A nearly stationary intense band of snow set up from southwest through northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin as low pressure tracked just to the south. Temperatures held steady in the upper 20s to lower 30s within the band of snow, however just to the south they reached the 40s and 50s.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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 MPX wrote it up.
A nearly stationary intense band of snow set up from southwest through northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin as low pressure tracked just to the south. Temperatures held steady in the upper 20s to lower 30s within the band of snow, however just to the south they reached the 40s and 50s. A sharp rain/snow line also remained nearly stationary, which led to extreme snowfall gradients across the area. For example, snowfall totals across Hennepin County ranged from nearly 13 inches in Rogers, MN to less than a half inch near Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.
A swath of 8 to 16 inches stretched from just west of Hutchinson, MN northeast to northwestern Wisconsin, including most of central Minnesota and portions of northeast Minnesota. The highest total reported was 20.0 inches near North Branch, MN.
Intense snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches an hour caused significant travel delays across the region throughout the day and evening on the 16th. Several school districts closed early and remained closed on the 17th. A fatal accident resulted from the slick roads in Wright County.
The following are some of the heavier totals from this storm;
19.0 inches in Isanti. |17.0 inches in Nowthen.|16.0 inches in Cambridge. |15.9 inches in Rush City. |14.8 inches in Darwin. |14.6 inches in Monticello. |14.5 inches in Big Lake. |14.5 inches in Milaca. |14.0 inches north of Forest Lake. |14.0 inches in near Andover. |14.0 inches in Litchfield. |14.0 inches in St. Francis.
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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 15, 9:56 PM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1056 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014
.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 514 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY JUST TO THE WEST AND SOUTH OF THE
WINTER STORM WARNING AREA FOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. VARIOUS WRF SOLUTIONS SUPPORT MODERATE AREAS OF SNOW
ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE WARNING AREA LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...WHICH WAS ALREADY IN PLACE FROM THE DAY SHIFT. CONFIDENCE
IS HIGHEST ON AMOUNTS REACHING 4 TO 6 INCHES IN STEVENS...POPE...DOUGLAS
AND STEARNS COUNTIES WHERE LITTLE TO NO RAIN IS EXPECTED ON
WEDNESDAY. IT BECOMES MORE PROBLEMATIC ON SNOW AMOUNTS THE FARTHER
EAST YOU GO...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH METRO AND INTO WEST
CENTRAL WISCONSIN ALONG HIGHWAY 64. THE THINKING WAS THAT THERE
COULD BE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW FALL QUICKLY IN THESE AREAS
WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE A MIX OR CHANGEOVER TO RAIN OCCURS...WITH A
CHANGE BACK TO ALL SNOW LATE IN THE DAY WITH MORE ACCUMULATION
LIKELY. THIS COULD IMPACT BOTH THE MORNING AND EVENING RUSH HOUR.
A FINAL CONCERN IS THAT CHIPPEWA COUNTY WI MAY APPROACH OR EXCEED
WARNING CRITERIA LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING AND IT MAY MAY NEED AN
UPGRADE TO A WARNING.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 232 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014
FOCUS IS ON THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH TRACKING FROM THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES ON AFTERNOON WATER VAPOR
IMAGERY. A HEALTHY LOW LEVEL JET WILL KICK IN OVERNIGHT AHEAD OF SAID
FEATURE...WITH WARM AIR ADVECTION PROCESSES ENSUING LOCALLY AFTER
06Z WEDNESDAY. EXPECT A BAND OF SNOW TO EXPAND WEST TO EAST ACROSS
CENTRAL MN INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z.
SOUTHERN SITES /SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 94/ COULD ESCAPE THIS PRIMARY
BAND OVERNIGHT...BUT A MORE WIDESPREAD/FORMIDABLE AREA OF PRECIP
WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON
HOURS ON WEDNESDAY. PRECIP TYPE IS CERTAINLY CHALLENGING WITH THIS
EVENT...BUT CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT THE PRIMARY FORM OF
PRECIP IN NORTHERN AREAS /LONG PRAIRIE TO CAMBRIDGE MN AND ALONG
AND NORTH OF HWY 8 IN WI/ WILL BE SNOW. ALL OF THE MODELS INDICATE
AT LEAST 6-10 INCHES WILL FALL IN THE WARNING AREA BETWEEN EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THURSDAY MORNING...WITH 15.12Z RUNS OF THE
NAM...GFS...AND GEM MODELS EVEN INDICATING A BAND OF 12-18 INCHES
ACROSS POLK/BARRON/RUSK COUNTIES. WHILE THE FORCING IS CERTAINLY
THERE...COULD LOSE A FAIR AMOUNT OF THAT PRECIP AS RAIN IF THE
MODELS ARE OFF ON THEIR TIMING OF THE CHANGEOVER. HAVE THEREFORE
LEANED A BIT MORE CONSERVATIVELY TOWARD THE 15.12Z ECMWF...WHICH
FEATURES 5-10 INCHES ACROSS THE WARNING AREA...AND A ECMWF/NAM
BLEND FOR THE TWIN CITIES TO EAU CLAIRE...WHICH YIELDS 1-3 INCHES.
.LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 245 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014
SPLIT FLOW WILL LEAD TO A RATHER QUIET PERIOD IN THE EXTENDED AS
TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY WARM TO NEAR THE SEASONAL AVERAGE BY THE
BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. THE BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE SATURDAY
INTO SUNDAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE H850 THETA_E ADVECTION AS
NORTHWEST FLOW TRANSITIONS TO A MORE ZONAL PATTERN.
AT THE START OF THE PERIOD THURSDAY MORNING THE SURFACE RIDGE OF
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE CENTERED ACROSS WESTERN MN AND GRADUALLY SHIFT
EASTWARD THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A BACKING WIND
PROFILE IN THE LOWEST 10KFT...AND THE WEAK COLD AIR ADVECTION
TOGETHER WITH MID LEVEL CLOUDS WILL KEEP AFTERNOON HIGHS GENERALLY
IN THE LOWER 40S TO THE SOUTH...AND UPPER 30S ACROSS THE NORTH WHERE
THE FRESH SNOW IS EXPECTED.
A SHORTWAVE ON THE BACK SIDE OF A LOW AMPLITUDE LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL
BECOME ELONGATED INTO A STRIP OF POSITIVE VORTICITY AS IT RIDES THE
UPSTREAM RIDGES ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST FRIDAY. A FEW LIGHT
RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE...BUT THE PRECIP SHOULD REMAIN
CONFINED TO THE EASTERN DAKOTAS AND SOUTHWESTERN MN. THE BEST CHANCE
FOR PRECIP WILL BE OVER THE WEEKEND WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED THETA_E
ADVECTION DOWNSTREAM OF ANOTHER 500MB WAVE THAT IS FORECAST TO TAKE
ON A NEGATIVE TILT AS IT MOVES INTO CENTRAL CANADA AND HUDSON BAY.
THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES SUPPORT THIS PRECIP AS ALL RAIN...EXCEPT FOR
A FEW SNOW FLAKES IN WEST CENTRAL WI. AS OF NOW RAINFALL TOTALS LOOK
TO BE AROUND 0.25 TO 0.50 INCHES.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1056 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014
LATEST SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS ARE INDICATING A SLOWER EVOLUTION TO
THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PASSING ACROSS THE TAF SITES ON
WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THIS RESULTS IN WARMER AND SOMEWHAT
DRIER LOW LEVEL CONDITIONS ON WEDNESDAY FROM KMSP ON EAST...WHILE
COLDER CONDITIONS AND MORE SNOW ARE NOW INDICATED FOR KAXN AND
KRWF. WORKED THESE NEW IDEAS INTO THE TAFS. THIS WOULD PLACE THE
BEST SNOW ACCUMULATION ACROSS CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST AREAS OF MN
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SNOW WOULD EVENTUALLY WORK INTO
THE EASTERN TAF SITES LATER IN THE EVENING AND BEYOND THE CURRENT
TAF PERIOD. STRONG EASTERLY WINDS BY DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY WITH
SPEEDS IN THE 15-20 KNOT RANGE WITH GUSTS IN THE MID 20 KNOT
RANGE. THESE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY.
KMSP...IMPROVED THE TAF DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING
HOURS WITH WARMER AND DRIER LOW LEVEL CONDITIONS INDICATED. MVFR
CONDITIONS DEVELOPING IN THE AFTERNOON ALONG WITH LIGHT RAIN. RAIN
THEN CHANGING TO SNOW DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS.
/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
THU...VFR. WINDS NNE 10-15 KTS.
FRI...VFR. CHANCE MVFR FRI NIGHT WITH RAIN/SNOW. WINDS NE 5-10 KTS.
SAT...CHANCE MVFR WITH RAIN/SNOW. WINDS E-SE 10-15 KTS.
&&
.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 AM WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM CDT THURSDAY
FOR MNZ042>045-050-052-053.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM CDT THURSDAY
FOR MNZ051-061-063.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 4 AM WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM CDT THURSDAY
FOR MNZ041-047>049.
WI...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 AM WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM CDT THURSDAY
FOR WIZ014.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM WEDNESDAY TO 7 AM CDT THURSDAY
FOR WIZ025-027.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM CDT THURSDAY
FOR WIZ023.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM WEDNESDAY TO 7 AM CDT THURSDAY
FOR WIZ015-016.
&&
UPDATE...RAH
SHORT TERM...LS
LONG TERM...JRB
AVIATION...RAHHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 554 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 161815- DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS- BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA- KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON- YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA- REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH- WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK- ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE- 554 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA AFTER MIDNIGHT AND SPREAD ACROSS WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN TOWARD DAYBREAK. SNOW AMOUNTS FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE LIKELY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS NORTH AND EAST OF ST. CLOUD... AS WELL AS ALONG HIGHWAY 8 IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...FOR ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 INCHES OR MORE. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BORDERS THE WARNING AREA TO THE WEST AND SOUTH FOR ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES. FARTHER SOUTH WHERE WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL ALLOW FOR A PERIOD OF RAIN ON WEDNESDAY...INCLUDING WILLMAR THROUGH THE TWIN CITIES...TO EAU CLAIRE...A SLOPPY 1-3 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from near 12 inches in the northern portion of the county, and the far southeast, to around 6 to 9 inches elsewhere.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from near 20 inches in the northern portion of the county, to around 6 to 8 inches in the far south.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from 16, to locally 19 inches across the county.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from near 18 inches in the southern part of the county, to around 6 to 8 inches in the central part.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from locally 12 to 18 inches in the far southern portion of the county, to around 6 to 10 inches in the central part.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from 10 to 13 inches in the southeast portion of the county, with around 2 inches in the northwest.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from 9 to locally 18 inches.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from 12 to 15 inches in the northern portion of the county, to around 6 to 8 inches in the far south.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported a car crash during the afternoon of Wednesday, April 16th. A woman was heading east on Highway 55 and lost control on the slick roads and slid sideways into a vehicle, killing her. Two others had minor injuries in the crash.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from 8 to 12 inches in the far northern part of the county, with around 2 to 4 inches in the central part.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from near 18 inches in the northern portion of the county, to around 6 to 8 inches in the far south.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from near 13 inches in the northern portion of the county, to around 6 to 8 inches in the central part, to only a trace in the far south.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. The heavier amounts were in the southeast part of the county where locally 8 to 12 inches fell.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. The heavier snowfall amounts were between 8 to 10 inches from Hutchinson, northward to the Meeker County border.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from near 8 to locally 15 inches across the county.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from 8 to 10 inches across the northern part of the county.
Numerous reports from local observers, and county officials indicated a large area of snowfall across the county. Amounts ranged from 6 to 10 inches across the county.
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 Storm, Wright | 2014-04-16 | 65 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, April 2014
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: 501377, 501378, 501392, 501393, 501397, 501398, 501400, 501402, 501406, 501376, 501387, 501394, 501395, 501396, 501399, 501401.