Minnesota, 2023

Heavy Snow in Minnesota, April 20 to 21, 2023

April 20 to 21, 2023 · NWS DLH · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Low pressure moved from the Central Plains on the 20th into the Minnesota Arrowhead on the morning of the 21st and brought another messy spring system to the region. While most of the area saw rain from this event, northern and northeastern Minnesota received mainly snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 DLH wrote it up.

Low pressure moved from the Central Plains on the 20th into the Minnesota Arrowhead on the morning of the 21st and brought another messy spring system to the region. While most of the area saw rain from this event, northern and northeastern Minnesota received mainly snow. Snowfall totals of 6 to 10 inches were recorded with higher amounts to 15 inches along the terrain ridge of the North Shore with terrain and lake enhancement as the low passed nearly overhead.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Southern Lake

When
April 20, 2:00 AM CST to April 21, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Southern Lake forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
47.557, -91.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals along the terrain ridge of southern Lake County were higher than expected due to lake enhancement. Totals of 5 to 10 inches were reported along the terrain ridge with 2 to 4 inches near Lake Superior. The highest report came from just west of Silver Bay were 15 inches was reported while Silver Bay itself only received around 5 inches showing the tight gradient along the ridge.

Heavy Snow, Northern St. Louis

When
April 20, 4:00 AM CST to April 21, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Northern St. Louis forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.590, -92.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals across the northern part of the county were in the 6 to 8 inch range for the event with a high report of 8.5 inches near Ely.

Heavy Snow, Northern Cook / Northern Lake

When
April 20, 4:00 AM CST to April 21, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Northern Cook / Northern Lake forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.670, -90.975 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest totals across the northern portions of Lake and Cook counties was along the terrain ridge in the southern reaches of the area where some lake enhancement occurred. Totals tapered off to the north of the terrain ridge and were below 6 inches, but picked up again further north where 8.7 inches was recorded at the COOP site 25 miles east of Ely on Snowbank Lake.

Heavy Snow, Southern Cook

When
April 20, 4:00 AM CST to April 21, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Southern Cook forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
47.817, -90.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals along the terrain ridge of southern Cook County were higher than expected due to lake enhancement. Totals of 6 to 12 inches were reported across this area with a high report of 15 inches near Hovland.

Heavy Snow, Koochiching

When
April 20, 5:00 AM CST to April 21, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Koochiching forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
48.245, -93.783 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 6 to 8 inches were reported across the county with a high report of 9.3 inches about 10 miles east of International Falls.

Heavy Snow, Northern Itasca

When
April 20, 5:00 AM CST to April 21, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Northern Itasca forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
47.510, -93.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 6 to 8 inches were recorded across the northern part of Itasca County with a high report of 8 inches about 13 miles north of Bovey.

Heavy Snow, Southern St. Louis / Carlton

When
April 20, 2:00 PM CST to April 21, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Southern St. Louis / Carlton forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
47.091, -92.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals around the southern portion of St. Louis County and Carlton County were generally in the 2 to 5 inch range. Some lake enhancement was observed on the northeast side of Duluth where around 8 inches was recorded.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Minnesota in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, April 2023

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1095199, 1095181, 1095187, 1095201, 1095180, 1095191, 1095203.