Overview
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A major winter storm resulted in moderate to major impacts much of the region from the morning of Tuesday March 4th to the afternoon of Wednesday March 5th, 2025. Light rain or drizzle, as well as isolated thunderstorms, transitioned to light to moderate snow during day through early evening of Tuesday March 4th 2025. Snow coupled with very strong winds gusting 40 to 65 mph, producing blizzard conditions along and east of a Minneota, MN to Orange City, IA to Elk Point, SD line on Tuesday night March 4th through Wednesday afternoon March 5th. The greatest impacts occurred where the heaviest snow and strongest winds coincided across northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska, and portions of southwest Minnesota. Interstate 90 was closed east of Luverne, MN and most roads in southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, and northwest Iowa were either closed, impassable, or with travel not advised by the morning of Wednesday March 5th. |
 Strong wind gusts and blowing snow brought difficult (Winter Weather Advisory) to impossible (Blizzard Warning) travel to the region |
Wind:
Wind gusts of 40-60 mph were common during the evening on March 4th, continuing overnight, and gradually weakening west to east on March 5th.
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| Map of Peak Wind Gusts from 7 AM Tue March 4th to 7AM Wed March 5th, 2025 |
...PRELIMINARY HIGHEST WIND REPORTS THROUGH 7AM WEDNESDAY MARCH 5TH...
Location Speed Time/Date Provider
...Iowa...
...Buena Vista County...
Storm Lake Airport 59 MPH 0855 PM 03/04 AWOS
Storm Lake 59 MPH 0120 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
...Cherokee County...
Cherokee Municipal Airport 46 MPH 0344 AM 03/05 AWOS
Marcus 45 MPH 0830 PM 03/04 DAVIS
...Clay County...
Spencer Municipal Airport 62 MPH 0120 AM 03/05 ASOS
...Dickinson County...
TERRIL 56 MPH 1219 AM 03/05 CWOP
Lake Park 49 MPH 1210 AM 03/05 CWOP
Spirit Lake 49 MPH 0326 AM 03/05 CWOP
Milford 49 MPH 0200 AM 03/05 CWOP
...Ida County...
Battle Creek 59 MPH 0115 AM 03/05 DAVIS
...OBrien County...
Sheldon Airport 52 MPH 0355 AM 03/05 AWOS
...Osceola County...
MAY CITY 51 MPH 0240 PM 03/04 CWOP
Sibley 47 MPH 0135 PM 03/04 MESOWEST
...Plymouth County...
Le Mars Airport 51 MPH 0855 PM 03/04 AWOS
Remsen 45 MPH 1245 AM 03/05 DAVIS
...Sioux County...
1 NE Maurice 61 MPH 0255 AM 03/05 AWOS
Alton 53 MPH 1235 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
Hawarden 48 MPH 0205 AM 03/05 CWOP
...Woodbury County...
Sioux Gateway Airport 60 MPH 0315 AM 03/05 ASOS
Sioux City 53 MPH 0405 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
Sioux City 51 MPH 0141 AM 03/05 CWOP
Moville 49 MPH 0855 PM 03/04 MESOWEST
...Minnesota...
...Cottonwood County...
T.h.60 - Mountain Lake - Mp 56 MPH 1230 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
Windom Municipal Airport 51 MPH 0215 AM 03/05 AWOS
T.h.71 - Jeffers - Mp 43 47 MPH 1155 PM 03/04 MESOWEST
...Jackson County...
Jackson Airport 59 MPH 0215 AM 03/05 AWOS
I-90 - Lakefield - Mp 67 56 MPH 0135 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
...Lincoln County...
T.h.19 - Hendricks - Mp 2 48 MPH 0200 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
...Lyon County...
U.s.14 - Florence - Mp 21.2 64 MPH 1240 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
T.h.68 - Taunton - Mp 22.9 53 MPH 0135 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
Tracy Airport 48 MPH 1155 PM 03/04 AWOS
Marshall Municipal Airport 47 MPH 0313 AM 03/05 AWOS
...Murray County...
T.h.30 - Dovray - Mp 49 49 MPH 0340 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
Slayton Municipal Airport 44 MPH 0933 PM 03/04 AWOS
...Nobles County...
Worthington Airport 55 MPH 1158 PM 03/04 AWOS
I-90 - Rushmore - Mp 35 49 MPH 0110 PM 03/04 MESOWEST
...Pipestone County...
U.s.75 - Trosky - Mp 30.3 59 MPH 0430 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
Redstone RAWS 51 MPH 0921 PM 03/04 RAWS
...Rock County...
I-90 - Beaver Creek Mp 4 59 MPH 0915 PM 03/04 MESOWEST
I-90 - Magnolia - Mp 21.6 54 MPH 0225 AM 03/05 MESOWEST
Luverne 49 MPH 1230 AM 03/05 CWOP
Hardwick 47 MPH 0745 PM 03/04 DAVIS
Luverne Airport 45 MPH 1035 PM 03/04 AWOS
...Nebraska...
...Dixon County...
Concord 2E 47 MPH 0250 AM 03/05 NE-MESO
...South Dakota...
...Aurora County...
SD RWIS Plankinton 53 MPH 0335 PM 03/04 SDDOT
White Lake (SD Mesonet) 48 MPH 1115 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
...Beadle County...
Huron Regional Airport 49 MPH 0305 PM 03/04 ASOS
SD RWIS Cavour 48 MPH 0340 PM 03/04 SDDOT
...Bon Homme County...
SD RWIS Tyndall 56 MPH 0810 PM 03/04 SDDOT
Scotland 42 MPH 0525 AM 03/05 DAVIS
...Brookings County...
Volga (SD Mesonet) 46 MPH 1250 AM 03/05 SDSMESO
Brookings 2NE 45 MPH 0550 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
Brookings Municipal Airport 44 MPH 1209 AM 03/05 AWOS
Astoria 4 SSE (SD Mesonet) 42 MPH 1105 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
White 40 MPH 1130 PM 03/04 DAVIS
Elkton 40 MPH 0335 PM 03/04 CWOP
...Brule County...
SD RWIS Kimball 52 MPH 1114 AM 03/04 SDDOT
...Charles Mix County...
SD RWIS WAGNER 59 MPH 0102 AM 03/05 SDDOT
SD RWIS Platte-Winner Bridge 58 MPH 1135 AM 03/04 SDDOT
Lake Andes RAWS 48 MPH 0341 PM 03/04 RAWS
Wagner 44 MPH 0225 PM 03/04 DAVIS
Wagner 43 MPH 0955 PM 03/04 AWOS
...Clay County...
Vermillion 56 MPH 0215 AM 03/05 AWOS
Beresford 7 WSW (SD Mesonet) 54 MPH 0350 AM 03/05 SDSMESO
Wakonda 50 MPH 0835 PM 03/04 DAVIS
...Davison County...
Mitchell Municipal Airport 52 MPH 0306 AM 03/05 ASOS
Mount Vernon 49 MPH 0940 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
...Douglas County...
SD RWIS Corsica 58 MPH 0200 AM 03/05 SDDOT
Armour 43 MPH 1155 PM 03/04 DAVIS
...Gregory County...
SD RWIS Dallas 60 MPH 0904 AM 03/04 SDDOT
SD RWIS Ft. Randall Dam 55 MPH 0333 AM 03/05 SDDOT
SD RWIS Dixon 55 MPH 1044 AM 03/04 SDDOT
Gregory 16N 48 MPH 0405 AM 03/05 SDSMESO
Butte 8NNW 47 MPH 0200 PM 03/04 CWOP
Gregory 7SSW 46 MPH 0340 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
...Hanson County...
SD RWIS Alexandria 61 MPH 1020 PM 03/04 SDDOT
...Hutchinson County...
Menno 7ESE 59 MPH 0810 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
SD RWIS Freeman 56 MPH 1156 PM 03/04 SDDOT
SD RWIS Tripp 55 MPH 0855 PM 03/04 SDDOT
Parkston (SD Mesonet) 45 MPH 0200 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
...Jerauld County...
SD RWIS Lane 53 MPH 1109 AM 03/04 SDDOT
2 ESE Wessington Springs 43 MPH 0755 PM 03/04 AWOS
...Kingsbury County...
SD RWIS Arlington 53 MPH 1111 PM 03/04 SDDOT
De Smet 7N 47 MPH 1250 AM 03/05 SDSMESO
3 NNW De Smet 46 MPH 0215 AM 03/05 AWOS
...Lake County...
Madison 6S 51 MPH 1250 AM 03/05 SDSMESO
Madison Airport 49 MPH 0415 PM 03/04 AWOS
...Lincoln County...
SD RWIS Davis 57 MPH 1035 PM 03/04 SDDOT
Tea 47 MPH 1235 AM 03/05 AWOS
...McCook County...
SD RWIS STANLEY CORNER 58 MPH 0202 AM 03/05 SDDOT
SD RWIS Montrose 55 MPH 1231 AM 03/05 SDDOT
Canova 46 MPH 0115 AM 03/05 CWOP
...Miner County...
SD RWIS Howard 48 MPH 0336 PM 03/04 SDDOT
...Minnehaha County...
Sioux Falls Airport 53 MPH 0655 PM 03/04 ASOS
Sioux Falls (SD Mesonet) 44 MPH 0625 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
Sioux Falls 10 WSW (SD Meson 44 MPH 0340 AM 03/05 SDSMESO
...Moody County...
SD RWIS Ward 55 MPH 0315 PM 03/04 SDDOT
Flandreau 3 NNE (SD Mesonet) 49 MPH 1155 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
Colman 45 MPH 0205 AM 03/05 DAVIS
...Sanborn County...
SD RWIS Forestburg 53 MPH 0105 PM 03/04 SDDOT
Woonsocket 4NNW 51 MPH 0205 AM 03/05 SDSMESO
Letcher 2ENE 47 MPH 0915 PM 03/04 SDSMESO
...Turner County...
SD RWIS Parker 58 MPH 0147 AM 03/05 SDDOT
SD RWIS IRENE 56 MPH 0413 AM 03/05 SDDOT
Parker 7NNE 53 MPH 1250 AM 03/05 SDSMESO
...Union County...
SD RWIS Beresford 60 MPH 0156 AM 03/05 SDDOT
SD RWIS North Sioux City 48 MPH 1209 AM 03/05 SDDOT
...Yankton County...
SD RWIS Gayville 58 MPH 1115 PM 03/04 SDDOT
Yankton Municipal Airport 55 MPH 0246 AM 03/05 AWOS
Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying
equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers
for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.
Snow/Ice
Snow totals ranged from a half inch or less in eastern SD to 4+ inches near Huron, SD and Windom, MN. |
| Map of snowfall totals for March 4-5, 2025 ranges from a tenth inch of snow in far southeast South Dakota to as much as 4+ inches near Huron, SD and Windom, MN. Snowfall reports are compiled from spotters and CoCoRaHs and cooperative weather observers. |
...SNOWFALL REPORTS FOR MARCH 4TH and 5TH...
Location Amount Time/Date Provider ...Iowa... ...Cherokee County... 0.9 NE Cherokee 3.0 in 0800 AM 03/05 COOP ...Dickinson County... 1 W Spirit Lake 2.3 in 0700 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...Ida County... 1 WSW Ida Grove 3.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 Trained Spotter Holstein 6.8 SSW 2.5 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Lyon County... Rock Rapids 0.3 in 0800 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...OBrien County... Sheldon 2.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...Osceola County... Sibley 0.6 in 0730 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...Plymouth County... Remsen 1.6 in 1000 AM 03/05 COOP Le Mars 1.5 in 0800 AM 03/05 COOP ...Sioux County... Orange City 2.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COOP ...Woodbury County... Sergeant Bluff 3.0 in 0600 AM 03/05 Official NWS Obs 3.4 N Hornick 2.2 in 0700 AM 03/05 COOP ...Minnesota... ...Cottonwood County... 1 NNE Windom 4.6 in 0800 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...Lincoln County... Hendricks 8.0 SE 0.5 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Lyon County... Milroy 4.1 SSW 2.5 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS Balaton 2.1 SE 2.2 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS 4 S Cottonwood 1.0 in 0900 AM 03/05 COCORAHS Marshall 1.0 in 0800 AM 03/05 COOP ...Murray County... Slayton 0.8 SSW 2.4 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Nobles County... Worthington 1.9 SW 1.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Pipestone County... 1 NNW Pipestone 0.5 in 0800 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer Edgerton 0.2 WSW 0.5 in 0600 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Rock County... Hills 0.2 NW 0.7 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Nebraska... ...Dixon County... Newcastle 3.0 in 0600 AM 03/05 COOP ...South Dakota... ...Aurora County... Stickney 3.8 SW 1.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Beadle County... 2 S Huron 4.4 in 0600 AM 03/05 Official NWS Obs ...Bon Homme County... Tyndall 0.8 in 0700 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...Brookings County... Astoria 2.2 SSE 1.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS Brookings 6.5 NNW 0.5 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS 2 NE Brookings 0.4 in 0800 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...Brule County... Pukwana 1.9 S 4.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Clay County... Vermillion 1.4 SE 1.3 in 0600 AM 03/05 COCORAHS 5.9 SE Centerville 0.5 in 0800 AM 03/05 COOP ...Davison County... Ethan 4.5 WSW 1.0 in 0600 AM 03/05 COCORAHS 1 SE Mitchell 0.8 in 0600 AM 03/05 Official NWS Obs ...Douglas County... Dimock 10.2 W 1.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Gregory County... Burke 10.5 SSE 2.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS Gregory 1.8 in 0700 AM 03/05 COOP 1 WNW Gregory 1.8 in 0700 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...Hutchinson County... Emery 10.8 S 0.1 in 0600 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Jerauld County... Wessington Springs 4.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COOP ...Kingsbury County... De Smet 0.2 SSE 1.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Lake County... Madison 2SE 0.2 in 0900 AM 03/05 COOP ...Lincoln County... Canton 1.0 in 0610 AM 03/05 COOP Harrisburg 0.8 NNE 0.4 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...McCook County... Montrose 1.0 in 0900 AM 03/05 COOP Bridgewater 1.0 in 0800 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer ...Miner County... 1 SSW Howard 1.0 in 0930 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer Howard 5.3 W 0.5 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Minnehaha County... Hartford 0.5 N 1.0 in 0600 AM 03/05 COCORAHS 4 ESE Sioux Falls 0.5 in 0800 AM 03/05 NWS Employee Renner 4.1 NW 0.5 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS Sioux Falls 5.2 E 0.5 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS 3 N Sioux Falls 0.5 in 0600 AM 03/05 Official NWS Obs 5 W Garretson 0.4 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS Garretson 1.7 WSW 0.3 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Moody County... Flandreau 0.5 in 0630 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer Colman 10.6 N 0.1 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Sanborn County... Letcher 0.5 E 2.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Union County... Jefferson 2.1 WNW 1.0 in 0700 AM 03/05 COCORAHS ...Yankton County... 2 ESE Yankton 0.8 in 0900 AM 03/05 CO-OP Observer Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.
Photos & Video
Impacts across the region were greatest Tuesday night March 4th through Wednesday morning March 5th, 2025
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| Small graupel was reported with a weak thunderstorm tracking through Yankton, SD at 7:30 AM March 4th (Paul Scherschligt) |
Low visibility was reported due to blowing snow and strong wind gusts north of Sioux Falls at 4:47 PM March 4th. (SDDOT) |
Low visibility was reported due to blowing snow and strong wind gusts near Trotsky, MN at 5:06 PM March 4th. (MNDOT) |
A snow plow camera just east of Adrian, MN shows near whiteout conditions at 5:51 PM March 4th. (MNDOT) |
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| A snow plow camera shows low visibility due to blowing snow east of Cleghorn, IA at 11:30 AM March 5th. (IADOT) |
Light icing on trees and elevated surfaces was reported in Marshall, MN Tuesday evening March 4th as rain transitioned to snow. (Alex Peterson) |
Most roads, including I-90, were closed or travel was not advised across southwest Minnesota on Wednesday morning March 5th, 2025. (MNDOT) |
Most roads were closed or travel was not advised across northwest Iowa and far northeast Nebraska on Wednesday morning March 5th, 2025. (IADOT) |
Radar
During this event, drizzle, light rain, and isolated thunderstorms quickly transitioned to light to moderate snow through the day and evening March 4th, 2025.
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| Scattered rain showers spread north 6 PM March 3 to 12 AM March 4, 2025 | Scattered rain showers spread north 12 AM to 6 AM March 4, 2025 | Scattered rain showers and storms spread north, along with rain to snow transition west of James River Valley 6 AM to 12 PM March 4, 2025 | Scattered rain showers transition to snow from west to east 12 PM to 6 PM March 4, 2025 |
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| Remaining rain showers transition to snow 6 PM March 4 to 12 AM March 5, 2025 | Light to moderate snow continues east of I-29 12 AM to 6 AM March 5, 2025 | Isolated snow tapers off west to east 6 AM to 12 PM March 5, 2025 | Regional mosaic radar reflectivity loop for the entire event from March 3rd through March 5th, 2025 |
Additional Information
The Forecast issued Monday afternoon March 3, 2025
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| Winter Weather Advisory and Winter Storm Watch | Precipitation Timing/Type Forecast | Timing of Near-Whiteout Conditions based on heavier snowfall rates |
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| Most likely and high end snowfall amounts | Timeline of peak wind gusts | Medium to high confidence in the track, timing, and precipitation amounts |
Summaries from other NWS Offices
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Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged! Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site. |
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