Despite snowfall amounts between 10 and 20 inches across southeast Minnesota during December, no changes in the drought conditions occurred. Severe to extreme drought conditions continued to plague Dodge, Fillmore, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona Counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
Despite snowfall amounts between 10 and 20 inches across southeast Minnesota during December, no changes in the drought conditions occurred. Severe to extreme drought conditions continued to plague Dodge, Fillmore, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona Counties. Minnesota State Department of Natural Resources experts say the drought began affecting some wildlife. Several beaver lodges were empty because water levels had dropped significantly likely causing the beavers to move to a larger lake or pond. The drought has reduced available food for many animals, including black bears.
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 Nov 30, 11:35 PM CST, 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1135 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY 251 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012 MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS ARE ON FOG TONIGHT. FOCUS THEN TURNS TO RAIN CHANCES ON SATURDAY THEN TEMPERATURES INTO MONDAY. LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWED A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN AND WESTERN INDIANA. AN UPPER RIDGE WAS MOVING ACROSS THE DAKOTAS. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WAS NOTED MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MOVING THROUGH THE PERSISTENT WEST COAST TROUGH. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS SHOWED WEAK SURFACE LOW PRESSURE OVER IOWA CENTERED NEAR DES MOINES DRIFTING SOUTHEAST. A WEAK WARM FRONT WAS NOTED ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA EXTENDING EAST INTO LOWER MICHIGAN. THE UPPER RIDGE WILL MOVE OVER THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. A RATHER MOIST AIRMASS IN PLACE WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF FOG DEVELOPING THIS EVENING THEN PERSISTING INTO SATURDAY MORNING. MESOSCALE MODELS ARE SUGGESTING THE POTENTIAL FOR DENSE FOG ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT LOOKS TO REMAIN FAIRLY TIGHT OVER THE AREA LEADING TO PERSISTENT EAST/SOUTHEAST WINDS AT 3 TO 6 KTS FOR LOCATIONS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THIS SHOULD KEEP VISIBILITIES IN THE 1 TO 2 SM RANGE BUT WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON CENTRAL WISCONSIN. A WEAK COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE DAKOTAS TONIGHT AND INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVE VALLEY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS FURTHER ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA INTO NORTHEAST IOWA LATE TONIGHT WITH WINDS SWITCHING TO THE SOUTH SO ANY FOG THAT DEVELOPS WILL LIKELY DISSIPATE LATE TONIGHT AS SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. PLAN ON LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT RANGING FROM THE LOWER 30S ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN TO THE MID 30S ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA INTO FAR SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO THE FORECAST AREA LATE SATURDAY MORNING AND MOVE EAST THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY. THE FRONT WILL BRINGING LIGHT RAIN TO THE AREA WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCES DURING THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS MAINLY ALONG AND AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA MAY ALSO SEE SOME LIGHT RAIN BUT THE BETTER FORCING AND SATURATION IS TO THE EAST OF THESE AREAS. SOME LOCATIONS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 94 MAY STRUGGLE TO SATURATE DEEP ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR LIGHT RAIN WITH AREAS OF DRIZZLE THE RESULT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS FROM KLSE SHOW SATURATION FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH 4KFT WITH A DRY LAYER FROM 4KFT TO 10 KFT. THERE APPEARS TO BE SATURATION ABOVE 10KFT SO THINKING THIS DRY LAYER SHOULD SATURATE WITH TIME LEADING TO LIGHT RAIN BEING THE DOMINANT PRECIPITATION VERSUS DRIZZLE. PLAN ON HIGHS ON SATURDAY RANGING FROM THE LOWER 40S ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN TO THE LOWER 50S OVER NORTHEAST IOWA. THE FRONT WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT WITH RAIN CHANCES EXITING THE AREA. A SURFACE RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA ON SUNDAY PROVIDING DRY AND MILD CONDITIONS. UNSEASONABLY MILD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ON SUNDAY WITH HIGHS RANGING FROM THE MID 40S OVER NORTHERN WISCONSIN TO THE MID TO UPPER 50S ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA INTO FAR SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. THE HIGH WILL SLIP EAST OF THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY EVENING AS A TROUGH EJECTS OUT OF THE ROCKIES INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING TROUGH WILL ADVECT A VERY WARM AND MOIST AIRMASS INTO THE REGION SETTING THE STAGE FOR POTENTIAL RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY. 925MB GEFS TEMPERATURE STANDARDIZED ANOMALIES OF PLUS 2.3 TO 2.7 SUGGESTING THE POTENTIAL FOR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES. THE MOISTURE FLOWING INTO THE REGION IS ALSO ANOMALOUSLY HIGH WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER STANDARDIZED ANOMALIES OF PLUS 3.4 TO 3.7. DEWPOINTS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 50S...MAKING IT FEEL ALMOST MUGGY FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. INCREASING CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA AND RAIN DEVELOPING AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT RACING EAST INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY WILL LIMIT HEATING BUT WARM AIR ADVECTING INTO THE REGION WILL ALONE WARM TEMPS WELL INTO THE 50S TO LOWER 60S. NOT REALLY SEEING ANY APPRECIABLE CAPE TO WORK WITH WITH THIS SYSTEM THANKS TO AN ELEVATED MIXED LAYER AROUND 900 MB. ALSO...THE BULK OF THE ENERGY FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL BE FOCUSED ACROSS SOUTHERN MANITOBA INTO SOUTHERN ONTARIO. THE MAIN IMPACTS FOR THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR RECORD HIGHS ON MONDAY...LIGHT RAIN...THEN COOLER AIR SPILLING TO THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WITH HIGHS ON TUESDAY RANGING FORM THE MID 30S TO MID 40S. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 251 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012 30.12 MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT ON TUESDAY SHOWING CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY AS THE THROUGH MAKES ITS WAY ACROSS ONTARIO AND THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE OVER THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY PROVIDING DRY AND QUIET WEATHER. LOOK FOR HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY TO RANGE FROM THE LOWER 30S ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN TO THE LOWER 40S OVER NORTHEAST IOWA. A POTENT TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO DIVE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT THEN PUSH EAST INTO THE DAKOTAS ON THURSDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL EDGE SOUTH OUT OF CANADA DURING THIS TIMEFRAME AND PUSH INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING RATHER MILD AIR INTO THE REGION AGAIN ON THURSDAY. IF THE ECMWF SOLUTIONS VERIFIES WE COULD SEE HIGHS CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S. DECIDED TO RAISE HIGHS SIGHTLY ON THURSDAY...BUT THEY MAY NEED TO BE INCREASED FURTHER IF TRENDS CONTINUE. THE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON THURSDAY BRINGING RAIN CHANCES TO THE AREA. SOME SNOW MAY MIX IN EARLY THURSDAY MORNING BEFORE THE WARMER AIR MOVES IN. SOME CHANGES MAY BE ON THE HORIZON GOING INTO NEXT WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH MODELS HINTING AT A COOL DOWN AS COLD AIR SPILLS INTO THE REGION FROM CANADA. THE ECMWF IS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS IDEA WHERE THE GFS WOULD KEEP THE COLDEST AIR NORTH OF THE US/CANADA BORDER. WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THIS THE NEXT FEW DAYS. && .AVIATION...THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY 1134 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012 EXPECT KRST VISIBILITY TO FALL TO A HALF MILE BY 01.07Z...AND THEN STAY THERE THROUGH 01.16Z. THE DENSE FOG SHOULD REMAIN LOCALIZED THERE AND NOT SPREAD ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. LIKE THEIR PREDECESSORS...THE 01.00Z SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT A STRONG INVERSION WILL KEEP CLOUDS TRAPPED BELOW 1K FEET THROUGH 02.06Z. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 251 PM CST FRI NOV 30 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...WETENKAMP LONG TERM...WETENKAMP AVIATION...BOYNE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 910 AM CST FRI NOV 30 2012 WIZ017-029-011200- CLARK-TAYLOR- 910 AM CST FRI NOV 30 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTH-CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF FOG ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT. THE FOG COULD BECOME DENSE ENOUGH TO IMPACT TRAVEL AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NO ACTION IS NECESSARY. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ032>034-041>044- 053>055-061-011200- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE-FAYETTE- FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE- MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-WABASHA- WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 910 AM CST FRI NOV 30 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND WESTERN INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF FOG ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT. THE FOG COULD BECOME DENSE ENOUGH TO IMPACT TRAVEL AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NO ACTION IS NECESSARY. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. MW/RRS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall amounts across Fillmore County averaged 10 to 15 inches during December from about 1.5 inches of liquid precipitation. This was not enough to create any change in the drought conditions with the western quarter of the county remaining in a severe drought.
Snowfall amounts across Mower County averaged 10 to 15 inches during December from about 1.5 inches of liquid precipitation. This was not enough to create any change in the drought conditions with a severe to extreme drought covering the entire county.
Snowfall amounts across Dodge County averaged 10 to 15 inches during December from about 1.5 inches of liquid precipitation. This was not enough to create any change in the drought conditions with a severe drought covering the entire county.
Snowfall amounts across Olmsted County averaged 10 to 20 inches during December from about 1.5 inches of liquid precipitation. This was not enough to create any change in the drought conditions with a severe drought covering the entire county.
Snowfall amounts across Wabasha County averaged 10 to 20 inches during December from about 1.5 inches of liquid precipitation. This was not enough to create any change in the drought conditions with all but the northern sections of the county remaining in a severe drought.
Snowfall amounts across Winona County averaged 10 to 20 inches during December from about 1.5 inches of liquid precipitation. This was not enough to create any change in the drought conditions with the northwest half of the county remaining in a severe drought.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, December 2012
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: 418473, 418474, 418475, 418476, 418477, 418478.