Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 3 to 4, 2013

Name: Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 3 to 4, 2013
Start: 2013-12-03T16:00
End: 2013-12-04T22:00
Location: Minnesota

December 3 to 4, 2013 · NWS ABR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong low pressure area moving across the region brought some heavy snow to parts of Traverse county. Seven inches of snow occured east of Tintah.

Where it happened

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 ABR wrote it up.

A strong low pressure area moving across the region brought some heavy snow to parts of Traverse county. Seven inches of snow occured east of Tintah. School start delays or closings occurred along with travel problems.

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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 3, 3:20 PM CST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 3, 3:20 PM CST, 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
320 PM CST TUE DEC 3 2013

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT

MODELS ARE FINALLY BEGINNING TO LATCH ONTO A FAIRLY SIMILAR
SOLUTION...WHICH FEATURES A SFC LOW TRACK FURTHER SOUTH THAN WHAT
WAS SHOWN YESTERDAY. ALTHOUGH...THIS STILL SPELLS OUT SNOW ACCUMS
FOR THE CWA. SNOW HAS FINALLY MADE ITS WAY INTO THE NORTHEAST CWA
BUT NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF ACCUMS YET. OVER CENTRAL SOUTH
DAKOTA...SNOW HAS BEEN FALLING ALL DAY WITH GENERALLY 2 OR 3
INCHES BEING REPORTED. MODELS SHOWING THE MAIN AREA OF SNOWFALL
TONIGHT LIFTING OUT OF NORTHERN NEBRASKA AND AFFECTING SOUTH
CENTRAL TO EAST CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA OVERNIGHT...THAN AS THE
SURFACE LOW MOVES NORTHEAST TOWARDS THE GREAT LAKES...SNOW WILL
AFFECT THE EASTERN PORTION OF SOUTH DAKOTA AND WESTERN MINNESOTA
THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE THROUGH
THE NIGHT OVER CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...WITH WINDS PICKING UP IN THE
JAMES VALLEY BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE STRONGER WINDS WILL MOVE
INTO AREAS EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY.
DETERMINING SNOW PLACEMENT AND AMOUNTS HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY HARD
WITH THIS SYSTEM AS MODELS HAVE TAKEN A LONG TIME TO LATCH ONTO
SIMILAR SOLUTIONS. HAVING SAID THAT THOUGH...STILL NOT A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE WITH THIS FORECAST. IN
GENERAL...STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE GRIDS AND FORECAST SHOW
4 TO 8 INCHES...BUT FEEL SOME OF THE HIGHER AMOUNTS MAY BE A TAD
OVERDONE AND HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. CURRENT FORECAST
SHOWS HIGHEST AMOUNTS ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA AND SOUTHWEST ALONG
THE FSD/ABR CWA BORDER. UPGRADED THE WINTER WX ADVISORY TO A
WINTER STORM WARNING BASED ON TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS CLOSE TO 6
INCHES...AND EVEN IF AMOUNTS FALL SHORT OF 6...THE IMPACTS OF
BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY COULD JUSTIFY A WARNING.
EXTENDED THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE CWA TO HAVE THEIR WARNING
EXPIRE AT 06Z THURS.

.LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BE ELONGATED FROM SOUTHEASTERN CANADA
TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WHEN THE PERIOD STARTS. THIS TROUGH
GRADUALLY DIGS SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY...THEN BEGINS TO
PUSH EASTWARD...SLOWLY TRACKING ACROSS THE PLAINS THROUGH THE END
OF THE PERIOD.

THE BIG STORY OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL BE STRONG ARCTIC AIR
SETTLING IN OVER THE REGION. A 1045MB SURFACE HIGH WILL APPROACH
THE AREA ON FRIDAY...BECOMING CENTERED OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS
SATURDAY MORNING. THE HIGH MOVES VERY LITTLE UNTIL SUNDAY. SOME
DIFFERENCES IN THE MODELS THEN SHOW UP CONCERNING A LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM MOVING IN. THE GFS BRINGS IT IN FROM THE NORTHWEST AND
MOVES IT THROUGH RATHER QUICKLY AND DRY BEFORE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES
BACK IN ON MONDAY. THE ECMWF BRINGS THE LOW UP FROM THE SOUTHWEST
AND BRINGS SNOW TO THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY NIGHT
BEFORE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES BACK IN. FOR NOW...HAVE OPTED TO KEEP
SOME SMALL POPS IN DURING THAT TIME FRAME TO ACCOUNT FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF THE ECMWF BEING CORRECT. HIGH PRESSURE THEN
DOMINATES OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD.

VERY COLD AIR WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TWO STRONG SURFACE HIGHS
THAT ARE SET TO AFFECT THE REGION. H85 TEMPERATURES OF -15C TO -30C
WILL BE COMMON. GENERALLY LOOKING AT DAYTIME HIGHS IN THE SINGLE
DIGITS...WITH SOME LOCATIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN CWA STRUGGLING TO
REACH ZERO FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE SINGLE
DIGITS BELOW ZERO TO THE TEENS BELOW ZERO WILL BE COMMON...WITH A
FEW -20S POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT.

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS FOR THE KABR...KATY...KPIR AND KMBG TERMINALS

IFR/MVFR CIGS WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH THE
TAF PERIOD. SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR OFF AND ON AS WELL...AND MAY
BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES. VSBYS WILL GENERALLY BE MVFR...BUT WILL
LIKELY FALL INTO THE IFR CATEGORY WITH THE HEAVIER BANDS OF SNOW.
LOOK FOR NORTHERLY WINDS TO INCREASE INTO THE 20 TO 35 MPH RANGE
TONIGHT...CONTINUING INTO THE MORNING HOURS ON WEDNESDAY.

&&

.ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ WEDNESDAY FOR
     BROWN-BUFFALO-CAMPBELL-CORSON-DEWEY-EDMUNDS-FAULK-HAND-
     HUGHES-HYDE-JONES-LYMAN-MCPHERSON-POTTER-SPINK-STANLEY-
     SULLY-WALWORTH.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR
     CLARK-CODINGTON-DAY-DEUEL-GRANT-HAMLIN-MARSHALL-ROBERTS.

MN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR BIG
     STONE-TRAVERSE.

&&

SHORT TERM...TMT
LONG TERM...PARKIN
AVIATION...PARKIN

WEATHER.GOV/ABERDEEN

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 3, 3:28 PM CST, 32 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
328 PM CST TUE DEC 3 2013

MNZ039-046-SDZ003>011-015>023-033>037-045-048-051-042130-
TRAVERSE-BIG STONE-CORSON-CAMPBELL-MCPHERSON-BROWN-MARSHALL-
ROBERTS-WALWORTH-EDMUNDS-DAY-DEWEY-POTTER-FAULK-SPINK-CLARK-
CODINGTON-GRANT-HAMLIN-DEUEL-STANLEY-SULLY-HUGHES-HYDE-HAND-JONES-
LYMAN-BUFFALO-
328 PM CST TUE DEC 3 2013 /228 PM MST TUE DEC 3 2013/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...NORTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND
NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SNOW WILL AFFECT THE AREA OVERNIGHT WITH BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED
VISIBILITY BECOMING AN ISSUE OVER CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY...ALONG WITH INCREASING NORTH
TO NORTHWEST WINDS. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WITH THIS SYSTEM IS
EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 3 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS THE REGION. BLOWING
SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY WILL BE AN ISSUE ON WEDNESDAY FOR
EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

ARCTIC COLD AIR WILL FOLLOW THIS STORM SYSTEM FOR THE END OF THE
WEEK. BY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...HIGHS MAY NOT EVEN GET ABOVE ZERO
FOR NORTHERN SOUTH DAKOTA...WITH LOW TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE
TEENS AND MAYBE EVEN 20S BELOW ZERO. VERY COLD WIND CHILLS CAN
ALSO BE EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT.

TMT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 3, 1:14 PM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
114 PM CST TUE DEC 03 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0113 PM     SNOW             12 SSW HARROLD          44.36N  99.83W
12/03/2013  M1.5 INCH        HUGHES             SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STORM TOTAL SNOW SO FAR. SNOW HAS CURRENTLY STOPPED.

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1300896

FOWLE

Local storm report, Dec 3, 1:21 PM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
121 PM CST TUE DEC 03 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0120 PM     SNOW             13 W GETTYSBURG         45.01N 100.22W
12/03/2013  M2.5 INCH        POTTER             SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STILL LIGHTLY SNOWING

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1300897

FOWLE

Local storm report, Dec 3, 1:22 PM CST, 2 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
122 PM CST TUE DEC 03 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0119 PM     SNOW             15 E EAGLE BUTTE        45.00N 100.93W
12/03/2013  E1.0 INCH        DEWEY              SD   PUBLIC

            1 INCH SO FAR...STILL SNOWING...VISIBILITY IS DOWN TO
            AROUND 1 2 MILE IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1300898

NWS ABR

Local storm report, Dec 3, 1:33 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
133 PM CST TUE DEC 03 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1200 PM     SNOW             2 NW MISSION RIDGE      44.71N 100.82W
12/03/2013  E3.0 INCH        STANLEY            SD   PUBLIC

            3 INCHES FROM LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING...STILL
            SNOWING VERY LIGHTLY

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1300899

NWS ABR

Local storm report, Dec 3, 1:38 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
138 PM CST TUE DEC 03 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0137 PM     SNOW             MOBRIDGE                45.54N 100.44W
12/03/2013  E1.5 INCH        WALWORTH           SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            3 TO 4 MILES VISIBILITY IN LIGHT SNOW

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1300900

FOWLE

Local storm report, Dec 3, 1:46 PM CST, 2 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD
146 PM CST TUE DEC 03 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0925 AM     SNOW             PIERRE                  44.37N 100.32W
12/03/2013  M1.7 INCH        HUGHES             SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STILL SNOWING

1000 AM     SNOW             BLUNT                   44.52N  99.99W
12/03/2013  E2.0 INCH        HUGHES             SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

1015 AM     SNOW             16 S REE HEIGHTS        44.28N  99.20W
12/03/2013  M1.0 INCH        HAND               SD   COCORAHS

            STILL SNOWING

1015 AM     SNOW             14 NW PRESHO            44.05N 100.26W
12/03/2013  M1.0 INCH        LYMAN              SD   COCORAHS

            STILL SNOWING

1015 AM     SNOW             8 WNW GANN VALLEY       44.08N  99.14W
12/03/2013  M1.0 INCH        BUFFALO            SD   COCORAHS

            STILL SNOWING.

1200 PM     SNOW             2 NW MISSION RIDGE      44.71N 100.82W
12/03/2013  E3.0 INCH        STANLEY            SD   PUBLIC

            3 INCHES FROM LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING...STILL
            SNOWING VERY LIGHTLY

1220 PM     SNOW             12 W MISSION RIDGE      44.69N 101.04W
12/03/2013  E5.0 INCH        STANLEY            SD   TRAINED SPOTTER

0104 PM     SNOW             PIERRE                  44.37N 100.32W
12/03/2013  M2.6 INCH        HUGHES             SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL THUS FAR.

0106 PM     SNOW             17 WSW FORT PIERRE      44.27N 100.70W
12/03/2013  M2.0 INCH        STANLEY            SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STORM TOTAL THUS FAR. SNOW HAS STOPPED.

0113 PM     SNOW             12 SSW HARROLD          44.36N  99.83W
12/03/2013  M1.5 INCH        HUGHES             SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STORM TOTAL SNOW SO FAR. SNOW HAS CURRENTLY STOPPED.

0119 PM     SNOW             15 E EAGLE BUTTE        45.00N 100.93W
12/03/2013  E1.0 INCH        DEWEY              SD   PUBLIC

            1 INCH SO FAR...STILL SNOWING...VISIBILITY IS DOWN TO
            AROUND 1 2 MILE IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW

0120 PM     SNOW             13 W GETTYSBURG         45.01N 100.22W
12/03/2013  M2.5 INCH        POTTER             SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            STILL LIGHTLY SNOWING

0137 PM     SNOW             MOBRIDGE                45.54N 100.44W
12/03/2013  E1.5 INCH        WALWORTH           SD   CO-OP OBSERVER

            3 TO 4 MILES VISIBILITY IN LIGHT SNOW

&&

EVENT NUMBER ABR1300888 ABR1300895 ABR1300889 ABR1300890 ABR1300891
ABR1300899 ABR1300892 ABR1300893 ABR1300894 ABR1300896 ABR1300898
ABR1300897 ABR1300900

NWS ABR

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Traverse

When: December 3, 4:00 PM CST to December 4, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Traverse forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.772, -96.472 (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 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, December 2013

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: 489454.