Minnesota, 2023

Winter Weather in Minnesota, April 4 to 5, 2023

April 4 to 5, 2023 · NWS ABR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong low pressure system developed across the western Great Plains and strengthened as it tracked northeast into Iowa on the afternoon of April 4th and into northeastern Minnesota by noon on April 5th. This system produced accumulating snow across west central Minnesota on April 4th, and then strong west-northwest wind gusts between 30 and 45 mph on April 5th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2

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 ABR wrote it up.

A strong low pressure system developed across the western Great Plains and strengthened as it tracked northeast into Iowa on the afternoon of April 4th and into northeastern Minnesota by noon on April 5th. This system produced accumulating snow across west central Minnesota on April 4th, and then strong west-northwest wind gusts between 30 and 45 mph on April 5th. The result was significantly reduced visibilities at times. Ditches were full of snow from this and previous snowfall events, which allowed for significant drifts to develop on roadways as well.

Many US and state highways were either closed or under no travel advised statements from the Department of Transportation. Business and school closures resulted, and there were several reports of power outages. Following this storm, many locations had observed a top-10 winter season for total snowfall across the region. All the snow and much below average temperatures to start April set the stage for significant spring flooding.

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 Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 3, 5:29 PM CST, 12 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 5:29 PM CST, 12 hours 31 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

2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Traverse

When
April 4, 6:00 AM CST to April 5, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Traverse forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
45.772, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Big Stone

When
April 4, 6:00 AM CST to April 5, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Big Stone forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
45.426, -96.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

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: 1092873, 1092874.