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Snow Continues in the Great Lakes; Above Normal Temperatures in the West

Lake effect snow will continue into the weekend as two more quick moving systems will bring widespread snow to the Upper Great Lakes. High winds are expected across portions of Montana through the weekend. Below normal temperatures will remain in place across much of the southern and eastern U.S., while the western U.S. will experience above normal temperatures. Read More >

Overview

A strong low pressure system tracked northeast across the Northern Plains before stalling in Northern Minnesota from October 10-12th. With an abundance of moisture and enough cold air in place, a historic, early-season winter storm resulted. While starting as rain in most instances on the 10th, cold air shifted from west to east and most areas switched over to sleet and then snow by the overnight from the 10th into the 11th. Thundersnow was reported in Herried and other locations during this storm. Along with the snow which totaled up to a foot in north central South Dakota, northwest winds gusted generally between 40 and 50 mph particularly on Friday the 11th. This put an added strain on snow-covered and leaf-laden trees. Additionally, low temperatures tanked into the 20s for multiple nights, which ended the growing season. Wind chills were even colder, in the single digits. Road conditions through the course of the event deteriorated greatly and several vehicles slid into ditches. Agriculture and ranchers were also adversely affected, by the snow in the short term and by the additional moisture in the longer term. Due to the still relatively high sun angle, snow melted completely within a couple days after the storm in South Dakota, but took longer to do so in the hardest-hit areas of North Dakota. 

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Pressure and winds from Thursday Oct 10th through Saturday Oct 12th
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