Winter Storm in Minnesota, February 6 to 8, 2010

Name: Winter Storm in Minnesota, February 6 to 8, 2010
Start: 2010-02-06T15:52
End: 2010-02-08T15:08
Location: Minnesota

February 6 to 8, 2010 · NWS FGF · 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 FGF wrote it up.

A relatively rare winter pattern set up over the northern plains, as an upper level low pressure system over northeast Manitoba tracked to the southwest. Most winter events for the area originate in the west and track to the east, so an event originating to the northeast and tracking southwest is rare. At the surface, a low formed in southwest Ontario and then pushed into the southern Red River Valley. An inverted trough pivoted around this low, bringing a prolonged period of light snow. Colder air pushed into eastern North Dakota and the Red River Valley, but it stayed much warmer just to the east of the Red River Valley. Many locations along the Red River Valley picked up 4 to 7 inches of snow and had some wind gusts around 25 mph.

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 Grand Forks, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 6, 3:21 PM CST, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 6, 3:21 PM CST, 31 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
321 PM CST SAT FEB 6 2010

.SHORT TERM...MAIN CONCERN WILL REVOLVE AROUND WINTER STORM
TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. SNOW AMOUNTS AND WIND POTENTIAL WILL BE THE
MAIN CHALLENGES. MODELS HAVE LOCKED ONTO A SOLUTION AND CONFIDENCE
IS RELATIVELY HIGH. STRONG 500MB WAVE WILL PROPAGATE FROM NORTH TO
SOUTH ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND INTO EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA
BEFORE SHIFTING EAST. THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES AMONG MODELS DEALS
WITH THE POSITION OF THE INVERTED TROUGH THAT WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT
INTO SUNDAY. BY 00Z MON...THE NAM IS FURTHER EAST THAN OTHER MODEL
GUIDANCE...AND THUS SHIFTS HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS AND STRONGEST
WINDS A BIT EAST. GFS/ECMWF/GEM MORE WEST...SO WILL FOLLOW FOR
DETAILS.

SNOW AMOUNTS (TONIGHT INTO MONDAY)...AS THE MID-LEVEL LOW
PROPAGATES SOUTH...AN INVERTED TROUGH WILL SET UP JUST EAST OF
THE VALLEY. THIS WOULD PLACE HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS FOR THE EVENT
ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE VALLEY. ON SUNDAY/SUNDAY
EVENING...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVIER BANDED SNOWFALL
ACROSS THIS AREA (STRONG LOW-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS). AS THE UPPER
LOW GETS INTO EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...IT SLOWS A BIT BEFORE
SHIFTING EAST...PLACING THE SOUTHERN VALLEY/WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA
IN AN AREA OF PROLONGED STRONG FORCING. THUS...THINK HEAVIEST
SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR HERE. MODELS ALSO INDICATING VERY WEAK 700MB
INSTABILITY ACROSS THIS AREA...SOMETIMES A PRECURSOR TO HEAVIER
SNOW. GIVEN THE THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVIER SNOW BANDS...WILL GO
TOWARD THE HIGH SIDE OF QPF GUIDANCE. SNOW RATIOS WILL INCREASE A
BIT ON SUNDAY AS THE COLUMN COOLS...BUT SHOULD AGAIN DECREASE ON
MONDAY AS WARMER AIR ALOFT GETS WRAPPED BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.
USING A 15:1 RATIO SHOULD BE ADEQUATE. THINKING STORM (48 HR)
TOTALS OF 5-9 INCHES ACROSS THE NORTHERN PARTS OF THIS AREA...AND
6-12 ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PARTS OF THIS AREA. ON EITHER SIDE OF
THIS AREA SNOW AMOUNTS LESS...PROBABLY IN THE 3-7 INCH RANGE.
ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE SNOWING MUCH OF THIS 48 HR PERIOD...THINK A
MAJORITY (MINUS AN INCH OR TWO) WILL FALL WITHIN A 24 HR PERIOD
GIVEN THE BANDING POTENTIAL.

WINDS...STRONGEST WINDS SHOULD OCCUR ON SUNDAY. STRONG 925MB COLD
AIR ADVECTION MOVES THOUGH THE FA ALONG AND WEST OF THE VALLEY
WHICH SHOULD EFFICIENTLY MIX WINDS FROM THIS LEVEL TO THE SFC.
WIND SPEEDS AT THIS LEVEL AROUND 25KNTS. THIS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO
BLOW SNOW AROUND CAUSING REDUCED VSBY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.
WINDS REMAIN LIGHT EAST OF THE VALLEY (ALONG AND EAST OF INVERTED
SFC TROUGH). BEYOND SUNDAY...WINDS TURN MORE EASTERLY AND LOSE
UNIDIRECTIONAL COMPONENT. WILL KEEP BLOWING SNOW IN THE
GRIDS...BUT MAY NOT BE TOO BAD.

HEADLINES...WILL ISSUE A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE VALLEY
COUNTIES INTO A PORTION OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...WITH WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY ON EITHER SIDE OF THIS AREA. EXPECTED SNOWFALL
ALONE REQUIRES THE WARNING ACROSS THE SOUTH. ACROSS THE NORTHERN
VALLEY COUNTIES WHERE LESS SNOW IS EXPECTED...THINKING AT LEAST
4 INCHES BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THESE TOTALS ALONG WITH 20-30MPH
WINDS WILL BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SERIOUS VSBY RESTRICTIONS
(ESPECIALLY IN OPEN COUNTRY) THUS...A WARNING IS WARRANTED (AND
GIVEN BANDING POTENTIAL COULD GET TO 6+ INCHES). THIS PORTION OF
THE WARNING COULD BE DOWNGRADED TO AN ADVISORY SUNDAY NIGHT IF
CONDITIONS DO IMPROVE. HEAVY BANDED SNOWFALL POTENTIAL
SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IN ADVISORY AREAS...THUS NOT ENOUGH SNOWFALL
FOR A WARNING. WEST OF THE VALLEY...WINDS WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE
VALLEY COUNTIES ON SUNDAY...BUT WITH WEAKER SNOWFALL RATES AND
AMOUNTS CONDITIONS SHOULD BE A BIT BETTER.

.LONG TERM [WED-SAT]...AS THE UPPER LOW BEGINS TO TRACK INTO THE
EASTERN SEABOARD...WEAK NORTHWEST FLOW REMAINS IN PLACE OVER THE
NORTHERN PLAINS. WITH MOST OF THE UPPER JET ENERGY LOCKED UP IN
THE SOUTHERN STREAM NOT A LOT TO WORK WITH FURTHER NORTH. MODELS
SHOW SFC HIGH PRESSURE FOR THE MOST PART BUT ARE TRYING TO SHOW A
LITTLE LIGHT PCPN WITH SOME WEAK WARM ADVECTION THU OR THU NIGHT.
PRETTY HARD TO NAIL DOWN WEAK FEATURES THIS FAR OUT SO HAVE
ELECTED TO STAY WITH THE DRIER HPC SCENARIO FOR NOW. AS FAR AS
TEMPS GO CLOUDS WILL BE A HUGE PLAYER ONCE AGAIN. IF HIGH PRESSURE
AND LIGHT WINDS/CLEAR SKIES SET UP ON ONE HALF OF THE FA WITH
CLOUDS IN THE OTHER...IT CAN ALWAYS SET UP HUGE TEMP GRADIENTS.

&&

.AVIATION...LOOKING LIKE STATUS QUO FOR THE CLOUDS AND VSBYS WITH
LIGHT SNOW WITH LOTS OF LOCAL VARIATION. MAIN THINGS TO DETERMINE
ARE WHEN VSBYS COME BACK DOWN WITH MORE SUBSTANTIAL LIGHT SNOW AND
WHEN WINDS SWITCH TO THE NORTH ON SUNDAY. WIND SPEEDS SHOULD
INCREASE BEHIND THE WIND SWITCH...WHICH SHOULD OCCUR FIRST AT KDVL
ON SUN MORNING. STILL SOME MODEL DIFFERENCES ON EXACT TIMING AND
STRENGTH OF THE WINDS SO LATER FORECASTS MAY GET A BETTER HANDLE
ON SUN MORNING CONDITIONS.

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST MONDAY
     FOR NDZ006-007-014-015-024-026-028-029-038-049-052-054.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM SUNDAY TO 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR
     NDZ039-053.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST MONDAY
     FOR NDZ008-016-027-030.

MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST MONDAY
     FOR MNZ005-006-008-009-013>017-023-024.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM SUNDAY TO 6 PM CST MONDAY FOR
     MNZ002-003-022-027>032-040.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST MONDAY
     FOR MNZ001-004-007.

&&

TG/GODON

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 6, 3:51 PM CST, 1 minute before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
351 PM CST SAT FEB 6 2010

MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-071300-
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-
GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
351 PM CST SAT FEB 6 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM EARLY SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON ALONG THE RED RIVER VALLEY INTO A PORTION OF WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM EARLY SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH
MONDAY AFTERNOON TO THE WEST AND EAST OF THE WINTER STORM
WARNING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN NORTH
DAKOTA...WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE REGION BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL AFFECT THE AREA ON SUNDAY. SNOW IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ON AND OFF SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. THE
HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED ALONG THE RED RIVER VALLEY INTO WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA. 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED BY LATE
MONDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THIS AREA...WITH LESS AMOUNTS TO THE WEST
OF EAST OF THIS AREA. IN ADDITION...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS
IS EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY AS WINDS INCREASE
FROM THE NORTH ALONG AND WEST OF THE VALLEY. TRAVEL MAY BECOME
IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN COUNTRY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SNOWFALL AND VISIBILITY REPORTS WILL BE NEEDED.

TG

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, Kittson

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: Kittson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 48.777, -96.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West Marshall

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: West Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 48.358, -96.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West Polk

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: West Polk forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 47.774, -96.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Norman

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: Norman forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 47.327, -96.455 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clay

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.892, -96.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mahnomen

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: Mahnomen forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 47.325, -95.809 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West Becker

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: West Becker forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, East Becker

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: East Becker forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.935, -95.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wadena

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:59 AM CST
Where: Wadena forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.586, -94.969 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wilkin

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:08 PM CST
Where: Wilkin forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.357, -96.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, West Otter Tail

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:08 PM CST
Where: West Otter Tail forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, East Otter Tail

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:08 PM CST
Where: East Otter Tail forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.409, -95.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Grant

When: February 6, 3:52 PM CST to February 8, 3:08 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 45.934, -96.012 (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 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, February 2010

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: 207960, 215679, 215680, 215681, 215682, 215683, 215684, 215685, 215686, 215687, 215688, 215689, 215690.