Overview
|
A powerful, rapidly intensifying surface low developed over the Central Plains and tracked northeastward into the SW Great Lakes region. It drew deep moisture from Pacific sources & the Gulf allowing it to produce a widespread area of significant snowfall. As it wrapped in Arctic air, blizzard conditions developed on the back side of the system. Many areas saw 10–20+ inches, with isolated higher amounts (up to 2–3 feet in parts of west-central Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the Tip of the Mitten). The greatest snowfall amounts fell between the southern Twin Cities metro & Rochester and east into Wisconsin. Travel was severely impacted, including the stretch of I-94 between Eau Claire and Osseo where several vehicles became stranded during the blizzard conditions on Sunday (pictured below). For the Twin Cities, this was the biggest storm of the 2025-26 Winter with 8.9" reported at MSP Airport over the two days. Over 450 flights were cancelled or delayed at MSP Airport, impacting many travelers' Spring Break plans. |
.gif) Event Radar Loop: 10:30AM Saturday, March 14 to 3:00 Monday, March 16, 2026 |
 |
 |
 |
| Regional road conditions map from 9:00AM on Sunday, March 15th. All roads had become at least partially if not fully covered in snow, and travel advisories were put in place for much of southern MN. | Road condition update at 2:30PM on Sunday, March 15th courtesy of WIDOT. Travel advisories were in place for the entire northern half of the state as dangerous road conditions developed. | Several vehicles became stranded along I-94 south of Eau Claire near Osseo Sunday afternoon due to blizzard conditions. Photo courtesy of Aaron Rigsby. |
Snow Totals
Storm total snow is from 12pm Saturday, March 14th through 6am Monday, March 16th.
 |
 |
 |
| Regional map of snowfall reports. A band of 18+" stretched from SE Minnesota into much of central Wisconsin. | Local map and list of snowfall reports. Note: Additional reports were received after this report. Those new reports are included in the extended list below. | Snow report from Augusta, WI showing at least 20.5" courtesy of Jesse Joles. |
...HIGHEST SNOWFALL REPORTS FROM THE MARCH 14-15, 2026 BLIZZARD... Location Amount Time/Date Provider ...Minnesota... ...Anoka County... Ham Lake 2.0 NE 10.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1 N Fridley 10.3 in 0700 AM 03/16 Trained Spotter Blaine 2.7 WSW 10.0 in 0720 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1 W Lino Lakes 9.4 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1 NW Coon Rapids 8.2 in 1200 PM 03/15 Trained Spotter ...Blue Earth County... Mankato 1ESE 11.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Carver County... 1 WNW Carver 11.8 in 0537 PM 03/15 Trained Spotter 0 N Chanhassen NWS 10.9 in 0100 AM 03/16 Official NWS Obs 2 WSW Victoria 10.8 in 0700 PM 03/15 Cocorahs Victoria 1WSW 10.8 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Victoria 1.0 ENE 9.7 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Chisago County... Lindstrom 8.6 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Dakota County... 1 S Rosemount 16.9 in 0610 PM 03/15 Public 1 WNW Apple Valley 14.0 in 0430 PM 03/15 Trained Spotter 2 S Lakeville 14.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 Public 1 NNE Lakeville 13.2 in 0130 PM 03/15 Broadcast Media Rosemount 3WNW 12.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Lakeville 3.2 SW 12.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 2 N Apple Valley 11.9 in 1030 AM 03/15 Trained Spotter Northfield 7.8 NNE 11.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Burnsville 2.3 E 11.3 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1 NNW Burnsville 11.0 in 0513 PM 03/15 Broadcast Media 1 S Eagan 11.0 in 1015 PM 03/15 Trained Spotter Eagan 1.1 S 11.0 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 3 ESE Eagan 10.7 in 0200 AM 03/16 Farmington 5.5 ESE 10.5 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Eagan 1.9 W 10.0 in 0806 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Faribault County... Wells 9.0 in 0800 AM 03/15 COOP Winnebago 8.0 in 1000 AM 03/15 COOP ...Freeborn County... Albert Lea 3.4 SSE 10.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Albert Lea 1WSW 8.0 in 0730 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Goodhue County... Pine Island 16.0 in 0903 AM 03/15 Trained Spotter Red Wing 4SE 13.5 in 0800 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Cannon Falls 0.5 SE 12.8 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Red Wing Lock and Dam 12.5 in 0600 AM 03/16 COOP Vasa 5NNE 12.2 in 0700 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Zumbrota 0.6 E 12.0 in 1001 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Red Wing 11.5 in 0800 AM 03/15 COOP Red Wing 11.0 in 0756 AM 03/15 Trained Spotter Nerstrand 4E 10.3 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Dennison 2.0 NNE 10.2 in 0600 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Hennepin County... 3 N Savage 14.0 in 1030 PM 03/15 Public 1 E Bloomington 12.0 in 1200 AM 03/16 Public Richfield 11.3 in 0800 PM 03/15 Bloomington 10.6 in 0430 PM 03/15 Trained Spotter 3 SSW Hopkins 10.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 Trained Spotter Minnetonka 3.8 SW 10.5 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1 ESE Richfield 10.4 in 1000 PM 03/15 Trained Spotter 2 SE Maple Grove 10.0 in 1109 AM 03/15 Public Maple Grove 0.6 NNE 10.0 in 0526 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Minneapolis Lower St. Anthon 10.0 in 0600 AM 03/16 COOP Minneapolis 2.7 ESE 9.3 in 0705 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Minneapolis 2.5 ESE 9.1 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS MSP Airport 8.9 in 0100 AM 03/16 Official NWS Obs ...Le Sueur County... 1 SE Kasota 12.0 in 0710 PM 03/15 New Prague 1.0 S 10.0 in 1030 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Le Center 5NNW 8.5 in 0800 AM 03/15 COCORAHS ...McLeod County... Glencoe 3NW 12.0 in 0700 AM 03/15 COCORAHS 2 WNW Hutchinson 10.5 in 0730 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Hutchinson 5N 9.7 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Plato 0.3 ENE 9.6 in 0600 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Glencoe 8.0 in 0345 PM 03/15 Public ...Nicollet County... St. Peter 8.6 in 0430 PM 03/15 Public ...Ramsey County... Shoreview 2.5 N 10.6 in 0600 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Saint Paul 2.2 W 10.1 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Maplewood 5.6 SSE 9.6 in 0925 AM 03/15 COCORAHS ...Redwood County... Belview 0.3 S 8.0 in 0800 AM 03/15 COCORAHS ...Rice County... Faribault 1.2 W 12.7 in 0600 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 3 SSW Elko New Market 11.0 in 1100 AM 03/15 Trained Spotter Northfield 0.4 SSW 10.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Northfield 0.6 ESE 9.0 in 0800 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Montgomery 3ENE 9.0 in 0600 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 8 S Lonsdale 8.0 in 0620 AM 03/15 Trained Spotter ...Scott County... Elko New Market 1.2 W 14.8 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1 W Elko New Market 14.5 in 0402 PM 03/15 Cocorahs Prior Lake 1WSW 14.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Savage 1.0 NNE 14.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 2 WNW Prior Lake 13.7 in 1053 AM 03/15 Cocorahs 6 N Veseli 12.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Savage 10.5 in 1020 AM 03/15 Trained Spotter New Prague 1.0 NNW 10.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Shakopee 2.6 W 9.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Sherburne County... 1 ESE Big Lake 8.0 in 1241 PM 03/15 ...Sibley County... Henderson 0.4 N 12.5 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Winthrop 9.0 in 0721 PM 03/15 Public ...Steele County... Owatonna 1.0 ENE 13.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Owatonna 1.5 N 12.4 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Owatonna 11.0 in 0800 AM 03/15 COOP Ellendale 0.3 SW 9.7 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1 NW Ellendale 9.2 in 0954 AM 03/15 Emergency Mngr Owatonna 9.0 in 0720 AM 03/15 Trained Spotter ...Swift County... Benson 0.1 SW 8.5 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Waseca County... Waseca 1.6 SSE 11.0 in 0800 AM 03/15 COCORAHS 1 SSW Waseca 9.5 in 0952 AM 03/15 Broadcast Media Waseca 8.3 in 0635 AM 03/15 Broadcast Media ...Washington County... Stillwater 1.8 SW 11.0 in 1020 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Stillwater 0.8 SW 11.0 in 0730 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Woodbury 10.3 in 0739 PM 03/15 Public Cottage Grove 10.2 in 0400 PM 03/15 Public St Paul Park 0.6 NNE 9.7 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Woodbury 1.7 N 9.2 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Oakdale 8.5 in 0940 AM 03/15 Public ...Wright County... St. Michael 1E 8.4 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Wisconsin... ...Barron County... Rice Lake 6.9 WNW 11.2 in 0600 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Haugen 10.0 in 0556 PM 03/15 ...Chippewa County... 6 W Cadott 16.0 in 0418 PM 03/15 Public Chippewa Falls 0.6 SSE 10.1 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Dunn County... Menomonie 3.3 SE 9.6 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS Menomonie 0.9 SSE 8.8 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 1 W Cedar Falls 8.0 in 0420 PM 03/15 Trained Spotter ...Eau Claire County... 3 ESE Augusta 20.5 in 0900 AM 03/15 Public Eau Claire 7.8 SSE 15.2 in 0600 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 0 N Eau Claire 12.7 in 0100 AM 03/16 Official NWS Obs 8 SSW Altoona 12.5 in 1000 AM 03/15 Public Eau Claire 3.7 S 10.8 in 0800 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Eau Claire 5.4 SSE 10.5 in 0800 AM 03/15 COCORAHS 1 NW Eau Claire 9.8 in 0335 PM 03/15 2 WSW Altoona 9.5 in 0900 AM 03/15 Broadcast Media ...Pepin County... Pepin 19.0 in 0900 AM 03/15 Public 1 SE Durand 18.5 in 0600 AM 03/16 Public Durand 16.5 in 0847 AM 03/15 Public Stockholm 2NE 15.0 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...Rusk County... Ladysmith 2WNW 8.0 in 0700 AM 03/16 COCORAHS ...St. Croix County... River Falls 0.8 NNW 11.0 in 0900 AM 03/15 COCORAHS Roberts 11.0 in 0515 PM 03/15 Trained Spotter 1 E Hudson 9.6 in 0800 AM 03/16 COCORAHS 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.
Wind Gusts
 |
 |
| Regional map of maximum wind gusts for Sunday and Sunday night. The strongest winds were measured across southwest and south-central MN. | A 990mb low set up a very strong pressure gradient Sunday evening, resulting in strong winds across much of the region. The low would go on to deepen to near 984mb as it moved east over Michigan. |
...HIGHEST WIND REPORTS FROM THE MARCH 15, 2026 BLIZZARD... Location Speed Time/Date Lat/Lon Morris AP 53 MPH 0435 PM 03/15 45.57N/95.97W Appleton AP 52 MPH 0455 PM 03/15 45.22N/96.00W Madison AP 51 MPH 0535 PM 03/15 44.98N/96.18W Fairmont AP 51 MPH 0716 PM 03/15 43.63N/94.42W Redwood Falls AP 51 MPH 0730 PM 03/15 44.55N/95.08W St. James AP 49 MPH 0715 PM 03/15 43.98N/94.55W Crystal AP 49 MPH 1138 AM 03/15 45.07N/93.35W Montevideo AP 48 MPH 0721 PM 03/15 44.97N/95.72W Minneapolis-St. Paul AP 47 MPH 0106 AM 03/16 44.88N/93.23W Willmar AP 46 MPH 1055 AM 03/15 45.12N/95.13W New Ulm AP 46 MPH 0715 PM 03/15 44.32N/94.50W Benson AP 45 MPH 0535 PM 03/15 45.32N/95.65W Eden Prairie AP 45 MPH 1133 AM 03/15 44.83N/93.47W St. Cloud AP 45 MPH 0834 PM 03/15 45.55N/94.05W Waseca AP 43 MPH 0935 PM 03/15 44.07N/93.55W Menomonie AP 43 MPH 1115 PM 03/15 44.90N/91.87W Mankato AP 43 MPH 0747 PM 03/15 44.22N/93.92W Owatonna AP 43 MPH 0519 PM 03/15 44.12N/93.25W St. Paul Dwtn AP 43 MPH 1036 PM 03/15 44.93N/93.05W Canby AP 41 MPH 0515 PM 03/15 44.73N/96.27W Granite Falls AP 41 MPH 0755 PM 03/15 44.75N/95.55W Olivia AP 41 MPH 0115 PM 03/15 44.78N/95.03W Chetek AP 41 MPH 1035 PM 03/15 45.30N/91.63W Albert Lea AP 40 MPH 0823 PM 03/15 43.68N/93.37W Buffalo AP 40 MPH 0635 PM 03/15 45.17N/93.85W Eau Claire AP 40 MPH 1219 AM 03/16 44.87N/91.47W Maple Lake AP 40 MPH 0735 PM 03/15 45.23N/93.98W Litchfield AP 39 MPH 0135 PM 03/15 45.10N/94.52W Rice Lake AP 39 MPH 0435 PM 03/15 45.42N/91.77W Stanton AP 39 MPH 0635 PM 03/15 44.47N/93.02W Glenwood AP 38 MPH 0901 AM 03/15 45.63N/95.32W Hutchinson AP 38 MPH 0655 PM 03/15 44.87N/94.38W Osceola AP 38 MPH 1135 AM 03/15 45.32N/92.70W Princeton AP 38 MPH 1226 PM 03/15 45.57N/93.60W Tony AP 38 MPH 0355 AM 03/16 45.50N/91.00W Sauk Centre AP 37 MPH 0415 PM 03/15 45.70N/94.93W Glencoe AP 37 MPH 0355 PM 03/15 44.77N/94.08W Lakeville AP 37 MPH 0715 PM 03/15 44.63N/93.23W Paynesville AP 37 MPH 1055 AM 03/15 45.37N/94.73W South St. Paul AP 37 MPH 1015 PM 03/15 44.87N/93.03W Cambridge AP 36 MPH 0118 PM 03/15 45.57N/93.27W Faribault AP 36 MPH 0515 PM 03/15 44.33N/93.32W Rush City AP 36 MPH 0135 PM 03/15 45.70N/92.95W Cumberland AP 36 MPH 0615 PM 03/15 45.50N/91.98W Red Wing AP 35 MPH 1155 PM 03/15 44.58N/92.48W New Richmond AP 35 MPH 0330 PM 03/15 45.15N/92.53W 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.
Meteorological Summary
Upper Level Jet
The images below are from the Storm Prediction Center High Resolution Ensemble Forecast (HREF).
The top row shows the 500 mb geopotential heights (brown lines) and winds (barbs / color fill) from Saturday morning through Sunday night.
The bottom row is a surface map with mean sea level pressure (MSLP, black lines) and surface winds (brown wind barbs).
 |
 |
 |
| 500mb winds, valid at 8 AM Saturday, Mar 15, 2026 | 500mb winds, valid at 11 PM Saturday, Mar 15, 2026 | 500mb winds, valid at 7 PM Sunday, Mar 16, 2026 |
Surface Maps
The images below are from the Storm Prediction Center Mesoscale Analysis Archive.
 |
 |
 |
| Surface map, valid at 5 AM Saturday, Mar 15, 2026. The surface low is 992 mb. | Surface map, valid at 11 AM Saturday, Mar 15, 2026. The surface low is 994 mb. | Surface map, valid at 4 AM Sunday, Mar 16, 2026. The surface low is 984 mb. |
 |
Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged! Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site. |
|
Follow us on X
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on YouTube
MPX RSS Feed