Freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused widespread but light icing of untreated roads and other surfaces in southwest Minnesota from the morning to the start of the afternoon of February 9th. 02 inch.
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 FSD wrote it up.
Freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused widespread but light icing of untreated roads and other surfaces in southwest Minnesota from the morning to the start of the afternoon of February 9th. Reported icing varied from a trace to 0.02 inch.
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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 8, 11:29 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 1129 PM CST SUN FEB 8 2015 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 348 PM CST SUN FEB 8 2015 DREARY WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE SHORT RANGE BEHIND AND EXITING SHORTWAVE TROUGH. THE LOW STRATUS CURRENTLY BLANKETING THE FORECAST AREA IS LIKELY TO STICK AROUND TONIGHT AND MONDAY AND LIGHT WINDS TURN SOUTHEAST. WITH PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND COOLER AIR DRAINING SOUTHWARD TONIGHT PATCHY FOG WILL PERSIST INTO AT LEAST SUNDAY MORNING. DRIZZLE WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN WITH SOME WEAK LIFT DROPPING SOUTHEAST THROUGH AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER. WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING INTO THE 20S...FREEZING DRIZZLE IS EXPECTED BUT IT IS NOT EXPECTED TO ACCUMULATE. SPOTTY SLICK AREAS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON UNTREATED SURFACES BUT SHOULD NOT BE ENOUGH OF A CONCERN TO WARRANT HEADLINES. WITH A LITTLE BETTER ORGANIZED LIFT WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES ADVECTING INTO THE CLOUD LAYER ACROSS EAST CENTRAL SD AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA COULD SEE A FEW SNOW FLAKES MIXED IN...SO ADDED SOME SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. DO NOT ANTICIPATE MORE THAN A DUSTING OR A FEW TENTHS OF ACCUMULATION. LOW STRATUS LAYER THINS SOME ON MONDAY WITH DRIER MID LEVELS RETURNING. WHILE THIS SHOULD HELP SHUT OFF THE DRIZZLE AND DECREASE THE FOG...CLOUDY CONDITIONS GENERALLY PERSIST. WITHOUT MUCH SUNSHINE UNDER THE COOLER AIRMASS...TEMPERATURES WILL NOT REBOUND MUCH FROM MORNING LOWS...WITH HIGHS ONLY REACHING THE UPPER 20S FAR EAST TO LOWER 40S IN SOUTH CENTRAL SD. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 348 PM CST SUN FEB 8 2015 SYSTEM ON MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY REMAINS ON TRACK IN THE MODELS...IF NOT JUST A TOUCH QUICKER WITH PROGRESSION ON THE MEAN. THIS SYSTEM IS ORIGINATING AS STRONG WAVE MOVING ONTO THE OREGON COAST THIS AFTERNOON...AND SURVIVES A TRANSIT OVER/THROUGH THE WESTERN RIDGE...SLIDING TOWARD THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT IN ZONAL FLOW. FAIRLY SHARP MID LEVEL TROUGH EXPECTED TO EVOLVE WITH PERIOD OF DECENT LIFT...MAX QG FORCING LOOKS TO MOVE RIGHT ACROSS THE CWA...BUT BETTER LOWER TO MID LEVEL MOISTURE WILL HUG THE NORTHERN CWA. MOST PRECIPITATION WITH SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO EVOLVE WITHIN THE WARM AIR ADVECTIVE WING WHICH WILL START TO TAKE SHAPE LATER MONDAY EVENING...AND CONTINUE SPREADING EAST/NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. HAVE INCREASED PRECIPITATION CHANCES INTO THE CATEGORICAL RANGE OVER THE HIGHWAY 14 AREAS OF EAST CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...AND GENERALLY ENHANCED CHANCES A BIT MORE TOWARD THE SOUTH AND WEST. STILL WILL HAVE SOME LOWER LEVEL DRY AIR TO WORK THROUGH...BUT ENOUGH QG FORCING EVEN IF THERE IS A LACK OF DEEPER SATURATION...WILL BE LOOKING AT ENOUGH LIFT IN SHALLOW MOISTURE FRONTAL ZONE TO GET SOME LIGHT PRECIP FURTHER SOUTHWARD. TYPE AGAIN A MAJOR FACTOR WITH SYSTEM...WITH ONE MORE GOOD SURGE OF WARMING ALOFT WORKING WEST TO EAST ON MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. MOST SOLUTIONS A SHADE WARMER ALOFT ON 12Z RUNS...BUT WET BULB OF THE WARM DRY LAYER WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE TEMPS ALOFT...AS WILL ANY COOLING WITH LIFT. MAINLY A SLEET/SNOW IMPACT AROUND THE FAR NORTHEAST CWA...TRANSITIONING BACK TOWARD A FREEZING RAIN/SLEET MIX TOWARD I 29...AND MAINLY FREEZING RAIN AND THEN RAIN HEADING WESTWARD. AS TEMPS ALOFT CONTINUE TO WARM AND THE LOWER LEVEL COLD POOL BEGINS TO ERODE OUT OF THE EAST...THERE IS PROBABLY A BIT TOO MUCH SLEET IN THE FORECAST...AND WOULD EXPECT MORE OF A FREEZING RAIN OR RAIN FOR TYPE. AT THIS TIME...RESULTS OF PRECIP TYPES HAVE RESULTED IN A LIGHT ICE THREAT FOR AREAS OF NW IA AND NEAR/NORTH OF I-90...MAXIMIZING AT AROUND A TENTH OF AN INCH ACROSS EAST CENTRAL SD. SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE TO AROUND AN INCH AROUND MARSHALL...BUT DEPENDING ON THE RAPIDITY OF WARMING OF TEMPS ALOFT THIS COULD BE A BIT MORE THAN RESULTS. WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY BE HEADING TOWARD AN ADVISORY SITUATION IN AT LEAST THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE AREA. PRECIPITATION DOES LOOK TO SCOOT OUT OF THE AREA FOR THE MOST PART ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON...AND WITH SOME FAIRLY WARM AIR AT LOWER LEVELS SOUTHWEST OF MAIN CYCLONE TRACK SPREADING THROUGH MUCH OF THE CWA...ESPECIALLY THE MISSOURI VALLEY...HAVE ALLOWED FOR A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT WARMING IN AREAS WHERE LOWER CLOUDS LIKELY TO EVACUATE...PERHAPS A BIT MORE DIFFICULT A CALL ON TEMPS TOWARD THE MID I 29 REGION AROUND KFSD...WHERE WILL WASTE WELL OVER HALF THE DAY RIDDING OURSELVES OF THE LOWER CLOUDS. SECONDARY PV WRAPPING SOUTHWARD WITH THE NORTHERN STREAM PORTION OF WAVE MAY BRUSH SOME LIGHT SNOWFALL ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE AREA TUESDAY EVENING...BUT MORE OR LESS THE MAIN ISSUE AFTER THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL BE A PERIOD OF BLUSTERY AND COOLER WEATHER THROUGH MIDWEEK...WITH ARCTIC RIDGE AXIS LINGERING OVER THE EASTERN CWA INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WIND CHILLS WILL RETURN TO THE TEENS BELOW ZERO MANY AREAS...AND COULD SEE A FEW LOWS NUDGE JUST BELOW ZERO AGAIN BY THURSDAY MORNING. TEMPS MODERATE ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. NOT ENOUGH COHERENCE TO LIFT/MOISTURE IN WARM ADVECTIVE ZONE TO WARRANT A PRECIP MENTION AT THIS TIME...BUT WOULD HAVE TO WATCH FOR PERHAPS THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE AREA LATER THURSDAY NIGHT IF CAN MOISTEN UP A BIT MORE. ANOTHER COLD SHOT LOOKS TO MAKE A GLANCING BLOW FOR EARLY IN THE WEEKEND BEHIND FRIDAY COLD FRONT. COULD GET A FEW FLURRIES OR A LIGHT SNOW SHOWER BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE INTO FRIDAY EVENING...AND A LITTLE UNEASY ABOUT GOING DRY BACK TO THE WEST WHERE DECENT DIV Q IN JET ENTRANCE INTERACTS WITH THE BACKED BAROCLINICITY. A BIT BETTER SIGNATURE FOR PRECIPITATION SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY...AND MORE OR LESS HAVE ACCEPTED THE LOW CHANCE GIVEN TO THIS SYSTEM...COLD ENOUGH TO REMAIN SNOW. WITH HIGH DEGREE OF ENSEMBLE SPREAD...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO WEEKEND TEMPS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1129 PM CST SUN FEB 8 2015 LOW CEILINGS AND FOG WILL REMAIN PRIMARY AVIATION CONCERN THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. CEILINGS GENERALLY MVFR-IFR RANGE...BUT LOCALIZED LIFR CONDITIONS LIKELY THROUGH MIDDAY MONDAY. LOWEST CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN SOUTHWEST MN...AS WELL AS LOCATIONS WEST OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY. POTENTIAL FOR SOME SPOTTY LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE TAF PERIOD... WITH LOWER CEILINGS AND MVFR-IFR VISIBILITY. OPTED TO INCLUDE BRIEF PERIOD OF THIS FOR KHON/KFSD TAFS DUE TO IMPACT FROM EVEN MINIMAL ICING...ESPECIALLY DURING 08Z-12Z WINDOW WHEN THE MORNING FLIGHTS ARE BEING PREPPED. SLOW IMPROVEMENT IN CEILINGS/VISIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE DAY MONDAY... WITH VISIBILITY EXPECTED TO BECOME VFR...BUT CEILINGS MORE LIKELY TO REMAIN IN MVFR RANGE THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER ICING EVENT TO AFFECT PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA MONDAY NIGHT...BUT PRECIPITATION CURRENTLY LOOKS TO HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 10/06Z. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM... LONG TERM...CHAPMAN AVIATION...JH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 739 PM CST SUN FEB 8 2015 IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-052>056-058>062-064>071-100145- LYON IA-OSCEOLA-DICKINSON-SIOUX-O'BRIEN-CLAY IA-PLYMOUTH-CHEROKEE- BUENA VISTA-WOODBURY-IDA-LINCOLN MN-LYON MN-MURRAY-COTTONWOOD- NOBLES-JACKSON-PIPESTONE-ROCK-DIXON-DAKOTA-BEADLE-KINGSBURY- BROOKINGS-JERAULD-SANBORN-MINER-LAKE-MOODY-AURORA-DAVISON-HANSON- MCCOOK-MINNEHAHA-DOUGLAS-HUTCHINSON-TURNER-LINCOLN SD-BON HOMME- YANKTON-CLAY SD-UNION- 739 PM CST SUN FEB 8 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST IOWA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...EAST CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FOG MAY REDEVELOP TONIGHT. THOSE TRAVELING SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FOG MAY LINGER INTO MONDAY MORNING. THERE IS ANOTHER CHANCE OF MIXED PRECIPITATION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. LIGHT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE... WITH GREATEST ACCUMULATIONS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 90. THE GREATEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG HIGHWAY 14 ACROSS FAR EAST CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA INTO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA. THOSE WITH TRAVEL PLANS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE FORECAST FOR THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. SDZ050-057-063-100145- GREGORY-BRULE-CHARLES MIX- 739 PM CST SUN FEB 8 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Light freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused icy travel on some untreated roads and other surfaces.
Light freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused icy travel on some untreated roads and other surfaces.
Light freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused icy travel on some untreated roads and other surfaces.
Light freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused icy travel on some untreated roads and other surfaces.
Light freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused icy travel on some untreated roads and other surfaces.
Light freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused icy travel on some untreated roads and other surfaces.
Light freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused icy travel on some untreated roads and other surfaces.
Light freezing rain and freezing drizzle caused icy travel on some untreated roads and other surfaces.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, February 2015
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: 558762, 558763, 558764, 558765, 558766, 558767, 558768, 558769.