A TERRIFIC HANDLE ON THE
SITUATION. WILL BE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE NEXT GFS RUN.

STILL LOOKING LIKE A POSSIBLE CHANGEOVER TO RAIN...OR SOME KIND OF
MIX ACROSS MAINLY NW WI ON TUESDAY...BUT IMPRESSIVE SNOWFALL
RATES...AND DRY AIR IN PLACE SHOULD KEEP THE PRECIPITATION IN THE
FORM OF SNOW ELSEWHERE.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 332 PM CDT MON MAR 30 2009/

DISCUSSION...
WINTER STORM GENERALLY STILL ON TRACK WITH WINTER STORM HEADLINES
IN EFFECT FROM TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO
LATEST WSW FOR WARNING/ADVSY DETAILS.

MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO PREV FCST FOR A SLIGHTLY MORE WRLY SFC LOW
TRACK...ON THE ORDER OF A 50-100 MILES /A COUNTY OR TWO/. THE LOW
TRACK ADJUSTMENTS WILL HAVE SEVERAL EFFECTS ON THE FCST. FIRST IN
THE AXIS OF GREATEST QG AND FGEN FORCING AND RESULTING HIGHEST SN
TOTALS. THE MAX LIFT AND GREATEST SN AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED
GENERALLY ALONG A LINE FROM KHIB TO KGPZ AND KBRD. THE TWIN PORTS
TO KMZH AND KRZN CORRIDOR IS NOW ON THE ERN/BACK EDGE OF THE HEAVY
SN. THIS REGION WILL SEE THE LARGEST VARIANCE OF SN AMOUNTS...ON
THE ORDER OF 4 TO 8 INCHES. IN ADDITION...THE WARM SECTOR AND
STRONG WAA /WITH 40-50KT LLJ/ WILL BE SLIGHT FURTHER W THROUGH THE
DAY TUES AS LOW LIFTS N OVER MN.

INCREASING UNCERTAINTY IN PROB OF THE SN MIXING WITH RA TUES
AFTRN AS MODELS ARE WARMING SFC TEMPS WITH EACH RUN. LAV/MAV/MET
MOS GUIDANCE ALL PUT SFC TEMPS INTO THE MID TO UPR 30S BY
18Z...AND HOLD TEMPS STEADY OR CONTINUE TO WARM THROUGH 06Z WED
BEFORE THE CAA AND DRY MID LVL AIR CAN WRAP AROUND THE BACK SIDE
OF THE LOW. ALSO ADDED PATCHY FZDZ TO WIS ZONES AS NAM/GFS BUFR
SOUNDINGS AT HYR/IWD SHOWING A PERIOD OF -FZDZ POSSIBLE TUES
MORNING AS SN ARRIVES BEFORE IT WARMS ENUF FOR RA...AND AGAIN WED
NIGHT AS SN DEPARTS AND DRY AIR MOVES IN ALOFT.

NOT CONFIDENT ENUF IN RASN MIX ATTM TO CUT SN TOTALS...BUT DID ADD RASN
WORDING TO ZONES TUES AFTRN FOR TWIN PORTS TO BRD SWRD...INCLUDING
ALL OF NW WIS.

EXTENDED...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY.
EVEN THOUGH THE MAIN SYSTEM WILL HAVE PULLED OUT OF THE AREA BY
WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THERE WILL BE WEAK UPPER LEVEL WAVES RIPPLING
THROUGH THE FA ABOUT EVERY 24 HOURS THROUGH MONDAY. POPS/WX REFLECT
THIS.

AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS AT THE OUT SET OF THE FORECAST
PERIOD...MAY BRIEFLY DIP TO MVFR NEAR KBRD AS -SN TRIES TO GET
GOING. MVFR WITH -SN WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA OVERNIGHT...REACHING
KHYR THE LATEST. AFTER 12Z...MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT -SN
WILL BECOME MODERATE AT TIMES WITH IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS. THERE IS
SOME CONCERN OF -FZDZ AT KHYR TUESDAY MORNING AS STRONG END OF MARCH
INSOLATION WORKS OVER THE BOUNDARY LAYER.

&&

POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DLH  26  34  26  34 /  70 100  80  50
INL  24  31  21  33 /  60 100  80  50
BRD  27  34  24  36 / 100 100  80  50
HYR  28  38  29  37 /  70  90  70  50
ASX  25  35  28  35 /  40  90  80  50

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

MN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR CROW WING-
     NORTHERN AITKIN-NORTHERN CASS-NORTHERN ITASCA-PINE-SOUTHERN
     AITKIN-SOUTHERN CASS-SOUTHERN ITASCA.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM TUESDAY TO 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR
     CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-KOOCHICHING-
     NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-SOUTHERN
     COOK/LAKESHORE-SOUTHERN LAKE/LAKESHORE.

WI...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR BURNETT-
     WASHBURN.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM TUESDAY TO 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR
     BAYFIELD-DOUGLAS.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TUESDAY TO 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY
     FOR ASHLAND-IRON-PRICE-SAWYER.

LS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR LSZ121-LSZ140-
     LSZ141-LSZ142-LSZ143-LSZ144-LSZ145-LSZ146-LSZ147-LSZ148.

DAP

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 30, 8:51 AM CST, 17 hours 9 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
951 AM CDT MON MAR 30 2009

MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-311030-
KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE-
NORTHERN ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-SOUTHERN LAKE/LAKESHORE-
SOUTHERN COOK/LAKESHORE-NORTHERN CASS-SOUTHERN ITASCA-
SOUTHERN CASS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-SOUTHERN AITKIN-
CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-PINE-DOUGLAS-BAYFIELD-ASHLAND-IRON-
BURNETT-WASHBURN-SAWYER-PRICE-
951 AM CDT MON MAR 30 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A STRONG EARLY SPRING SNOWSTORM WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE REGION
LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES HAVE
BEEN POSTED. SNOWFALL OF AROUND 2 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH
LATE THIS AFTERNOON IN THE BRAINERD LAKES VICINITY...WITH LITTLE
IF ANY ACCUMULATION FURTHER NORTH AND EAST.

SNOW WILL THEN OVERSPREAD THE REST OF THE REGION TONIGHT...AND
BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES AFTER MIDNIGHT. WINDS WILL ALSO
INCREASE...ESPECIALLY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST
FORECASTS AND WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE DULUTH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

MINOR RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
NEAR AITKIN...BRAINERD...AND FORT RIPLEY. OTHER FLOODING IS
POSSIBLE ALONG SMALLER RIVERS AND STREAMS...INCLUDING ALONG THE
SAINT LOUIS RIVER NEAR FLOODWOOD AND ALONG THE CROW WING RIVER IN
SOUTHERN CASS COUNTY. FOR MORE DETAILS...PLEASE SEE THE LATEST
HYDROLOGIC PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE DULUTH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A STRONG EARLY SPRING SNOWSTORM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE AREA
THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL PERSIST
THROUGH TUESDAY. SNOW MAY MIX WITH RAIN IN MUCH OF NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL
DIMINISH IN INTENSITY AND END BY LATE TUESDAY NIGHT. STORM TOTAL
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL VARY WIDELY FROM 6 TO 12
INCHES...EXCEPT FROM 4 TO 7 INCHES MAINLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM ASHLAND TO HAYWARD WISCONSIN. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST
FORECASTS AND WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE DULUTH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SNOWFALL SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT SNOW
AMOUNTS AND TOTALS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA PHONE OR
E-SPOTTER.

LSZ121-140>148-311030-
BAYFIELD TO OAK POINT WI-GRAND PORTAGE TO GRAND MARAIS MN-
GRAND MARAIS TO TACONITE HARBOR MN-
TACONITE HARBOR TO SILVER BAY HARBOR MN-
SILVER BAY HARBOR TO TWO HARBORS MN-TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN-
DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI-PORT WING TO SAND ISLAND WI-
SAND ISLAND TO BAYFIELD WI-OAK POINT TO SAXON HARBOR WI-
951 AM CDT MON MAR 30 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF
WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF
WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR TONIGHT. STRONG EASTERLY WINDS AND HIGH
WAVES WILL PRODUCE HAZARDOUS BOATING CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT
IN THESE AREAS. FOR MORE DETAILS...PLEASE SEE THE LATEST
NEARSHORE MARINE FORECAST ISSUED BY THE DULUTH NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF
WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. STRONG EASTERLY
WINDS AND HIGH WAVES WILL PRODUCE HAZARDOUS BOATING CONDITIONS
FOR SMALL CRAFT IN THESE AREAS. FOR MORE DETAILS...PLEASE SEE THE
LATEST NEARSHORE MARINE FORECAST ISSUED BY THE DULUTH NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

BETTWY/LILES

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DULUTH (ALL LOWER CASE)

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Southern St. Louis / Carlton

When: March 31, 2:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern St. Louis / Carlton forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 47.091, -92.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Cass

When: March 31, 2:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Cass forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Crow Wing

When: March 31, 2:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Crow Wing forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.482, -94.071 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Cass

When: March 31, 3:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Cass forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.950, -94.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Aitkin

When: March 31, 3:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Aitkin forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.608, -93.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Lake

When: March 31, 5:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.557, -91.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Itasca

When: March 31, 5:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central St. Louis

When: March 31, 5:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Central St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Itasca

When: March 31, 5:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Cook

When: March 31, 7:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Southern Cook forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When: March 31, 8:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Koochiching

When: March 31, 8:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Koochiching forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 48.245, -93.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern St. Louis

When: March 31, 8:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.590, -92.461 (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

Every storm in Minnesota in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, March 2009

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: 158459, 158475, 158477, 158471, 158478, 158456, 158469, 158470, 158473, 158458, 158455, 158465, 158467.