A small, but potent low pressure system tracked along the South Dakota/Nebraska border late on January 29th and across southeast Minnesota on the morning of January 30th. As it pushed through the area, it strengthened and produced a narrow band of heavy snow on its north side that bisected east central Minnesota and west central Wisconsin, including the Twin Cities Metro.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 small, but potent low pressure system tracked along the South Dakota/Nebraska border late on January 29th and across southeast Minnesota on the morning of January 30th. As it pushed through the area, it strengthened and produced a narrow band of heavy snow on its north side that bisected east central Minnesota and west central Wisconsin, including the Twin Cities Metro. The heavy snow arrived a few hours before the morning commute began and peaked during the commute, producing snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour at times. This led to severe societal impacts with hundreds of spin outs and commute times that doubled or tripled that of normal. The warning had been issued due to heavy snowfall rates expected during the morning commute. Snow quickly tapered off during the mid to late morning hours, but areas of blowing snow persisted into the afternoon as northerly winds increased.
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 Jan 30, 12:01 AM CST, 3 hours 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1201 AM CST THU JAN 30 2014
.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 836 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
SIGNIFICANT UPDATES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE FORECAST LATE TONIGHT
AND EARLY THURSDAY. SHORT TERM MODELS AND THE 00Z NAM HAVE COME
CONSIDERABLY FARTHER NORTH AND HAVE BECOME MORE INTENSE WITH THE
BAND OF SNOW. IT WILL BE A QUICK HITTING SYSTEM...BUT IT WILL BE
ACCOMPANIED BY VERY HEAVY SNOW DURING THE MORNING RUSH WHICH WILL
LIKELY BRING SEVERE IMPACTS.
THE LOW CURRENTLY IS LOCATED OVER SOUTHWESTERN SD AND WILL TRACK
ALONG THE SD/NE BORDER INTO SOUTHEASTERN MN BY MIDDAY THURSDAY.
THE SNOW IS CURRENTLY FALLING IN A RELATIVELY DATA SPARSE AREA OF
SOUTHEASTERN MT...BUT MILES CITY HAS REPORTED 1/2-3/4 MILE SNOW
FOR THE PAST FEW HOURS. AS THIS DISTURBANCE ROTATES EASTWARD...THE
700 MB TROUGH WILL DEEPEN OVER MN AT 12Z AND CONTINUE TO DO SO
OVER WI BY 18Z. DEEP OMEGA WITHIN THE DGZ AND A FAIRLY HIGH AMOUNT
OF MOISTURE FOR LATE JANUARY WITH PW VALUES OF AROUND 0.4 INCHES
/ABOVE THE 75TH PERCENTILE/...SHOULD WORK TO PRODUCE VERY INTENSE
SNOW RATES AT TIMES. THESE SNOW RATES COULD REACH 1-2 INCHES PER
HOUR DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE EVENT...SURE TO WREAK HAVOC WITH THE
MORNING COMMUTE. THE HOPWRF...HRRR...AND RAP ALL GENERALLY AGREE
WITH THE LOCATION/AXIS OF HEAVY SNOW STRETCHING FROM GLENCOE TO
THE TWIN CITIES AND RICE LAKE. NEW 00Z NAM HAS COME INTO LINE WITH
THIS IDEA AS WELL SO CONFIDENCE HAS INCREASED ENOUGH TO POST A
WARNING ALONG THIS AXIS AND AN ADVISORY ELSEWHERE. FUTURE
ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE NECESSARY AS THE REST OF THE 00Z MODEL SUITE
IS GENERATED.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 249 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
ACCUMULATING SNOW EXPECTED TO BEGIN OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE
SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA AND MOVE WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN DURING THE MORNING
TOMORROW. THE MORNING COMMUTE WILL BE HEAVILY IMPACTED...AS THE
HEAVIEST SNOW LOOKS TO REACH THE METRO FROM ROUGHLY 6AM-9AM. A
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WAS POSTED AFTER COLLABORATION WITH ARX AND
DMX...WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS EXPECTED IN IN THE ARX CWA.
STILL...ALBERT LEA THROUGH RED WIND...AND OVER TO EAU CLAIRE ARE
EXPECTED TO SEE ROUGHLY 3-4 INCHES OF SNOW...WHICH WILL BE HEAVY AT
TIMES DURING THE PEAK TRAVEL TIME THURSDAY MORNING. THE 29.12 RUN
OF THE ECMWF INCREASED QPF TO THE NORTH AND BETTER MATCHES THE NCEP
MODELS. PREVIOUS FORECAST LOOKED VERY GOOD...SO ONLY MINOR TWEAKS
WERE MADE...MAINLY TO THE TIMING WHICH DELAYED THE ONSET OF THE SNOW
BY ABOUT TWO HOURS. UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS LOOK GOOD TOMORROW MORNING
ACROSS THE AREA...WITH THE BEST UPPER LEVEL FORCING MOVING ACROSS
SOUTHERN MN OVERNIGHT AND INCREASING OVER SOUTHEASTERN MN INTO
WESTERN WI. THE GOING FORECAST CALLS FOR THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN
THIS AREA...PRIMARILY FALLING FROM 12Z TO 18Z TOMORROW. THE LIFT
STILL LOOKS GOOD ON THE 295K SURFACE AS THE STRONG UPGLIDE BEGINS TO
COINCIDE WITH A SATURATED ENVIRONMENT BY 09Z ACROSS WESTERN MN. FOR
THE METRO...2"-3" STILL LOOKS ON TRACK ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION...WITH
CLOSER TO 1"-2" ACROSS THE NORTH. WINDS WILL TURN NORTHWEST AND
GET BLUSTERY TOMORROW AFTERNOON AS THE SNOW MACHINE SHUTS OFF.
.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 249 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
LONGER TERM TRENDS CHANGE LITTLE AS FAR AS THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW
PATTERN ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER STATES. WE REMAIN LOCKED IN THE
COLDER THAN NORMAL REGIME THROUGH THIS FORECAST PERIOD. SEVERAL
ARCTIC COLD FRONTS SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION. THE FIRST EXITS THE
AREA THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS MAY GENERATE WIND CHILL ADVISORY
CRITERIA OVER MUCH OF THE REGION SPREADING FROM WEST TO EAST BY
FRIDAY MORNING.
THEN ON SATURDAY....THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH AND THIS WILL BRING A
SMALL CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW TO THE SOUTH AND EAST PORTION OF THE
AREA. MOISTURE WILL BE LACKING WITH THE SYSTEM...BUT MAY STILL
MUSTER ENOUGH TO GENERATE SOME LIGHT SNOW. MOST DETERMINISTIC
MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW SOME LIGHTER QPF IN EASTERN AREA...WITH
THE GFS ENSEMBLES SHOWING TH MAIN FOCUS MORE TO THE FAR SOUTHERN
MN DURING THE PERIOD.
COLDER AIR FOLLOWS THIS SYSTEM...BUT NOT AS COLD AS PREVIOUS
SYSTEMS. USED BIAS CORRECTED TEMPERATURES FOR NOW...AS WE HAVE BEEN
RUNNING A BIT COLD OF LATE IN VERIFICATION WITH THESE COLD AIR
INTRUSIONS. VERY LITTLE SNOW COVER TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF
MINNESOTA...SO THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO WARM A BIT MORE SIGNIFICANTLY
AHEAD OF EAST OF THE FRONTS. WILL CONTINUE THIS TREND FOR NEXT
MONDAY AS WELL...WITH PERHAPS A MORE SIGNIFICANT COLD AIR SURGE
COMING TOWARD MIDWEEK NEXT WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1150 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
THE CONFIDENCE IN A PERIOD OF MDT-HVY SNOW THURSDAY MORNING IS
VERY HIGH. NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED WITH THE 06Z TAFS WITH TIMING
GENERALLY THE SAME FROM THE PREVIOUS TAFS. THE SNOW WILL ARRIVE
BETWEEN 09-12Z AND QUICKLY BECOME MODERATE OR HEAVY DURING THE
MORNING COMMUTE FOR ALL OF THE TAF SITES. LIFR CONDS EXPECTED FOR
A PERIOD OF 3-4 HOURS UNTIL IMPROVING CONDITIONS BY LATE MORNING.
TOTAL ACCUMS OF 3-6 INCHES APPEAR LIKELY WITH HOURLY RATES AS HIGH
AS 1-2 INCHES POSSIBLE. UNTIL THE SNOW ARRIVES...VFR CONDITIONS
EXPECTED. VFR CONDITIONS ARE ALSO EXPECTED SHORTLY AFTER THE SNOW
ENDS.
KMSP...THE SNOW WILL ARRIVE SOMETIME AROUND 11Z LATE TONIGHT AND
QUICKLY BECOME HEAVY SHORTLY THEREAFTER UNTIL ABOUT 16Z.
CONFIDENCE IS VERY HIGH THAT AT LEAST A FEW INCHES WILL FALL ON
THE TERMINAL DURING THIS TIME.
/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
FRI...VFR. WINDS WSW 5 KTS.
SAT...VFR. WINDS SW 5KTS EARLY BCMG NW AT 10G15KTS.
SUN...VFR. WINDS W BECOMING SW 5-10 KTS.
&&
.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO NOON CST THURSDAY FOR
MNZ044-045-067-074>078-082>085-091>093.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR MNZ041>043-
047>050-054>058-064-065-073.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM TO NOON CST THURSDAY FOR
MNZ051>053-059>063-066-068>070.
WI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO NOON CST THURSDAY FOR
WIZ026-028.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM TO NOON CST THURSDAY FOR
WIZ014>016-023>025-027.
&&
UPDATE...BORGHOFF
SHORT TERM...SPD
LONG TERM...DWE
AVIATION...BORGHOFFHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 954 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014 MNZ041>045-047>050-054>058-064-065-067-073>078-082>085-091>093- WIZ026-028-310400- DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS- BENTON-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER- YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-SIBLEY-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR- RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT- FREEBORN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE- 954 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT LATE TONIGHT. SNOW WILL BEGIN AFTER 3 AM AND MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES TOWARD DAWN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES UNTIL MIDDAY THURSDAY. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. THE MORNING COMMUTE WILL BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. WIND CHILL VALUES BETWEEN 25 AND 35 DEGREES BELOW ZERO THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND SNOWFALL OBSERVERS ARE URGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. MNZ051>053-059>063-066-068>070-WIZ014>016-023>025-027-310400- SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON- MCLEOD-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN- CHIPPEWA- 954 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT LATE TONIGHT. SNOW WILL BEGIN AFTER 5 AM AND MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES TOWARD DAWN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL MIDDAY THURSDAY. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. THE MORNING COMMUTE WILL BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. WIND CHILL VALUES BETWEEN 25 AND 35 DEGREES BELOW ZERO THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND SNOWFALL OBSERVERS ARE URGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. BORGHOFF
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Several snowfall observers measured 3 to 7 inches before the storm moved off to the east during the late morning. The city of Blaine had the highest measured report of 6.5 inches.
Several snowfall observers measured 4 to 6 inches before the storm moved off to the east during the late morning. The city of Watertown had the highest measured report of 5.8 inches.
Several snowfall observers measured 2 to locally 5 inches before the storm moved off to the east during the late morning. There was a major pile up on interstate 35 north of Forest Lake due to the snowfall.
Several snowfall observers measured 3 to 6 inches before the storm moved off to the east during the late morning. The city of Rosemount had the highest measured report of 6.0 inches.
Several snowfall observers measured 5 to 7 inches before the storm moved off to the east during the late morning. The city of Minneapolis had the highest measured report of 6.5 inches.
Several snowfall observers measured 5 to 7 inches before the storm moved off to the east during the late morning. The city of Roseville had the highest measured report of 6.5 inches.
Several snowfall observers measured 4 to 6 inches before the storm moved off to the east during the late morning. The city of Oakdale had the highest measured report of 6.4 inches.
Several snowfall observers measured 3 to 7 inches before the storm moved off to the east during the late morning. The city of Red Wing had the highest measured report of 7.0 inches.
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, January 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: 486195, 486196, 486200, 486201, 486202, 486204, 486205, 486206.