Initially, the morning of Sunday, January 27th, a ridge of high pressure was centered across the Upper Midwest. This ridge moved southeast with an area of low pressure developing over Alberta, Canada, and diving southeast across the Dakotas Sunday afternoon, and over northern Iowa, and northern Illinois through Sunday night/Monday morning.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
Initially, the morning of Sunday, January 27th, a ridge of high pressure was centered across the Upper Midwest. This ridge moved southeast with an area of low pressure developing over Alberta, Canada, and diving southeast across the Dakotas Sunday afternoon, and over northern Iowa, and northern Illinois through Sunday night/Monday morning.
This was a typical Alberta Clipper which raced southeast, with an initial very dry air mass over the Upper Midwest. Thus, moisture content was low, the speed was high, and the atmosphere had to moisten up before snow reached the surface. In addition, the forcing weakened during the afternoon, and evening across southern Minnesota, before intensifying across Wisconsin Sunday night.
These factors limited snowfall amounts with narrow bands of 6 to 8 inches of snow across southern Minnesota, and portions of west central Wisconsin. The heavier amounts, or greater than 8 inches, occurred in southeast Minnesota, and into southern Wisconsin.
The following are some of the heavier snowfall amounts:
7.5 inches in Eau Claire.|7.0 inches in Menomonie.|6.4 inches north of Eau Claire.
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 27, 4:28 PM CST, 3 hours 32 minutes earlier.
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</html>Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 329 PM CST Sun Jan 27 2019 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 281200- Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa- Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington- Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota- Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth- Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-Polk-Barron-Rusk- St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Eau Claire- 329 PM CST Sun Jan 27 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and southern Minnesota...and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight Snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected across the area tonight through Monday morning. Northwesterly winds will increase overnight and cause areas of blowing snow. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for much of the area. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday A potentially historic cold period is expected this week. The coldest temperatures will occur from Tuesday into Thursday, when wind chills of 40 below to 60 below zero are likely. A Wind Chill Watch is in effect. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters and snowfall observers are urged to report snowfall amounts to the National Weather Service.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall amounts in Pierce County is based on trained spotters that averaged around 6 to 7 inches from Dakota to Dunn Counties.
Snowfall amounts in Pepin County is based on trained spotters that averaged around 6 to 8 inches from Goodhue to Eau Claire Counties.
Snowfall amounts in Chippewa were based on the official airport, and media observer of 6.4 inches.
Snowfall amounts in Dunn County were based on a trained spotter in Menomonie of 7 inches.
Snowfall amounts in Eau Claire County were based on the official report from the media, of 7.5 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, January 2019
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 795034, 795035, 795031, 795032, 795033.