Heavy to excessive rainfall may lead to flooding Wednesday over southwest Pennsylvania into northern West Virginia, and western Maryland. Flood Watches have been issued. An extended period of hot weather will continue for parts of coastal southern California including Los Angeles through Thursday. Heat Advisories remain in effect. Read More >
Overview
A storm system moved in from the northwest and spread a band of 4 to 7 inches across central Minnesota into western Wisconsin. The heaviest snow fell on Thursday morning, December 19th, which prompted several school closings and caused travel impacts through the evening. A few of the highest amounts are listed below. Here's a link to the Full List of Reports. 8.9 inches near Faribault MN in Rice County. |
![]() Interpolated snowfall map based on reports from observers across the region. |
Weather Data
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At 500mb, a northern stream shortwave trough moved across the High Plains toward the Great Lakes. A Jet Streak (color fill) on the southern side, together with the curvature of the flow, created rising motion over Minnesota and Wisconsin. HREF 500mb Height / Wind. | Temperatures were cold enough for the precipitation to fall as snow (blue shading). HREF mean Ptype. | Two days before the event, the heaviest snow was expected along I-94. This is shown by the higher probabilities (yellow) of seeing at least two inches of snow. | As the event drew near, the forecast shifted to the south, and the heaviest snow ended up south of I-94. |
Photos & Video
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The MNDOT image above shows heavy snow falling along I-35 near Faribault MN. | The MNDOT image above shows heavy snow near Shakopee MN along Hwy 169. |
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