A weak clipper system brought light snowfall to the region during the morning hours of the 6th. While accumulations were generally under 3 for most locations, a localized area of enhanced snowfall occurred over southern Cass County and led to 6 of snowfall in a 6 hour period near Pine River.
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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 DLH wrote it up.
A weak clipper system brought light snowfall to the region during the morning hours of the 6th. While accumulations were generally under 3 for most locations, a localized area of enhanced snowfall occurred over southern Cass County and led to 6 of snowfall in a 6 hour period near Pine River.
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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 6, 5:42 AM CST, 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Duluth MN 542 AM CST Tue Dec 6 2022 .DISCUSSION...(Today through Monday) Issued at 345 AM CST Tue Dec 6 2022 Summary: Two rounds of snow bringing light snow accumulations are expected across the Northland through Wednesday evening. Interior parts of northwest Wisconsin may see very light snow Thursday night. Another round of below zero temperatures is likely for both Tuesday and Wednesday nights before a warm up closer to normal starts Thursday. Surface high pressure centered in northwest Ontario early this morning has helped to create very cold temperatures early this morning for the Minnesota Borderlands. Koochiching and northern St. Louis Counties have observed temperatures of -15 to -22 F, with dewpoints down to -25 (a bit more room to drop down still), as of 0300 AM. These very cold overnight lows are expected to hang around for another hour or two, but a slight uptick in the gradient between 0400-0500 CT may allow for just enough mixing to help increase those temps closer to -10 F by 0600-0700 for those early morning bus stop pick ups and the morning commute. A deep low pressure remains stacked in the Hudson Bay region this morning. A shortwave clipper in central Manitoba is rotating through the southwestern side of the Hudson low and will help to bring light snow accumulations to much of north-central and northeast Minnesota starting today. Timing is expected for first snow entering north-central Minnesota around sunrise this morning, with northeast Minnesota closer to late morning. Snow to liquid ratios of 20:1 are expected today and may still need to be increased a bit based on upstream observed SLRs. Up to 0.1" of QPF is on the 80th percentile of guidance so a general 1 to 2" of snow remains likely today north of a line from Cass to northern Aitkin to the Twin Ports. If SLRs overachieve, up to 3" could fall from Taconite Harbor northeastward in the lake-enhanced snow belt locations by late this evening. Another surface high clips far northern Minnesota tonight and sets up a second round of MinTs that could drop anywhere from -10 F to -20 F again in Koochiching and northern St Louis counties. The next round of light accumulating snow quickly follows into north-central Minnesota again by late Tuesday night. This has a more southward track and favors the best chance of a couple of inches of snow along and south of US Hwy 2 in MN and WI and again across the North Shore. This round of snow may impact the Wednesday morning commute in north-central and east-central Minnesota. Current QPF forecasts remain generally around the 50-65 percentile, but some guidance suggest a narrow banded structure near the Twin Ports and into northwest Wisconsin, which may result in locally higher snow amounts with this round. So while the message remains with a range of one to two inches of snow in the area described above, local amounts of three inches may occur. A few lake effect snow showers may hold on into Wednesday evening, but other locations should start to see decreasing snow by late Wednesday afternoon. The last round of sub-zero temperatures are again expected in far northern Minnesota Wednesday night before a warming trend begins from Thursday onward as the Hudson low moves eastward. Progs continue to struggle with the track of a low pressure that is expected through IA/IL Thursday night into Friday morning. Interior parts of northwest Wisconsin may see very light snow from this on northeast wrap-around flow, but confidence in any kind of amounts or potential remains fairly low so only slight chances are in the far southeast forecast zones. Near-normal temperatures and minimal precip chances setup this weekend from high pressure and a low-amplitude ridge over the Lower Great Lakes promoting an east to southeast warmer air into the Northland. Ensemble guidance is showing fair certainty about some form of a deep western trough early next week. This may then move eastward and could again lead to a more active pattern by later Monday or next Tuesday. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday morning) Issued at 537 AM CST Tue Dec 6 2022 A band of snow has entered north-central Minnesota early this morning and will reduce conditions from west to east into mid- day today. The heaviest snow is expected at terminals in north- central MN starting at 14z and ending at NE MN terminals towards 22z. SUW/ASX/HYR/OLG in northwest Wisconsin could see a couple of hours of MVFR conditions and light snow, but most sites in NW WI should be outside of the heaviest snow. Lingering snow showers tonight could create scattered MVFR conditions, but VFR should generally prevail. Another round of snow begins near BRD and north-central MN late this TAF period and will move eastward through Wednesday morning. && .MARINE... Issued at 253 AM CST Tue Dec 6 2022 Winds under 15 knots will be variable today over western Lake Superior as a band of snow is expected to bring some reduced visibilities along the North Shore this afternoon. Gusty west to northwest winds build along the North Shore tonight behind the departed clipper where some nearshore gusts of 25 knots could occur from Silver Bay northward. The higher confidence though is in gusts to 25 knots in the Outer Apostle Islands tonight where a Small Craft Advisory may be needed in future issuances. Winds are then expected to decrease below 15 knots again by Wednesday morning, while another band of snow could create reduced visibilities over the South Shore tomorrow. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DLH 19 6 15 1 / 90 20 90 10 INL 9 -11 6 -7 / 90 20 0 0 BRD 21 6 14 3 / 70 80 90 0 HYR 26 9 21 4 / 20 20 70 0 ASX 24 12 22 8 / 40 10 90 10 && .DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. LS...None. && DISCUSSION...NLY AVIATION...NLY MARINE...NLY
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Duluth MN 233 AM CST Tue Dec 6 2022 MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-070845- Koochiching-North St. Louis-Northern Cook/Northern Lake- North Itasca-Central St. Louis-Southern Lake/North Shore- Southern Cook/North Shore-North Cass-South Itasca-South Cass- Crow Wing-Northern Aitkin-South Aitkin-Carlton/South St. Louis- Pine-Douglas-Bayfield-Ashland-Iron-Burnett-Washburn-Sawyer-Price- 233 AM CST Tue Dec 6 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Snow will begin early this morning in north-central Minnesota where one to two inches is expected. Snow spreads into northeast Minnesota by the late morning where a similar amount of one to two inches is likely through early this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Another round of snow, producing another one to two inches, is expected Wednesday for locations generally along and south of US Highway Two in northern and east-central Minnesota and across northwest Wisconsin. Travel impacts are possible for the morning commute. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Snow spotters are requested to report their snowfall measurements today to the National Weather Service. LSZ121-140>148-150-070845- Bayfield to Oak Point WI-Grand Portage to Grand Marais MN- Grand Marais to Taconite Harbor MN- Taconite Harbor to Silver Bay Harbor MN- Silver Bay Harbor to Two Harbors MN-Two Harbors to Duluth MN- Duluth MN to Port Wing WI-Port Wing to Sand Island WI- Sand Island to Bayfield WI-Oak Point to Saxon Harbor WI- Outer Apostle Islands Beyond 5 NM from Mainland- 233 AM CST Tue Dec 6 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Lake Superior and the Nearshore waters of western Lake Superior. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Gusty westerly winds are possible tonight in the outer Apostle Islands. These conditions may be hazardous for small craft. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. NLY More information may be obtained at the following web address: http://www.weather.gov/duluth
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals were generally around 3 inches or less, but an area of heavy snow led to a 6 report near Pine River over a period of 6 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, December 2022
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: 1070758.