A weak surface low developed across south central South Dakota, Sunday afternoon, March 22nd, and moved southeast across northeast Nebraska, and into west central Iowa by Sunday evening. Initially, light snow developed during the morning across far southern Minnesota but snowfall amounts were under one inch.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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 weak surface low developed across south central South Dakota, Sunday afternoon, March 22nd, and moved southeast across northeast Nebraska, and into west central Iowa by Sunday evening. Initially, light snow developed during the morning across far southern Minnesota but snowfall amounts were under one inch. Northeast of this surface low, stronger forcing developed aloft across southern Minnesota during the late afternoon and evening.
A band of moderate snow, with snowfall rates of one inch per hour, developed along the Minnesota River Valley during the mid afternoon and drifted northeast. This band set up up from near Hutchinson, east-southeast to Jordan, Northfield and Zumbrota between 4 PM LST to 9 PM LST. Snowfall rates during this time averaged between 1-2 inches per hour before the rates tapered off to 1/2 inch per hour after 9 PM LST.
By the time the snow ended early Monday morning, a 30 mile band of 6-12 inches of snow fell from Hutchinson, southeast to Jordan, Northfield and Zumbrota.
The following are some of the higher snowfall reports from this storm.
12.3 inches near Zumbrota. |11.0 inches near Green Isle. |10.5 inches near Montgomery. |10.0 inches near Henderson. |9.8 inches near Lakeville. |9.5 inches near New Prague.|9.5 inches near Prior Lake. |9.0 inches near Brownton.
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 Mar 22, 2:30 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
330 PM CDT SUN MAR 22 2015
.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY)
ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT SUN MAR 22 2015
THE SHORT TERM CONCERN REMAINS HEAVIER SNOW BAND LOCATION AND
ONGOING HEADLINE.
LATEST RADAR TRENDS SUGGEST SNOW BAND DEVELOPING A BIT FARTHER SOUTH
THAT EARLIER. IT MAY TURN OUT TO BE LOCATED ALONG AND NORTH OF THE
MN RIVER VALLEY...TO THE SOUTH METRO AND TOWARD OWATONNA AND KENYON.
4 TO 6 INCHES LOOK LIKELY IN THAT REGION. ELSEWHERE A GENERAL 2
TO 4 INCH SNOWFALL IS STILL POSSIBLE THROUGH ABOUT
MIDNIGHT...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I94 IN MN AND WI.
MODELS TREND BETTER FRONTOGENETIC FORCING SOUTH INTO THIS REGION
OF THE CWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. THIS SHOULD
LIFT A BIT FARTHER TO THE NORTH THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING BEFORE
EXITING WITH THE MAIN TROUGH OVERNIGHT. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES
ARE IN THE .40 TO .50 INCH RANGE AND THERE WAS AN ISOLATED
LIGHTNING STRIKE EARLIER IN SOUTH CENTRAL MN. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR
CONVECTIVE OR SLANTWISE CONVECTION POSSIBILITY ALONG THE BAND
INTO THE EVENING. WONT GIVE UP ON THE POTENTIAL FOR 1 TO 2 INCH AN
HOUR SNOWFALL RATES IF CONVECTION OCCURS.
COOLER AND REMAINING MAINLY CLOUDY INTO THE DAY MONDAY. TEMPERATURES
WILL BE KEPT DOWN IN AREAS SEEING HEAVIER SNOW COVER AND CLOUDS.
.LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)
ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT SUN MAR 22 2015
MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY LOOK QUIET IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT
SYSTEM PROGGED TO ARRIVE LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY
NIGHT. MODELS REMAIN CONSISTENT ON THE HANDLING OF THIS SYSTEM
THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT WITH TWO CENTERS OF LOW PRESSURE...ONE OVER
SERN MT INTO THE DAKOTAS AND THE OTHER OVER WRN KS. HOW MODELS
EVOLVE BEYOND THIS POINT IS MORE INCONSISTENT AND LEADS TO AN
OVERALL LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST. THE RECENT TREND HAS BEEN TO
CONSOLIDATE VORTICITY AND DEEPEN THE EQUATORWARD MID LEVEL
WAVE...RESULTING IN A DEEPER AND FURTHER SOUTH CYCLONE THAT TRACKS
FROM ERN KS TO SRN WI. PRECIPITATION PLACEMENT IS NOT THE QUESTION
AS AN INVERTED TROUGH EXTENDS TO THE NORTHWEST. BOTTOM LINE...IT
WILL PRECIPITATE EVERYWHERE. THE MAIN CONCERN DEALS WITH PRECIP
TYPE AS THE MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK RESULTS IN GREATER CAA AND A
COLDER BOUNDARY LAYER PROFILE. THE PROFILE STILL LOOKS
SUFFICIENTLY WARM FOR A RAIN/SNOW MIX INITIALLY BUT AFTER
MIDNIGHT THERE IS A FAIRLY GOOD CHANCE OF A TURN OVER TO ALL
SNOW...PARTICULARLY ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL MN AND NORTHWESTERN
WI. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE OF THE MOST UNCERTAIN FORECAST ELEMENT
AND WILL DEPEND ON MANY FACTORS THAT ARE THEMSELVES STILL
UNCERTAIN SUCH AS TIMING...BOUNDARY LAYER TEMPS...SURFACE
CONDITIONS AND INTENSITY. DO HAVE A GENERAL 1 TO 2 INCHES IN MOST
PLACES...BUT THAT IS ABOUT ALL THAT CAN BE DONE AT THIS POINT.
ANOTHER WAVE WILL ROTATE SOUTHEAST WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT
AND COULD KEEP SOME PERIODIC LIGHT RAIN OR SNOW GOING...
ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-94. LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL ACCUMS EXPECTED
FOR THESE PERIODS.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL DRIFT SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND
MIDWEST LATE WEEK WITH DRY WEATHER AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES
RETURNING.
THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL TRAVERSE ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER NEXT
WEEKEND WITH THE CWA LIKELY GETTING INTO THE WARM SECTOR. MODELS
ARE NOT SHOWING MUCH PRECIP ALONG THE FRONT...BUT ARE SHOWING
PRETTY STRONG WINDS BEHIND IT.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1230 PM CDT SUN MAR 22 2015
MODELS TRYING TO CONGEAL INTO SNOW BAND OVER CENTRAL/SOUTHERN MN.
INITIAL SHOT OF LIFT/FRONTOGENESIS EXITING TO THE SOUTHEAST. THIS
SHOULD REFORM FARTHER TO THE SOUTH ALONG AND NORTH OF THE MN RIVER
VALLEY EARLY AFTERNOON...AND LIFT A BIT NORTH INT EASTERN
MN/WESTERN WI AS THE WAVE APPROACHES. KAXN WILL BE ON THE NORTHERN
EDGEOF THE SNOW...WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA EVENTUALLY SEEING
SNOW WORK INTO THE EASTERN TAFS LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING.
SHOULD SEE ACTIVITY WANE TO THE WEST BY 06Z...AND LINGER INTO THE
SOUTHEAST UNTIL 10Z. EXPECT CIGS TO DROP TO IFR/LIFR IN HEAVIER
SNOW AREA...BECOMING MVFR CIGS DEVELOPING AFTER 06Z MON AND
CONTINUING THROUGH THE MORNING. SURFACE WINDS EAST TO SOUTHEAST
THROUGH PERIOD...A BIT GUSTY TO THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON.
KMSP...
SNOW BAND REFORMING JUST SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. EXPECT THIS
LIFT/DEVELOP FARTHER NORTH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH
HEAVIER SNOW MAINLY BETWEEN 22Z-02Z. COULD SEE VSBY DROP TO 1/2SM
OR SO. 12Z MODELS ARE SUGGESTING THE HEAVIER SNOW BAND MAY REMAIN
JUST SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. CONFIDENCE NOT HIGH ENOUGH MAKE
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO FORECAST. WILL NEED TO MONITOR HOW BAND
DEVELOPS. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 3-4 INCHES POSSIBLE IF THE HEAVIER
BAND LIFTS NORTH...BUT LESSER TOTALS AROUND 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE
IF THE HEAVIER INTENSITY SNOW DOESNT MATERIALIZE. SNOW WILL
DIMINISH AFTER 06Z...AND END BY 10Z. SURFACE WINDS EAST THIS
AFTERNOON BECOMING MORE SOUTHEAST LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY.
/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
MON...MVFR. WINDS SE 5-10 KTS.
TUE...MVFR/IFR WITH -RA LATE. WINDS SE 15G20 KTS.
WED...MVFR/IFR WITH -RA/-SN. WINDS W 15G25 KTS.
&&
.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM CDT MONDAY FOR MNZ049-051-
055>063-065>070-075>078-083>085-093.
WI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM CDT MONDAY FOR WIZ023-024-026.
&&
SHORT TERM...DWE
LONG TERM...BORGHOFF
AVIATION...DWEHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 353 PM CDT SUN MAR 22 2015 MNZ041>045-047-048-050-052>054-064-073-074-082-091-092-WIZ014>016- 025-027-028-232100- DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-BENTON- ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-YELLOW MEDICINE-REDWOOD-BROWN- WATONWAN-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-DUNN-CHIPPEWA- EAU CLAIRE- 353 PM CDT SUN MAR 22 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO TWO INCHES ARE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF ACCUMULATING SNOW APPEARS POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY...ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND SNOWFALL OBSERVERS ARE URGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. MNZ049-051-055>063-065>070-075>078-083>085-093-WIZ023-024-026- 232100- STEARNS-SHERBURNE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN- ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT- DAKOTA-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE- FREEBORN-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-PEPIN- 353 PM CDT SUN MAR 22 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF LATE THIS EVENING. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED FROM WEST CENTRAL INTO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. SNOWFALL RATES BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE LIKELY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF ACCUMULATING SNOW APPEARS POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. .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.
12 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 8 and 11 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the northern quarter of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 9 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the far northeast corner of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 7 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the far eastern part of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 8 and 11 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 11 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the northeast portion of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 8 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the northern half of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 8 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the northeast corner of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 9 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the southern quarter of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 10 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the southern part of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 7 and 12 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the southern half of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 9 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the southern quarter of the county.
Several sources of trained observers, social media pictures, and the general public estimated or measured between 6 and 11 inches of snow that fell between the late afternoon, and late evening of Sunday, March 22nd. The heaviest snow fell in the southern 3/4 of the county.
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, March 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: 556946, 556952, 556959, 556960, 556962, 556963, 556964, 556928, 556932, 556935, 556950, 556961.