Snowstorm and Blizzard:
January 21-22, 2005

A strong Alberta Clipper brought heavy snow for the first time this season to east central Minnesota. The storm began with a finger of light snow into western Minnesota during the morning hours of January 21. By early afternoon, the snow became heavy over the Twin Cities. Six to nine inches fell in a 100 mile wide swath from Alexandria, through the Twin Cities and southeast to Rochester and la Crosse. Strong winds whipped up behind the storm to case a ground blizzard over western Minnesota overnight on the 21st and into the early morning of the 22nd. I-94 was closed for a time between Alexandria and Moorhead because of the low visibility.

Not to be outdone, Northern Minnesota also saw from four to nine inches of snow and even higher amounts were reported along the Lake Superior snowbelt.

Listed below are National Weather Service Statements about the snowstorm.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1125 AM CST SUN JAN 23 2005
HERE ARE THE LATEST AVAILABLE STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL REPORTS FOR
THE WINTER STORM WHICH BEGAN FRIDAY MORNING. THESE REPORTS ARE
FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SNOWFALL OBSERVING NETWORK
SPOTTERS ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WEST
CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

AT THE END ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST WIND GUSTS MEASURED IN THE 
GROUND BLIZZARD IN WEST CENTRAL INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. 
THESE ARE PEAK WIND GUSTS AS MEASURED BY AUTOMATED OBSERVING 
STATIONS AND MNDOT ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

LOCATION            COUNTY          AMOUNT
EAU CLAIRE          EAU CLAIRE (WI) 11.5
DURAND              PEPIN           9.5
BRANDON             DOUGLAS         9.0
GLENWOOD CITY       ST. CROIX (WI)  9.0
RIVER FALLS         ST CROIX (WI)   8.5
OWATONNA            STEELE          8.5
WINSTED             MCLEOD          8.4
ALBERT LEA          FREEBORN        8.0
STILLWATER          WASHINGTON      8.0
AMERY               POLK (WI)       8.0
BROWNTON            MCLEOD          8.0
NERSTRAND           RICE            8.0
MORA                KANABEC         8.0
BELGRADE            STEARNS         8.0
NEW HOPE            HENNEPIN        8.0
WOODBURY            WASHINGTON      7.5
CARLOS              DOUGLAS         7.5
CHASKA              CARVER          7.5
VADNAIS HEIGHTS     RAMSEY          7.5
CUSHING             POLK (WI)       7.5
MENOMONIE           DUNN            7.5
ST.PAUL             RAMSEY          7.0
ZUMBROTA            GOODHUE         7.0
EDEN PRAIRIE        HENNEPIN        7.0
WATERVILLE          LE SUEUR        7.0
WACONIA             CARVER          7.0
AFTON               WASHINGTON      7.0
ST CLOUD STATE UNIV STEARNS         7.0
LITTLE FALLS        MORRISON        7.0
BALDWIN             ST CROIX (WI)   7.0
ANNANDALE           WRIGHT          7.0
CHANHASSEN NWS      CARVER          6.9
BLOOMER, WI         CHIPPEWA        6.5
RAMSEY              RAMSEY          6.5
FOREST LAKE         WASHINGTON      6.5
GOLDEN VALLEY       HENNEPIN        6.5
PRIOR LAKE          SCOTT           6.5
EDINA               HENNEPIN        6.5
FOLEY               BENTON          6.5
WATERTOWN           CARVER          6.3
MONTGOMERY          LA SUEUR        6.3
STANLEY             CHIPPEWA (WI)   6.2
BAY CITY            PIERCE (WI)     6.0
NEW LONDON          KANDIYOHI       6.0
RICHFIELD           HENNEPIN        6.0
ANDOVER             ANOKA           6.0
CAMBRIDGE           ISANTI          6.0
GLENCOE             MCLEOD          6.0
KIRKHOVEN           SWIFT           6.0
BUFFALO             WRIGHT          6.0
SAUK RAPIDS         BENTON          6.0
BENSON              SWIFT           6.0
ALBANY              STEARNS         6.0
ST PETER            NICOLLET        6.0
CUMBERLAND          BARRON (WI)     6.0
NORTH BRANCH        CHISAGO         6.0
MEDINA              HENNEPIN        6.0
SAUK CENTRE         STEARNS         6.0
JIM FALLS, WI       CHIPPEWA        5.7
MPLS/ST PAUL APT    HENNEPIN        5.5
WILLMAR             KANDIYOHI       5.5
MURDOCK             SWIFT           5.5
MILACA              MILLE LACS      5.5
RUSH CITY           CHISAGO         5.5
ST CLOUD AIRPORT    SHERBURNE       5.4
8 S HILLMAN         MORRISON        5.3
GLENWOOD            POPE            5.0
LONG PRAIRIE        TODD            5.0
CHIPPEWA FALLS      CHIPPEWA (WI)   5.0
MANKATO             BLUE EARTH      5.0
SHELDON             RUSK (WI)       4.4
RED WING            GOODHUE         4.3
NEW ULM             BROWN           4.2
WASECA              WASECA          4.0
LITCHFIELD          MEEKER          4.0
JANESVILLE          WASECA          4.0
SPRINGFIELD         BROWN           4.0
STANLEY, WI         RUSK            4.0
VESTA               REDWOOD         4.0
MONTEVIDEO          CHIPPEWA (MN)   3.0
LAMBERTON           REDWOOD         3.0
REDWOOD FALLS       REDWOOD         2.5
DAWSON              LAC QUI PARLE   2.5
CANBY               YELLOW MEDICINE 2.0
WINNEBAGO           BLUE EARTH      1.0

**********************************************
PEAK WIND GUSTS

**********************************************
NEW ULM             64 MPH
CLARA CITY          61 MPH
MADELIA             61 MPH
BLUE EARTH          61 MPH
ST. JAMES           60 MPH
FAIRMONT            60 MPH
STARBUCK            58 MPH
WINTHROP            55 MPH
LESTER PRAIRIE      55 MPH
OLIVIA              55 MPH
MORRIS              55 MPH
APPLETON            54 MPH
MONTEVIDEO          52 MPH
GRANITE FALLS       52 MPH
EDEN VALLEY         51 MPH
WASECA              51 MPH
REDWOOD FALLS       51 MPH
BENSON              51 MPH
ALBERT LEA          51 MPH
LITCHFIELD          49 MPH
HUTCHINSON          48 MPH
MANKATO             47 MPH
OWATONNA            47 MPH
WILLMAR             46 MPH
ALEXANDRIA          46 MPH
HANLEY FALLS        45 MPH
GLENWOOD            46 MPH
MADISON             43 MPH
FARIBAULT           43 MPH
ST. CLOUD           41 MPH
MPLS INTL AIRPORT   40 MPH
EDEN PRAIRIE        38 MPH
NWS CHANHASSEN      38 MPH

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1025 AM CST SAT JAN 22 2005
THESE ARE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS DURING THE PAST SNOW STORM FROM COOPERATIVE
AND SNOWFALL OBSERVERS.

NORTHEAST MINNESOTA

ST LOUIS COUNTY              SNOWFALL/ SNOW DEPTH
NWS DULUTH..............        8.8  /  37 IN
DULUTH 18NE.............        8.0  /  29 IN
PROCTOR.................        9.0  /  MM IN
BABBITT.................        9.0  /  40 IN
TOWER 3S................        5.5  /  20 IN
EMBARRASS...............        5.0  /  25 IN
ORR.....................        6.0  /  23 IN
WHITE LAKES.............        6.5  /  MM IN
CRANE LAKE..............        6.0  /  MM IN
FLOODWOOD...............        6.5  /  21 IN
CARLTON COUNTY
CLOQUET.................        5.5  /  28 IN
MOOSE LAKE..............        9.0  /  MM IN

KOOCHICHING COUNTY
INTERNATIONAL FALLS.....        5.0  /  MM IN
LITTLE FORK.............        6.0  /  23 IN
KABETOGAMA..............        5.5  /  26 IN
CROW WING COUNTY
PEQUOT LAKES............        5.0  /  19 IN
EMILY...................        4.0  /  MM IN
BRAINERD 8SW............        4.0  /  12 IN
BRAINERD................        4.5  /  14 IN

ITASCA COUNTY
DIXON LAKE..............        7.0  /  23 IN
CASS COUNTY
DIXON LAKE..............        7.0  /  23 IN
LEADER..................        9.0  /  MM IN

AITKIN COUNTY
ISLE 12N................        6.2  /  14 IN
PINE COUNTY
ASKOV/BRUNO.............        8.0  /  MM IN
ASKOV...................        8.0  /  MM IN
PINE CITY...............        5.0  /  MM IN
HINCKLEY 18E............        7.8  /  MM IN

LAKE COUNTY
TWO HARBORS 7NW.........       13.5  /  45 IN
SILVER BAY..............       10.8  /  48 IN
FINLAND.................       15.0  /  38 IN
COOK COUNTY
GRAND MARAIS.............      15.0  /  MM IN
END OF GUNFLINT TRAIL....       6.0  /  MM IN
LOON LAKE................       7.0  /  30 IN
SAWBILL LAKE............        8.0  /  MM IN


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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/snow050121_22.htm
Last modified: January 25, 2005