Winter Weather in Minnesota, February 14, 2020

Name: Winter Weather in Minnesota, February 14, 2020
Start: 2020-02-14T08:30
End: 2020-02-14T23:00
Location: Minnesota

February 14, 2020 · NWS FSD · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Strong southerly return flow, gusting up to 55 mph, produced considerable blowing and drifting of previously fallen snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 FSD wrote it up.

Strong southerly return flow, gusting up to 55 mph, produced considerable blowing and drifting of previously fallen 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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 13, 5:41 PM CST, 14 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 13, 5:41 PM CST, 14 hours 49 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Lincoln

When: February 14, 8:30 AM CST to 7:30 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 44.413, -96.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusted as high as 53 mph 1 mile west of Lake Benton, 51 mph at Ivanhoe and 48 mph 5 miles south of Hendricks, which produced occasional widespread hazardous visibility of one mile or less from blowing snow. Travel became hazardous due to the low visibility and icy roads developing from drifting snow.

Winter Weather, Lyon

When: February 14, 10:30 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Lyon forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 44.414, -95.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusted as high as 44 mph at Marshall and 41 mph at Tracy, which produced occasional hazardous visibility of one mile or less from blowing snow. Travel became hazardous due to the low visibility and icy roads developing from drifting snow.

Winter Weather, Pipestone

When: February 14, 11:00 AM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where: Pipestone forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 44.023, -96.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusted as high as 39 mph at Pipestone, which produced occasional widespread visibility of around one mile from blowing snow. Travel became hazardous due to the low visibility and icy roads developing from drifting snow.

Winter Weather, Murray

When: February 14, 12:30 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Murray forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 44.022, -95.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusted as high as 48 mph 2 miles west of Dovray and 44 mph at Slayton, which produced occasional widespread visibility as low as one mile from blowing snow. Travel became hazardous due to the low visibility and icy roads developing from drifting snow.

Winter Weather, Nobles

When: February 14, 12:30 PM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where: Nobles forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 43.674, -95.753 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusted as high as 44 mph at Worthington, which produced occasional widespread visibility as low as one mile from blowing snow. Travel became hazardous due to the low visibility and icy roads developing from drifting snow.

Winter Weather, Cottonwood

When: February 14, 1:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Cottonwood forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 44.007, -95.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusted as high as 50 mph 4 miles east northeast of Jeffers, 46 mph at Storden and 40 mph at Windom, which produced occasional widespread visibility as low as one mile from blowing snow. Travel became hazardous due to the low visibility and icy roads developing from drifting snow.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Minnesota in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Minnesota, February 2020

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: 875286, 875287, 875288, 875289, 875291, 875290.