Early Snow October 20-21, 2002

The cool October weather brought heavy snow in a narrow band across central Minnesota. One of the higher amounts reported was 9 inches at Little Falls. The heaviest snow was in a 10 to 20 mile wide band of 6 to 8 inches from Fergus Falls to Hinckley. Lesser amounts fell on either side of this line. The Twin Cities saw snow mixed with sleet at times, but little of it accumulated. The northern suburbs saw more snow than the southern parts of town. Maplewood picked up .7 inches, although the most on the ground at any one time was a half an inch. Officially at Chanhassen .2 inches of snow fell on October 20. This is the first official measurable snowfall of the season. Another .3 inches fell on October 21.

Map of October 20-21 snow event from the Chanhassen National Weather Service.

Listed below is information from St. Cloud State University on the snow and National Weather Service Public information statements about the snow.

From:Bob Weisman, Meteorology Professor St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud Snowfall

As of 6 AM, I measured 3.9 inches of snow at SCSU, which is now the official
reporting station for the city. This is a record snowfall for Oct. 21, since
the old record was only 0.2 inches in 1987. We are getting close to the
October daily record snowfall, which is 4.9 inches on October 23, 1995, but
the snow is just about over, so we probably won’t make it. Still, this storm
will go down as the second largest October snowfall on record. With the
overnight snow, the total snowfall for October is now 6.4 inches. This makes
October 2002 the second snowiest winter in the 96 years of Saint Cloud
snowfall records. The only October with more snow was October 1936 with 6.8
inches. Yes, I hear the howling about the 1991 Halloween Blizzard.
While that storm did produce a total of 13.0 inches in Saint Cloud, only 3.1
inches fell before midnight on Oct. 31, so the storm only ranks fourth in
October snowfall records. Since the Halloween blizzard was the only snowfall
in October 1991, that October only ranks as the eighth snowiest on record.

Listed below is information on the snow from the various National Weather Service Offices serving Minnesota




:             COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS
:VALUES ARE FOR THE PREVIOUS 24 HOURS ENDING AT 8 AM LOCAL TIME
:
:          STATION             MAX     MIN     24-HR    SNOW   SNOW  
:           NAME               TEMP    TEMP    PCPN     FALL   DEPTH  
MPXM5:  CHANHASSEN MN  NWS    : 38  /   33  /  0.05  /  0.5 /  0
FORM5:  FOREST LAKE MINNESOTA :  M  /    M  /  0.52  /  3.9 /  4
LCHM5:  LITCHFIELD MINNESOTA  : 35  /   30  /  0.25  /    M /   M
MLCM5:  MILACA MINNESOTA      :  M  /    M  /  0.56  /  8.0 /   M
BLHM5:  ROYALTON  MINNESOTA   :  M  /    M  /  0.42  /  5.0 /  5
SCOM5:  ST CLOUD MN (SCSU)    :  M  /    M  /  0.33  /  3.9 /  4
WASM5:  WASECA MINNESOTA      : 50  /   28  /  0.06  /    M /   M
DASM5:  DASSEL MINNESOTA      :  M  /    M  /  0.06  /  0.9 /  1
FRMM5:  FARMINGTON MINNESOTA  :  M  /    M  /  0.17  /    T /  0
HSTM5:  HASTINGS LOCK & DAM 2 :  M  /    M  /  0.15  /    M /   M
LTFM5:  LITTLE FALLS    MN    :  M  /    M  /     M  /  9.0 /  9
LGPM5:  LONG PRAIRIE MINNESOTA:  M  /    M  /  0.71  /  6.5 /  7
LSAM5:  LOWER ST ANTHONY FALLS:  M  /    M  /  0.12  /    M /   M
MKAM5:  MANKATO MINNESOTA     :  M  /    M  /  0.13  /    M /   M
MGMM5:  MONTGOMERY MINNESOTA  :  M  /    M  /  0.54  /    M /   M
ONMM5:  ONAMIA  MINNESOTA     :  M  /    M  /  0.31  /    M /   M
RDWM5:  RED WING LOCK & DAM 3 :  M  /    M  /  0.30  /    M /   M
RKFM5:  ROCKFORD MINNESOTA    :  M  /    M  /  0.12  /  1.4 /  1
SPFM5:  SPRINGFIELD MINNESOTA :  M  /    M  /  0.07  /    M /   M
STAW3:  STANLEY WISCONSIN     : 36  /   30  /  0.45  /  5.1 /  5
STLM5:  STILLWATER MINNESOTA  :  M  /    M  /  0.26  /  0.5 /    
ZBRM5:  ZUMBROTA MINNESOTA    : 44  /   33  /  0.35  /  1.0 /  0

BR DLH 1021 C DH07/TX/TN/PP/SF/SD
:
: COOPERATIVE OBSERVATIONS
: VALUES ARE FOR THE PREVIOUS 24 HOURS ENDING AT 7 AM LOCAL TIME
:
BRAM5: BRAINERD MN              :  36  / 28  /    M/ 2.5 /   M
GDPM5: GRAND PORTAGE MN         :  42  / 27  / 0.00/ 0.0 /   0
BABM5: BABBITT MINNESOTA        :  33  / 24  /    T/   T /   T
COKM5: 5E COOK MINNESOTA        :  35  / 26  / 0.00/   M /   M
BAYW3: BAYFIELD WISCONSIN       :  40  / 29  / 0.10/ 0.5 /   M
BUTW3: 3N BUTTERNUT WI          :  37  / 27  / 0.18/ 2.0 /   2
GURW3: GURNEY WISCONSIN         :  38  / 25  / 0.07/ 1.0 /   1

DLH : NWS DULUTH MN :              37  / 28  / 0.26/ 3.9 /   3 


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA/GRAND FORKS 
845 PM PM CDT SUN OCT 20 2002

...NARROW BAND OF HEAVY SNOW ACROSS SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST 
CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

A 10-20 MILE WIDE BAND OF 6-8 INCHES OF SNOW FELL SUNDAY ACROSS 
PARTS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.  THE 
BAND WAS CENTERED FROM FORT RANSOM AND LISBON IN RANSOM 
COUNTY...EAST TO JUST NORTH OF WAHPETON AND BRECKENRIDGE...THEN TO 
FERGUS FALLS AND PARKERS PRAIRIE IN OTTER TAIL COUNTY.  

...SNOW TOTALS FOR SUNDAY 10/20 AS MEASURED BY SPOTTERS AND THE 
GENERAL PUBLIC BETWEEN 6 AM AND 8 PM CDT...

FORT RANSOM ND (RANSOM CO)...6-7 INCHES
LIBSON ND (RANSOM CO)...6-7 INCHES
3E MCLEOD ND (RICHLAND CO)...8 INCHES
2W GALCHUTT ND OR 6S COLFAX (RICHLAND CO)...8 INCHES
DWIGHT ND (RICHLAND CO)...6 INCHES
WAHPETON/BRECKENRIDGE...5 INCHES
BRUSHVALE MN OR 7N BRECKENRIDGE (WILKIN CO)...7 INCHES
FOXHOME MN (WILKIN CO)...7 INCHES
3W FERGUS FALLS (OTTER TAIL CO)...7-8 INCHES
FERGUS FALLS (OTTER TAIL CO)...6-7 INCHES
7SW BATTLE LAKE (OTTER TAIL CO)...7 INCHES
PARKERS PRAIRIE (OTTER TAIL CO)...6 INCHES WITH 10-12 ON THE GROUND
2S PARKERS PRAIRIE (OTTER TAIL CO)...5 INCHES WITH 10 ON THE GROUND
ASHBY (GRANT CO)...3 INCHES

IN CONTRAST...
3SE PELICAN RAPIDS MN (OTTER TAIL CO)...NONE TODAY (3 ON THE GROUND)
CHRISTINE ND (RICHLAND CO)...TRACE
KINDRED ND...TRACE
WADENA...NONE
FARGO/MOORHEAD...TRACE
GRAND FORKS...NONE


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
715 PM CDT SUN OCT 20 2002
...SNOW TOTALS FROM CENTRAL MINNESOTA AS OF 7 PM...

.....CITY..........COUNTY ......SNOWFALL RANDALL            MORRISON     5.0
CLARISSA           TODD         4.2
LITTLE FALLS       MORRISON     3.0
6 W ONAMIA         MILLE LACS   2.0
MORA               KANABEC      1.0


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
925 PM CDT SUN OCT 20 2002

...SNOW TOTALS FROM CENTRAL MINNESOTA AS OF 915 PM...
.....CITY..........COUNTY ......SNOWFALL 
8 SW CLARISSA      TODD         8.0
BROWERVILLE        TODD         6.0
LITTLE FALLS       MORRISON     5.5
LONG PRAIRIE       TODD         3.0
7 N ALEXANDRIA     DOUGLAS      2.0
MILACA             MILLE LACS   1.5
TDK

 PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
932 AM CDT MON OCT 21 2002
 24 HOUR SNOWFALL TOTALS AND TOTAL SNOWDEPTH ACROSS THE AREA
 
LOCATION                   COUNTY              SNOWFALL   SNOWDEPTH
 
...MINNESOTA...
LA CRESCENT 1NNW           HOUSTON                 T             M
WABASHA                    WABASHA                 T           0
 
...WISCONSIN...
CHIPPEWA FALLS             CHIPPEWA               1.5          2
ELK MOUND                  DUNN                   1.5            M
ETTRICK 5SE                TREMPEALEAU            1.5            M
FRIENDSHIP 3E              ADAMS                  0.5            M 
GOODRICH 1E                TAYLOR                 4.0            M
HIXTON 5W                  JACKSON                1.2            M
HOLCOMBE                   CHIPPEWA               5.2            M
LA CROSSE 4NNW             LA CROSSE               T           0
LA CROSSE WFO              LA CROSSE              0.2          0
LUBLIN                     TAYLOR                 3.3            M
MATHER                     JACKSON                1.0          1
MONDOVI 6S                 BUFFALO                 T             M
NECEDAH 2SE                JUNEAU                 0.5             
NEILLSVILLE 3SW            CLARK                  2.0             
OWEN 3W                    CLARK                  6.0            M
TAYLOR                     JACKSON                0.3            M

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
414 AM CDT MON OCT 21 2002

...SNOW TOTALS ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN 
FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AS OF 400 AM...
COUNTY......SNOWFALL 

MORRISON    6 TO 8 INCHES
KANABEC     5 TO 6 INCHES
MILLE LACS  5 INCHES
STEARNS     4 INCHES
DOUGLAS     3 INCHES
ISANTI      3 INCHES
TODD        3 INCHES 
POPE        2 TO 3 INCHES
STEVENS     1 TO 2 INCHES
POLK        1 TO 2 INCHES (ROADS REPORTED AS VERY SLIPPERY)
BARRON      1 TO 2 INCHES (ROADS REPORTED AS VERY SLIPPERY)


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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/snow021021.htm
Last modified: November 4, 2002