Snowstorm March 7-8, 2003

A quick snowstorm dropped 2 to 7 inches of snow mostly on Saturday, March 8 over central and southern Minnesota. The snow began late Friday evening over western Minnesota and continued to around noon Saturday over far southeast Minnesota. The highest total reported in the area was 8 inches at Ladysmith, Wisconsin and 6.5 inches at both Hutchinson and Forest Lake. Ivanhoe and Marshall in southwest Minnesota also picked up 6 to 8 inches of snow. The snow varied across the Twin Cities from a half a foot in parts of Anoka and Washington County to just 2 inches over eastern Dakota County. Officially, the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service in Chanhassen recorded 5.0 inches of snow. There were numerous accidents across the Twin Cities, despite the snow falling on a weekend. The skies became mostly sunny quickly during the afternoon on Saturday, with many places diving to below zero Saturday night.

Map of March 8, 2003 snow event from the Chanhassen National Weather Service.

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


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1201 PM CDT MAR 8 2003
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PUSHED ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA 
EARLY THIS MORNING...AND CONTINUED INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN.  A 
BLANKET OF FRESH SNOW...GENERALLY 2 TO 6 INCHES...WAS DROPPED ACROSS 
THE AREA.  HERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC TOTALS FROM THE AREA AS OF 12PM...

CITY.......................COUNTY...............AMOUNT IN INCHES 
LADYSMITH                  RUSK                       8.0
HUTCHINSON                 MCLEOD                     6.5
FOREST LAKE                WASHINGTON                 6.5 
GRANITE FALLS              YELLOW MEDICINE            6.0
SAINT JAMES                WATONWAN                   6.0
AMERY                      POLK                       6.0
CUMBERLAND                 BARRON                     5.5
MONTEVIDEO                 CHIPPEWA                   5.5
RED WOOD FALLS             REDWOOD                    5.5
SPRINGFIELD                BROWN                      5.5
REDWOOD FALLS              REDWOOD                    5.5 
CANBY                      YELLOW MEDICINE            5.5
BENSON                     SWIFT                      5.5
NEW ULM                    BROWN                      5.0
CHANHASSEN                 CARVER                     5.0
ELLSWORTH                  PIERCE                     4.5
ST CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY  STEARNS                    4.0 
NEW PRAGUE                 LE SUEUR                   4.0
PRIOR LAKE                 SCOTT                      4.0
RED WING                   GOODHUE                    4.0
WATERTOWN                  CARVER                     4.0
MENOMONIE                  DUNN                       4.0
BRADFORD                   ISANTI                     4.0
MADISON                    LAC QUI PARLE              3.5
FAIRMONT                   MARTIN                     3.0
NEW RICHMOND               SAINT CROIX                3.0
ALBERT LEA                 FREEBORN                   2.0 
LITTLE FALLS               MORRISON                   2.0
MORRIS                     STEVENS                    2.0
BLUE EARTH                 FARIBAULT                  2.0
ALBERT LEA                 FREEBORN                   2.0
WASECA                     WASECA                     2.0

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
502 PM CST SAT MAR 8 2003

        ...24 HOUR SNOWFALL TOTALS ACROSS THE AREA...
 
LOCATION                   COUNTY              SNOWFALL            

...MINNESOTA...
BYRON                      OLMSTED                3.3            
CHATFIELD                  OLMSTEAD               1.0
COUNTYWIDE                 WABASHA                3.5            
DODGE CENTER               DODGE                  2.5          
FOUNTAIN                   FILLMORE               1.0
HIGHLAND                   FILLMORE               2.0
KELLOGG 7SW                WABASHA                4.0
LA CRESCENT                HOUSTON                2.8 
LE ROY                     MOWER                  1.0             
MANTORVILLE                DODGE                  2.8            
READS LANDING 1W           WABASHA                5.0 
RENO 3SW                   HOUSTON                2.6
ROCHESTER                  OLMSTEAD               2.9
ROLLINGSTONE               WINONA                 3.0
WINONA 3S                  WINONA                 2.3 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
823 PM CST SAT MAR 8 2003
HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL REPORTS FROM AROUND THE REGION
AND THE TIME THE REPORT WAS RECEIVED.

MINNESOTA...
   IVANHOE.....6 TO 8   6 AM
   LAKEFIELD......1.2   7 AM
   MARSHALL....6 TO 8   6 AM
   PIPESTONE...3 TO 4   6 AM
   WORTHINGTON....2.5   7 AM

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/snow030203.htm
Last modified: March 10, 2003