A low pressure system moved out of the Rockies, curving through the southern Plains northeast into Upper Missisippi River Valley on Sunday morning, December 14th. Snow spread out ahead of the system, with heavy snows falling across central and northern Minnesota, and some portions of northern Wisconsin. Accumulations in excess of 10 inches occurred in some locations, with blizzard conditions also very prevalent.
The snow would miss the local area for the most part, as the area stayed on the warm side of the storm track. Mild temperatures in the 40s graced most of the area early on Sunday, until the storm's arctic cold front moved through during the afternoon and early evening. With the front's passage, temperatures dropped 20 degrees in 2 hours! A temperature change of over 40 degrees from Sunday morning (Dec.14th) to Monday morning (Dec.15th) was common.
The cold was made more significant as the winds increased into the 20 to 30 mph range from the northwest (gusts to 45 mph) behind the front. These strong winds, coupled with the plummeting temperatures, created dangerous wind chills of 20 to 35 below zero. These bitter cold conditions persisted for much of Monday, December 15th, although diminishing winds by the evening lead to some improvement.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
910 AM CST MON DEC 15 2008
...MINIMUM WIND CHILLS SINCE LAST EVENING...
STATION COUNTY TIME WIND CHILL
CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL AWS OLMSTED 414 AM -39 F
DODGE CENTER AWOS DODGE 215 AM -36 F
MONONA HS AWS CLAYTON 639 AM -36 F
ROCHESTER ASOS OLMSTED 440 AM -36 F
WEST CONCORD - KIMT DODGE 215 AM -36 F
AUSTIN AWOS MOWER 215 AM -36 F
ROCHESTER KELLOGG - KIMT OLMSTED 435 AM -35 F
WEST UNION AWS FAYETTE 114 AM -35 F
DECORAH 2SE RWIS WINNESHIEK 415 AM -34 F
NWS LA CROSSE LA CROSSE 644 AM -34 F
CANTON RWIS FILLMORE 209 AM -34 F
AUSTIN KIMT MOWER 608 AM -34 F
PRESTON KIMT FILLMORE 255 AM -34 F
WILLOW CREEK - KIMT OLMSTED 415 AM -33 F
CRESCO KIMT HOWARD 1255 AM -33 F
NEW HAMPTON RWIS CHICKASAW 203 AM -33 F
NEW HAMPTON AWS CHICKASAW 159 AM -33 F
WSU CAMPUS AWS WINONA 634 AM -33 F
ARCADIA HILL RWIS TREMPEALEAU 608 AM -32 F
FRIENDSHIP AWS ADAMS 714 AM -32 F
JOHN ADAMS - KIMT OLMSTED 455 AM -32 F
PRESTON AWOS FILLMORE 419 AM -32 F
FENNIMORE ELEMENTARY AWS GRANT 215 AM -31 F
CHARLES CITY AWOS FLOYD 555 AM -31 F
ALMA AWS BUFFALO 814 AM -31 F
RICEVILLE - KIMT HOWARD 1209 AM -31 F
CRESTWOOD AWS HOWARD 258 AM -30 F
STANLEY 1 SE RWIS CHIPPEWA 823 AM -30 F
SOUTH WINNESHIEK SCHOOL WINNESHIEK 359 AM -30 F
BUFFALO LUTHERAN AWS BUFFALO 639 AM -30 F
DIAMOND LAKE RAWS TAYLOR 814 AM -30 F
PLAINFIELD AWS CHICKASAW 824 AM -29 F
ALBERT LEA - KIMT FREEBORN 935 PM -29 F
RICHLAND CENTER AWS RICHLAND 719 AM -29 F
LOYAL SCHOOL AWS CLARK 834 AM -29 F
LA CROSSE ASOS LA CROSSE 527 AM -29 F
MEDFORD AWOS TAYLOR 815 AM -29 F
KELLOGG RWIS WABASHA 449 AM -29 F
MOUNT STERLING 1S RWIS CRAWFORD 707 AM -29 F
OSAGE - KIMT MITCHELL 115 AM -28 F
WISC DELLS AWOS SAUK 715 AM -28 F
VOLK FIELD JUNEAU 755 AM -28 F
NECEDAH RAWS JUNEAU 848 AM -28 F
OELWEIN AWOS FAYETTE 535 AM -28 F
RIVERDALE SCHOOL AWS GRANT 729 AM -28 F
PLAINVIEW AWS WABASHA 554 AM -27 F
I-90 AT I-94 RWIS JUNEAU 805 AM -26 F
DECORAH AWOS WINNESHIEK 715 AM -26 F
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN AWS CRAWFORD 714 AM -26 F
EASTERN ALLAMAKEE SCHOOL ALLAMAKEE 459 AM -26 F
3N LA CRESCENT APRS HOUSTON 704 AM -25 F
1 SE DOWNTOWN ONALASKA LA CROSSE 712 AM -25 F
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN AWOS CRAWFORD 555 AM -25 F
BLACK RIVER FALLS RWIS JACKSON 708 AM -25 F
SPARTA AWOS MONROE 655 AM -25 F
5W TOMAH RWIS MONROE 808 AM -25 F
TOMAH 4N RWIS MONROE 806 AM -25 F
WINONA AWOS WINONA 354 AM -23 F
CALEDONIA RWIS HOUSTON 311 AM -23 F
MCGREGOR MS AWS CLAYTON 304 AM -23 F
ITHACA AWS RICHLAND 629 AM -23 F
LA CROSSE 1S GUND LUTH LA CROSSE 716 AM -22 F
BOSCOBEL ASOS GRANT 532 AM -21 F
DICKEYVILLE RWIS GRANT 302 AM -21 F
BLACK RIVER FALLS RAWS JACKSON 715 AM -21 F
KEY TO OBSERVATION TYPES
AWS - SENSORS FROM AWS INCORPORATED. OFTEN LOCATED AT SCHOOLS.
RWIS - ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS. LOCATED ON MAJOR ROADS AND BRIDGES.
RAWS - FIRE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS. OFTEN LOCATED IN FORESTS.
ASOS/AWOS - AVIATION WEATHER OBSERVATIONS. LOCATED AT AIRPORTS.
OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING EQUIPMENT
AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED IS CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
$$
Temperature Drops on Sunday, December 14th
...DRAMATIC TEMPERATURE DROPS ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY...
MINNESOTA
ROCHESTER AUSTIN WINONA
---------- ---------- ----------
12 PM 41 DEGREES 39 DEGREES 46 DEGREES
1 PM 39 DEGREES 21 DEGREES 46 DEGREES
2 PM 19 DEGREES 14 DEGREES 46 DEGREES
3 PM 13 DEGREES 10 DEGREES 36 DEGREES
4 PM 9 DEGREES 7 DEGREES 23 DEGREES
5 PM 6 DEGREES 5 DEGREES 18 DEGREES
6 PM 5 DEGREES 3 DEGREES 14 DEGREES
7 PM 3 DEGREES 1 DEGREE 12 DEGREES
8 PM 2 DEGREES 0 DEGREES 10 DEGREES
9 PM 0 DEGREES -2 DEGREES 10 DEGREES
WISCONSIN
LA CROSSE LA CROSSE NWS PRAIRIE DU CHEIN
---------- ------------- ----------------
2 PM 43 DEGREES 44 DEGREES 46 DEGREES
3 PM 43 DEGREES 41 DEGREES 41 DEGREES
4 PM 34 DEGREES 31 DEGREES 32 DEGREES
5 PM 23 DEGREES 18 DEGREES 27 DEGREES
6 PM 17 DEGREES 14 DEGREES 19 DEGREES
7 PM 13 DEGREES 9 DEGREES 16 DEGREES
8 PM 11 DEGREES 7 DEGREES 14 DEGREES
9 PM 9 DEGREES 5 DEGREES 12 DEGREES
IOWA
CHARLES CITY OELWEIN
------------ ----------
11 AM 43 DEGREES 46 DEGREES
12 PM 36 DEGREES 50 DEGREES
1 PM 28 DEGREES 32 DEGREES
2 PM 23 DEGREES 32 DEGREES
3 PM 18 DEGREES 27 DEGREES
4 PM 14 DEGREES 21 DEGREES
5 PM 10 DEGREES 18 DEGREES
6 PM 9 DEGREES 14 DEGREES
7 PM 5 DEGREES 14 DEGREES
8 PM 3 DEGREES 12 DEGREES
9 PM 3 DEGREES 9 DEGREES
Strongest Winds Sunday Night/Monday Morning
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
920 AM CST MON DEC 15 2008
...HIGHEST WINDS SORTED BY GUSTS IN THE PAST 24 HOURS...
STATION COUNTY TIME SPEED GUST
OELWEIN AWOS FAYETTE 1255 AM 38 MPH 46 MPH
AUSTIN AWOS MOWER 215 AM 36 MPH 45 MPH
ST CHARLES 4W RWIS OLMSTED 406 PM 28 MPH 44 MPH
ARCADIA HILL RWIS TREMPEALEAU 309 PM 18 MPH 43 MPH
NEW HAMPTON RWIS CHICKASAW 353 AM 35 MPH 43 MPH
DODGE CENTER AWOS DODGE 415 PM 31 MPH 41 MPH
ROCHESTER ASOS OLMSTED 1154 PM 30 MPH 41 MPH
CHARLES CITY AWOS FLOYD 135 AM 32 MPH 40 MPH
MOUNT STERLING 1S RWIS CRAWFORD 707 AM 21 MPH 39 MPH
LA CROSSE ASOS LA CROSSE 321 PM 15 MPH 39 MPH
NWS LA CROSSE LA CROSSE 1229 PM 18 MPH 38 MPH
PRESTON AWOS FILLMORE 239 AM 28 MPH 38 MPH
CANTON RWIS FILLMORE 404 PM 26 MPH 37 MPH
DICKEYVILLE RWIS GRANT 102 AM 21 MPH 37 MPH
BOSCOBEL ASOS GRANT 553 AM 13 MPH 36 MPH
KELLOGG RWIS WABASHA 314 AM 21 MPH 36 MPH
MEDFORD AWOS TAYLOR 515 AM 20 MPH 35 MPH
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN AWOS CRAWFORD 315 AM 20 MPH 35 MPH
WINONA AWOS WINONA 314 AM 20 MPH 35 MPH
DECORAH 2SE RWIS WINNESHIEK 415 AM 29 MPH 33 MPH
NECEDAH RAWS JUNEAU 148 AM 21 MPH 33 MPH
SPARTA AWOS MONROE 155 AM 20 MPH 33 MPH
VOLK FIELD JUNEAU 455 AM 21 MPH 33 MPH
STANLEY 1 SE RWIS CHIPPEWA 423 PM 22 MPH 33 MPH
MAUSTON APRS JUNEAU 618 PM 8 MPH 32 MPH
WISC DELLS AWOS SAUK 335 AM 23 MPH 32 MPH
3N LA CRESCENT APRS HOUSTON 1209 AM 8 MPH 32 MPH
I-90 AT I-94 RWIS JUNEAU 505 AM 20 MPH 31 MPH
TOMAH 4N RWIS MONROE 1006 PM 16 MPH 30 MPH
DECORAH AWOS WINNESHIEK 1015 AM 15 MPH 30 MPH
DIAMOND LAKE RAWS TAYLOR 814 AM 16 MPH 30 MPH
PDC RWIS - MISS RIVER CRAWFORD 106 AM 12 MPH 29 MPH
BLACK RIVER FALLS RAWS JACKSON 415 PM 16 MPH 28 MPH
CALEDONIA RWIS HOUSTON 126 AM 10 MPH 26 MPH
BLACK RIVER FALLS RWIS JACKSON 608 AM 9 MPH 26 MPH
KEY TO OBSERVATION TYPES
AWS - SENSORS FROM AWS INCORPORATED. OFTEN LOCATED AT SCHOOLS.
RWIS - ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS. LOCATED ON MAJOR ROADS AND BRIDGES.
RAWS - FIRE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS. OFTEN LOCATED IN FORESTS.
ASOS/AWOS - AVIATION WEATHER OBSERVATIONS. LOCATED AT AIRPORTS.
OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING EQUIPMENT
AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED IS CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
$$
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