Minnesota, 2019

Blizzard and Winter Storm in Minnesota, April 10 to 12, 2019

April 10 to 12, 2019 · NWS MPX · 36 events in 36 counties and zones

There were multiple waves of precipitation that occurred with this major winter storm that lasted for more than two days. The first wave of precipitation developed during the morning of Wednesday, April 10th where the initial band moved from southern Minnesota, northward into central Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin by the afternoon and evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 36 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$275,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
36

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MPX wrote it up.

There were multiple waves of precipitation that occurred with this major winter storm that lasted for more than two days.

The first wave of precipitation developed during the morning of Wednesday, April 10th where the initial band moved from southern Minnesota, northward into central Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin by the afternoon and evening. This band of precipitation had thunder, sleet and heavy snow that produced several inches of snow across portions of southern and central Minnesota. Most of the heavier precipitation tapered off in the southern quarter of Minnesota, with light snow continuing across central Minnesota, during the afternoon and evening of Thursday, April 11th.

The second wave of precipitation developed in far southern Minnesota after midnight, Thursday morning, April 11th. This band of precipitation had warmer air aloft which led to more sleet, rain, freezing rain, and thunder. This band was similar to the first with the intensity, but had more mixed precipitation.

By the mid morning, the wave of precipitation had moved out of the region, with much warmer air surging northward ahead of a surface low that moved into southwest Minnesota during the afternoon. There were even some severe thunderstorms that developed near Redwood Falls where one inch hail was reported.

In addition to the precipitation Thursday morning, the next weather element developed. This weather element was a significant increase in the wind speeds, with sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph, with gusts of 50 mph or more across a wide areas of central, and southern Minnesota. This created blizzard conditions in portions of southwest, and west central Minnesota. It would have been worse if the precipitation was in the form of all snow, but warmer air aloft led to more sleet and rain, vs snow.

The high winds also created structural damage to power poles and trees. Some freezing rain led to fallen tree limbs and power outages from ice build up. The local emergency manager in Freeborn County had more than 300 downed power poles, which affected 6500 residents. The Waseca County emergency manager also reported numerous power poles blown down across the county. The National Guard was requested for Freeborn and Steele Counties of south central Minnesota due to stranded motorists. The Governor of Minnesota declared a state of emergency due to the widespread power outages, and stranded motorists.

By Thursday afternoon, most of the heavier precipitation and thunderstorms had moved north and east of the area, with mainly light precipitation in the form of drizzle, light snow or sleet in small areas rotating northward as the main storm started to weaken and move overhead. In addition, wind speeds lessened which led to much better visibility in the west. However, the Minnesota Department of Transportation had already closed or not advised travel for a wide area of west central to southwest Minnesota.

The third wave of precipitation was associated with the main upper level system and changed the precipitation over to all snow by early Friday morning, April 12th. By the afternoon, most of the precipitation had ended, but residual light snow or flurries continued as the main system moved off to the east.

Snowfall totals as the storm ended ranged from over 18 inches in portions of west central Minnesota, to 6 to 12 inches across a wide area of central and southern Minnesota. Areas along the Iowa border, which had more sleet and rain, received 1 to locally 4 inches of snow.

What forecasters said that day

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 9, 10:07 PM CST, 6 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 9, 10:07 PM CST, 6 hours 53 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
1107 PM CDT Tue Apr 9 2019

.UPDATE...
Issued at 1051 PM CDT Tue Apr 9 2019

Updated to include 06z aviation discussion below.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday night)
Issued at 410 PM CDT Tue Apr 9 2019

Timing of onset for main precipitation shield, P-types and overall
headlines are the main concerns for the storm.

Initially we have a band of light rain which will work mainly
across far south central MN during the night. We start off
pretty dry so we will likely see at least a mix of precipitation
into the are later tonight per trend in overall BUFKIT soundings.

Wednesday we see a gradual progression north of the precipitation
shield. Should move into the metro through 20z Wed. Looks like we
will see snow on the northern edge of the precipitation changing
to just rain later in the afternoon.

Into Wednesday night, timing of the next lobe of the upper low
rotates into the southern portion of the area. The ECMWF looks a
bit colder into this period with max wet bulb temepratures
cooler than minus 2C through at least 06z THU. We will likely see
a wet snow over the west and east central until the warm tongue of
the occluded system lifts into the southeast CWA mainly later
Thursday. We will likely see 2 to 5 inch accumulation's over the
northern 2/3rds of the area. Surface winds increase from the east
later Wednesday afternoon/Wednesday night with gusts around 40 mph
likely as east winds develop ahead of the deepening surface low.

Headlines will remain as is for now. Still quite a spread in
overall ensemble guidance. Trend has been lifting the system a bit
farther north. Would like to see another model run tonight before
finalizing headlines for the event.

.LONG TERM...(Thursday through Tuesday)
Issued at 410 PM CDT Tue Apr 9 2019

Thursday, through Friday morning as the surface low tracks from
northwest Iowa, through southern Minnesota, and into western
Wisconsin will delineate where the heavier snow bands occur, and
eventually total accumulations by Friday afternoon as the storm
winds down and moves off the the northeast. Even a 50 to 100 miles
displacement of the surface low will determine where the rain/snow
line occurs and where again the heavier totals occur.

Another aspect to todays forecast is the much warmer air surging
northward ahead of this system then in previous model runs.
Climatology suggests that it is rare to get high snowfall amounts
unless other factors are taken into consideration. One of those is
the current air mass moving southward over the Upper Midwest this
afternoon, and whether this air mass will hold longer with the
drier air then expected. Models yesterday forecasted higher qpf
amounts along the Iowa border based on a sharp short wave moving
southeast this afternoon/tonight. However, even this afternoon
observation indicated that models are too moist and allowing too
much qpf. These elements must be considered, especially if we have
an anomalous influx of moist or drier air. Not until Thursday
morning does moisture below 500mb become saturated across most of
the MPX CWA, with the best concentration of higher values in
southeast Minnesota Thursday/Thursday night. Therefore, qpf
amounts will likely be overdone before the atmosphere saturates.

Another concern is the possibility of elevated instability which
will lead to higher precipitation rates, and possibly different
precipitation types based on the thermal profile. Again, other
aspects are also in consideration, but overall snowfall amounts
will likely be lower where the setup of the thermal profile,
strong theta- e advection, and the track of the surface low
becomes. The current scenario has the boundary of warm/moist air,
leading to more liquid vs. snow occurring from near Fairmont,
northeast toward the Twin Cities, and across west central
Wisconsin. West of this boundary, snowfall amounts will be higher,
east of this boundary, snowfall amounts will vary considerably,
and likely be much less than currently the forecast suggests. As
the surface low tracks across western Wisconsin, colder air will
arrive and change any mixture of rain/snow/sleet to all snow.

850mb wind speeds remain abnormally high with 4 to 5 standard
deviations above normal. Thus, very strong winds are likely and
how much mixes to the surface remains questionable. However,
even if we mix down to 925MB, wind speeds will average 30 to 40
mph in the blizzard warning area, with 20-35 mph elsewhere. Gusts
will likely approach 45-50 mph if there is enough mixing in the
boundary layer.

By Friday afternoon, most of the forcing will exit the region,
with residual wrap around moisture leading to some light snow
lingering into late Friday night, especially in western Wisconsin.

Past Friday night, no major changes to the forecast with
temperatures likely remaining below average, mainly in the areas
that receive a substantial amount of snow over the next couple of
days. There are small chances of precipitation late in the
weekend, and midweek. However, based on the current surface
boundaries, most of the significant weather will remain south and
east of the Upper Midwest.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Wednesday night)
Issued at 1051 PM CDT Tue Apr 9 2019

All TAF sites to start out as VFR and remain as such through the
overnight hours. Conditions will diminish rather suddenly tomorrow
morning as the large winter storm system approaches. Precip will
be mainly -RA tomorrow but some sites may see a -RASN mixture at
the start before going to all -RA by the afternoon. Ceilings will
drop into MVFR levels first, then as precip changes back to -SN
late afternoon, visibilities will also likely drop into MVFR if
not IFR. However, the better chances for IFR conditions will be
after 00z tomorrow evening. Winds will again be breezy tomorrow
but from the NE. Sustained speeds will increase to around 15kt
with gusts 20-30kt.

KMSP...The first 9-12 hours of this TAF will be VFR and precip-
free, although mid-level ceilings will start developing around
midday and only lower from there. Precip will move in mid-to-late
afternoon, as mainly -RA. The -RA will mix with and change to
PL/SN after 00z tomorrow evening. Mainly -SN can be expected after
the Wednesday evening push and will continue, mod to heavy at
times, through Thursday with conditions likely IFR or lower by
then.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
Thu...LIFR/VLIFR. Periods of +SN likely, chance of RA/PL.
Significant snow and/or sleet accumulations possible. Wind ENE
20G35-40kt.
Fri...MVFR/-SN. Wind NW 10-20kt.
Sat...VFR. Wind NW 5-10kt.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...Winter Storm Watch from Wednesday evening through Friday morning
     for WIZ014>016-023>028.

MN...Winter Storm Watch from Wednesday evening through Friday morning
     for MNZ041>045-050>053-059>063-066>070-074>078-082>084-091.

     Blizzard Warning from 7 PM Wednesday to 7 AM CDT Friday for
     MNZ047>049-054>058-064-065-073.

&&

UPDATE...JPC
SHORT TERM...DWE
LONG TERM...JLT
AVIATION...JPC
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 10, 3:59 AM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
459 AM CDT Wed Apr 10 2019

MNZ042>045-050>053-059>063-066>070-074>078-082>085-091>093-
WIZ014>016-023>028-111000-
Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-
Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-
Scott-Dakota-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-
Blue Earth-Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-Polk-Barron-
Rusk-St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Chippewa-Eau Claire-
459 AM CDT Wed Apr 10 2019

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central
Minnesota...east central Minnesota...south central Minnesota...
southeast Minnesota...northwest Wisconsin and west central
Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

A wintry mix of precipitation, including rain, freezing rain,
sleet and snow will develop over the area today and persist
through tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday

The wintry mix of precipitation will persist across the area on
Thursday, changing over to snow across parts of central Minnesota
and west central Wisconsin. Strong winds will develop as well, and
lead to blowing snow in some areas. Travel will likely be
impacted Thursday into Friday. See the latest winter weather
statement for more information.

The Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers will continue to see some
areas above flood stage through the week due to the seasonal snow
melt. However, a new surge of water into the river system is
expected after the upcoming storm, and many sites may potentially
reach flood stage as a result. The Minnesota River and
tributaries have the greatest potential to rise to major flood
stage.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters and snowfall observers are urged to report snowfall
amounts to the National Weather Service.

MNZ041-047>049-054>058-064-065-073-111000-
Douglas-Stevens-Pope-Stearns-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-
Kandiyohi-Meeker-Yellow Medicine-Renville-Redwood-
459 AM CDT Wed Apr 10 2019

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central
Minnesota...southwest Minnesota and west central Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

A wintry mix of precipitation, including rain, freezing rain,
sleet and snow will develop over the area today and persist
through tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday

The wintry mix of precipitation will transition to snow by early
Thursday, with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour and
significant snowfall accumulations expected on Thursday. Strong
winds with gusts to 50 mph will likely producing blowing snow and
blizzard conditions across west central Minnesota. Travel could be
severely impacted Thursday into Friday. See the latest winter
weather statement for more information.

The Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers will continue to see some
areas above flood stage through the week due to the seasonal snow
melt. However, a new surge of water into the river system is
expected after the upcoming storm, and many sites may potentially
reach flood stage as a result. The Minnesota River and
tributaries have the greatest potential to rise to major flood
stage.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters and snowfall observers are urged to report snowfall
amounts to the National Weather Service.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

25 winter storm, 11 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Watonwan

When
April 10, 5:00 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Watonwan forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.978, -94.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 6 to 8 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Blue Earth

When
April 10, 5:00 AM CST to April 11, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Blue Earth forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.035, -94.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 6 to 10 inches across the county, with the higher totals near Mankato.

Winter Storm, Brown

When
April 10, 6:00 AM CST to April 11, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.242, -94.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 6 to 8 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Redwood

When
April 10, 6:00 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Redwood forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.404, -95.254 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours, and during the day on Thursday. More sleet and rain fell on Thursday, so visibility was not significant. However, still the Minnesota Department of Transportation advised no travel in portions of the county due to strong winds and snow covered roads. Snowfall totals averaged 7 to 9 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Freeborn

When
April 10, 6:00 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Freeborn forecast zone
Property damage
$250,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.674, -93.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 2 to 4 inches across the county. The most significant weather factor was the combination of high winds and ice coated trees and power lines. This led to widespread downed tree limbs, and power poles. The local emergency manager indicated that up to 300 power poles were blown down during the height of the storm.

Winter Storm, Waseca

When
April 10, 8:00 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Waseca forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.022, -93.587 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle, and freezing drizzle Wednesday, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 6 to 8 inches across the county.

The other significant weather element was the combination of high winds and ice coated trees and power lines. This led to widespread downed tree limbs, and power poles.

Winter Storm, Steele

When
April 10, 8:00 AM CST to April 11, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Steele forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.022, -93.226 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 6 to 8 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Nicollet

When
April 10, 8:00 AM CST to April 11, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Nicollet forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.350, -94.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 8 to 10 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Le Sueur

When
April 10, 9:00 AM CST to April 11, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Le Sueur forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.371, -93.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Rice

When
April 10, 9:00 AM CST to April 11, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Rice forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.354, -93.297 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Sibley

When
April 10, 9:00 AM CST to April 11, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Sibley forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.580, -94.232 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Goodhue

When
April 10, 10:00 AM CST to April 11, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Goodhue forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.410, -92.723 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, McLeod

When
April 10, 10:00 AM CST to April 11, 12:00 PM CST
Where
McLeod forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.824, -94.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, rain and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Carver

When
April 10, 10:30 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Carver forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.821, -93.803 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Scott

When
April 10, 10:30 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Scott forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.649, -93.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Dakota

When
April 10, 11:00 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Dakota forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.672, -93.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Hennepin

When
April 10, 11:00 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Hennepin forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.005, -93.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Ramsey

When
April 10, 11:00 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Ramsey forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.017, -93.100 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 12 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Wright

When
April 10, 11:00 AM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Wright forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.174, -93.963 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 7 to 10 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Washington

When
April 10, 12:00 PM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.039, -92.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 7 to 11 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Anoka

When
April 10, 12:00 PM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Anoka forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.273, -93.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 7 to 9 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Sherburne

When
April 10, 3:00 PM CST to April 11, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Sherburne forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.444, -93.775 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with light to moderate snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours before transitioning to mainly light snow, drizzle Wednesday evening, and Thursday. Snowfall totals averaged 6 to 8 inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Morrison

When
April 10, 6:00 PM CST to April 12, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Morrison forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.013, -94.268 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several rounds of light to moderate snow developed across the county Wednesday evening. Occasionally, the snow was mixed with sleet, before tapering off Thursday morning. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

Winter Storm, Benton

When
April 10, 6:00 PM CST to April 12, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Benton forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.699, -93.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several rounds of light to moderate snow developed across the county Wednesday evening. Occasionally, the snow was mixed with sleet, before tapering off Thursday morning. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

Winter Storm, Todd

When
April 10, 6:00 PM CST to April 12, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Todd forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.071, -94.898 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several rounds of light to moderate snow developed across the county Wednesday evening. Occasionally, the snow was mixed with sleet, before tapering off Thursday morning. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

Blizzard, Chippewa

When
April 11, 3:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Chippewa forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.022, -95.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased early Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 10 to 18 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Renville

When
April 11, 3:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Renville forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.727, -94.947 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased early Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 9 to 13 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Lac Qui Parle

When
April 11, 3:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Lac Qui Parle forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.996, -96.173 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased early Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 12 to 20 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Yellow Medicine

When
April 11, 3:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Yellow Medicine forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.716, -95.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased early Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 10 to 18 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Kandiyohi

When
April 11, 3:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Kandiyohi forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.152, -95.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased early Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened late Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 8 to 12 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Swift

When
April 11, 6:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Swift forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.283, -95.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened late Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 8 to 14 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Stevens

When
April 11, 7:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Stevens forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.586, -96.000 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with moderate to heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened late Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 10 to 14 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Meeker

When
April 11, 8:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Meeker forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.123, -94.527 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened late Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 8 to 11 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Stearns

When
April 11, 8:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Stearns forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.552, -94.613 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened late Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 8 to 10 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Pope

When
April 11, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Pope forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.586, -95.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with moderate to heavy snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened late Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 10 to 14 inches across the county.

Blizzard, Douglas

When
April 11, 8:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.934, -95.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several waves of precipitation occurred across the county with light to moderate snow at the start, with a mixture of sleet, and snow during the overnight hours of Wednesday/Thursday, before mostly light snow and sleet occurred Thursday, and Thursday night. Wind speeds increased Thursday morning, with significant blowing and drifting snow, causing blizzard conditions for several hours. Wind speeds lessened late Thursday afternoon but light snow redeveloped. Snowfall totals averaged 8 to 12 inches across the county.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, April 2019

Sources

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: 809251, 809253, 809257, 809387, 809405, 809254, 809255, 809265, 809268, 809269, 809276, 809273, 809279, 809280, 809281, 809282, 809286, 809287, 809293, 809290, 809296, 809298, 809319, 809320, 809322, 809388, 809389, 809390, 809391, 809392, 809395, 809397, 809393, 809394, 809396, 809398.