A two vehicle accident occurred on a snow covered road near Oronoco (Olmsted County) on February 3rd. A person was killed in the accident and another sustained injuries.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 ARX wrote it up.
A two vehicle accident occurred on a snow covered road near Oronoco (Olmsted County) on February 3rd. A person was killed in the accident and another sustained injuries.
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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 3, 2:17 AM CST, 7 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
217 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
FORECAST FOCUS IS ON PRECIPITATION CHANCES TODAY AS WELL AS FRIDAY
AND SATURDAY...AND TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD.
07Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER
KANSAS...WITH BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES ALL THE WAY INTO TX/OK.
SATELLITE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVING
SOUTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN ONTARIO...HEADING INTO THE GREAT LAKES. A
TRAILING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS FOCUSING A RIBBON OF MOISTURE AND
RADAR WAS SHOWING A NARROW BAND OF LIGHT SNOW FROM THE SD/ND BORDER
EAST INTO NORTHERN MN.
FIRST ISSUE IS THE COMBINATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES AND WIND THIS
MORNING...AND THE STATUS OF THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY. WIND CHILL
VALUES ARE IN THE TEENS AND 20S BELOW ZERO...AND THIS LOOKS TO
CONTINUE UNTIL MID MORNING. WILL LEAVE THE ADVISORY RUN THROUGH ITS
SCHEDULED TERMINATION AT 10 AM.
NEXT QUESTION FOR THE FORECAST IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ANY LIGHT SNOW
OR FLURRIES FOR THE AREA TODAY AS THE SHORT WAVE AND ATTENDANT FRONT
MOVE THROUGH. AVAILABLE MOISTURE IS VERY LIMITED...BUT FORCING SEEMS
STRONG ENOUGH TO GENERATE AT LEAST SOME FLURRIES. STILL...THE MAIN
FORCING AREA WILL PASS WELL EAST OF THE REGION...AND THE FRONT
BECOMES MORE PARALLEL TO THE FLOW WITH TIME. FOR NOW WILL LEAVE ANY
MENTION OUT OF THE FORECAST...BUT WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IT
OCCURS. EITHER WAY...WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING MEASURABLE.
AREA REMAINS IN A NORTHWEST FLOW REGIME...WITH A PARADE OF EMBEDDED
SHORT WAVE TROUGHS PASSING THROUGH. THE NEXT ONE IS DUE IN FOR THE
LATTER PART OF FRIDAY. ECMWF/GFS/SREF ALL IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT
WITH THE STRENGTH AND POSITION OF THE PASSING SYSTEM...WHILE NAM A
BIT WEAKER AND SHIFTED TO THE NORTH A BIT. SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF
THE APPROACHING SYSTEM WILL HELP TO WARM TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE
20S ON FRIDAY. BUT WITH THAT WARMING...EXPECT A CHANCE FOR SOME
LIGHT PRECIPITATION AS WELL. THERE IS SOME CONCERN THAT THE
ADVANCING WARM AIR WILL MOVE OVER THE COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE AND
GENERATE A STRONG INVERSION. MEANWHILE...MODELS ALL SUPPORT
TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE FOR A TIME
FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE PRECIPITATION ARRIVES. IF THE WARM
LAYER IS WARM AND DEEP ENOUGH...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THE
PRECIPITATION COULD FALL AS LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. THERE ARE SOME
HINTS AT THIS LOOKING AT MODEL SOUNDINGS...WITH ABOUT A THIRD OF
THE SREF MEMBERS SUPPORTING A MIX. BUT WITH THE OPERATIONAL MODELS
AND MOST OF THE SREF MEMBERS KEEPING THE PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM
OF SNOW...WILL GO WITH THAT SCENARIO FOR NOW. EITHER WAY...IT DOES
NOT LOOK LIKE THERE WILL BE A GREAT DEAL OF PRECIPITATION. GFS IS
MOST ROBUST WITH ABOUT A TENTH OF AN INCH OF LIQUID...WHILE OTHER
MODELS A COUPLE OF HUNDRETHS OR LESS.
ONCE THAT DISTURBANCE PASSES FRIDAY NIGHT...A GENERAL LONG WAVE
TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE AREA FOR THE WEEKEND...WITH SEVERAL WEAKER
CIRCULATIONS WITHIN IT...AND ANOTHER STRONGER ONE APPROACHING FROM
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...HEADING INTO THE PLAINS. THERE IS NOT REALLY
ANY LARGE SOURCES OF LIFT OR FOCUS TO PRODUCE PRECIPITATION...BUT
THERE IS ENOUGH OF A SIGNAL THAT SOME LIGHTER PRECIP MAY OCCUR FROM
TIME TO TIME SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY.
BUT IN THE GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT...THE AIRMASS SOURCE BEHIND THESE
DISTURBANCES IS OF MORE PACIFIC ORIGIN RATHER THAN ARCTIC...SO
TEMPERATURES LOOK TO BE MUCH MORE MILD THAN OF LATE. HIGHS FOR THE
WEEKEND LOOK TO BE IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.
.LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT
MOVING INTO THE MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD...THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW LOOKS TO
BECOME A BIT MORE AMPLIFIED...WITH A DEEPER TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE
EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY...AND A RIDGE BUILDING ALONG THE WEST
COAST. THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORT WAVE MOVING TOWARD THE PLAINS LOOKS
TO GENERATE YET ANOTHER WINTER STORM SYSTEM FOR STATES FROM TX/OK
TO AR/MO/IL/IN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. IT APPEARS THAT ONE WILL BE
TOO FAR SOUTH TO IMPACT OUR REGION...BUT ANOTHER SURGE OF COLD AIR
WILL DROP IN BEHIND IT...SENDING TEMPERATURES BACK BELOW NORMAL
AGAIN THROUGH MID-WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...TODAY AND TONIGHT
QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT AT BOTH TAF SITES. HIGH
PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS...WHILE A
SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL DROP ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. CLEAR SKIES WILL
GIVE WAY TO A BAND OF MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WITH BASES 8K-10K
FEET ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORTWAVE. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN
THE HIGH OVER THE PLAINS AND A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER CANADA WILL
PRODUCE BRISK CONDITIONS TODAY WITH WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS
INCREASING INTO THE 15 TO 25 MPH BY LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON.
&&
.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR
WIZ017-029-032>034-041>044-053>055-061.
MN...WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR
MNZ079-086>088-094>096.
IA...WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR
IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030.
&&
SHORT/LONG TERM...MW
AVIATION...RABERDINGHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 955 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-041200- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE- FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE- MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON- WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 955 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE NEXT CHANCE OF SNOW WILL BE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE ANY ACCUMULATION WOULD BE AN INCH OR LESS. BEYOND FRIDAY...INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW CHANCES PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NO ACTION IS NEEDED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO CONFERENCE CALL IS SCHEDULED. DAS/RABERDING
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A two vehicle crash occurred on a snow covered roadway on February 3rd near Oronoco. A 23 year old male died and a 21 year old male was injured in the crash.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Olmsted | 2011-02-03 | 23 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, February 2011
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: 276500.