During the morning of March 10, an approaching weak mid-level wave brought a brief pulse of warm advection. With cold temperatures at the surface and warmer temperatures aloft, a mix of precipitation types occurred.
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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.
During the morning of March 10, an approaching weak mid-level wave brought a brief pulse of warm advection. With cold temperatures at the surface and warmer temperatures aloft, a mix of precipitation types occurred. Most freezing rain was brief and light across southwest Minnesota, with snow the predominant type. While most snowfall was less than an inch, a narrow band of one to four inches occurred from Pipestone to Worthington along the Buffalo Ridge.
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 Mar 10, 5:30 AM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 530 AM CST Sat Mar 10 2018 .SHORT TERM...(Today and Tonight) Issued at 307 AM CST Sat Mar 10 2018 Fairly messy system, currently evident on water vapor imagery over southwest MT, will slide southeast into the region today. Ahead of it, an initial shortwave and push of warm air advection has led to a line of showers on radar across south central SD early this morning. A dry layer near 850 mb has tempered this precipitation but with pockets of favorable elevated lapse rates could see enough localized enhancement to get something to the ground and thus will leave chance POPs in this morning. By late afternoon/early evening, the upper level closed low should make its way into south central South Dakota and eventually slide southeastward through Nebraska. This will push a second, and somewhat more widespread, round of precipitation thru the region thru the evening and overnight hours. Will likely be somewhat fractured areas of precipitation, but nonethelesss, good chances of seeing something at some point during this time frame. Forecast soundings and temperatures profiles suggest that anything that falls during the afternoon hours would generally be rain or a rain/snow mix. The rain/snow line will again crash southward thru the evening with just plain snow by mid evening region-wide. Fairly quick hitting and fractured nature of precipitation should keep snow amounts light for most. Amounts will likely vary quite a bit from location to location dependant on where different precipitation bands sit for longer durations of time. This quasi-fractured and varying nature of the precipitation and resultant rain/snow amounts should be stressed again when trying to convey how the sensible weather will play out over the next 36 hours. Unlike the system from a few days ago, winds will not be a significant factor, although could gusts up near 30 mph during the evening and overnight hours west of I-29. The general winter threats will exists with the potential for slick and snow covered roads, along with periods of reduced visibility when snow is falling. As the main wave pulls away Saturday night, another weaker PV anomoly drops south and, combined with a continued saturated dentritic layer, will keep a chance of snow going into Sunday morning. Any lingering precipitation should come to an end thru the afternoon hours. Winds will remain somewhat breezy Sunday, particularly west of I-29. .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday) Issued at 307 AM CST Sat Mar 10 2018 Still looks like a period of tranquil weather and gradual warming into the next work week. Monday and Tuesday we sit squarly in northerly flow aloft which will continue to usher in cooler than normal temperatures. Highs Monday and Tuesday will generally be in the 30s to perhaps nearing 40 across our far south. Wednesday and Thursday, the upper level ridge nudges into the region with southerly surface winds ushering in warmer temeperatures. With 925 mb temperatures anywhere from 7 to 14 C across our region, could be looking at upper 40s to 50s by Thursday. Friday could be even warmer with dare I say 60s possible per the ECMWF and Canadian. Meanwhile, the GFS hints at another wave thus making the details in the far extended on the murkey side. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Sunday morning) Issued at 523 AM CST Sat Mar 10 2018 Narrow band of wintry mix stretches from near KPIR to KMHE to KSUX as of 1130z this morning. Surface observations and cameras show this precipitation has generally been light and brief but nonetheless, with temperatures hovering near freezing, could be of note. Once this band moves east of our TAF sites later this morning, mid level clouds and mostly VFR conditions should prevail thru the afternoon. KHON will be the exception where MVFR conditions could spread back in by as early as mid afternoon with MVFR/IFR conditions impacting all TAF sites by this evening. Light snow is also expected by during the evening and overnight hours. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None. && SHORT TERM...Kalin LONG TERM...Kalin AVIATION...Kalin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 344 AM CST Sat Mar 10 2018 IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-110945- 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-Gregory-Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Brule-Aurora- Davison-Hanson-McCook-Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson- Turner-Lincoln SD-Bon Homme-Yankton-Clay SD-Union- 344 AM CST Sat Mar 10 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwest Iowa, west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, central South Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota, and southeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A light rain or snow mixture is possible from early today into Sunday morning, with this evening being the most likely time for snow. Snow accumulations are expected to generally be less than 2 inches. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday 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.
3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Light freezing rain produced less than a tenth of an inch ice accumulation, glazing untreated surfaces with a thin coating of ice. A brief period of light snowfall as precipitation ended produced less than an inch of snow.
A persistent light snowfall started with a brief mix of light freezing rain, resulting in a light glaze of icing. Total snowfall at Pipestone through the evening on March 10 was 3.5 inches, with 2.0 inches at Edgerton.
A persistent light snowfall started with a brief mix of light freezing rain, resulting in a light glaze of icing. Total snowfall at Worthington through the afternoon on March 10 was 1.5 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, March 2018
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: 748866, 748865, 748867.