Early Season Snow: October 12, 2009
Observer checks out the snow depth on October 12, 2009
For the second time this October, measurable snow fell in Minnesota. This time it was a heavy wet snow that began in the early morning hours of October 12. The heaviest snow fell in a west to east band across the Twin Cities. The heaviest snow reported through the early afternoon hours was 4.2 inches at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus Climate Observatory. 2.5 inches of snow fell at the Twin Cities International Airport. This was the heaviest snow so early in October since 2.5 inches on October 10, 1977. At 2.5 inches, October 12, 2009 will go down tied as the 3rd largest snowfall in a calendar day for October, with records going back to 1891.
Top 5 snowfalls in a calendar day for October (1891-2009)*
#1. October 31, 1991 8.2 inches
#2. October 16, 1930 3.0 inches
#3. October 10, 1977 2.5 inches
October 12, 2009 2.5 inches (tie)
#5. October 29, 1955 2.2 inches
*Note: In September for the Twin Cities there has been measurable snow on only three days: 0.1 inch on September 30, 1961, 0.4 inches on September 23, 1985, and 1.7 inches on September 26, 1945.
Including the 0.3 inches of snow that fell on October 10, 2009 the total for the month is now 2.8 inches. This is enough to make 2009 the 7th snowiest October on record in the Twin Cities.
In addition to the snow in southern and central Minnesota, there was a winter storm warning on October 12 for lake effect snow on the eastern shores of the Upper and Lower Red Lakes, especially around the Waskish area. Areas along the east edge of the Red Lakes likely received from 5 to 7 inches. Waskish measured 6 inches of snow.
Below are snowfall totals from the National Weather Service
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
335 PM CDT MON OCT 12 2009
...EARLY OCTOBER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS - UPDATED...
THE TOTALS BELOW ARE SEPARATED INTO SNOW...AND ICE AND SLEET
CATEGORIES...THEN BY AMOUNT...AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE
FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.
SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT
INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME
------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
4.20 ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 1100 AM
U OF MN ST PAUL CAMPUS
4.00 4 SSE SILVER CREEK MN WRIGHT 0955 AM
3.60 2 N CHASKA MN CARVER 1100 AM
3.60 WOODBURY MN WASHINGTON 0334 PM
3.50 LAKEVILLE MN DAKOTA 0213 PM
3.50 WACONIA MN CARVER 1115 AM
3.50 MAPLEWOOD MN RAMSEY 1100 AM
3.50 STILLWATER MN WASHINGTON 1100 AM
3.50 NORTH ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 1035 AM
3.00 RIDGELAND WI DUNN 0250 PM
3.00 CHANHASSEN MN CARVER 0115 PM
3.00 PLYMOUTH MN HENNEPIN 1150 AM
2.80 PRIOR LAKE MN SCOTT 1100 AM
2.60 1 SSW JORDAN MN SCOTT 0800 AM
2.60 WACONIA MN CARVER 0715 AM
2.50 MENOMONIE WI DUNN 0115 PM
2.50 GENEVA MN FREEBORN 1248 PM
2.50 WILLMAR MN KANDIYOHI 0800 AM
2.50 MENOMONIE WI DUNN 0700 AM
2.50 BOYD MN LAC QUI PARLE 0700 AM
2.50 HAMBURG MN CARVER 0700 AM
2.40 MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 1248 PM
2.30 FRIDLEY MN ANOKA 0930 AM
2.30 DASSEL MN MEEKER 0700 AM
2.20 CLAYTON WI POLK 1027 AM
2.20 3 SE LAKE ELMO MN WASHINGTON 0800 AM
2.10 ROBERTS WI ST. CROIX 0700 AM
2.00 SAUK RAPIDS MN BENTON 1058 AM
2.00 PLYMOUTH MN HENNEPIN 0715 AM
2.00 CHASKA MN CARVER 0700 AM
2.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 0700 AM
1.80 MORRIS MN STEVENS 0700 AM
1.60 ST CLOUD MN STEARNS 0115 PM
1.50 WATERVILLE MN LE SUEUR 1000 AM
1.50 1 SE HENDERSON MN LE SUEUR 0800 AM
1.50 GAYLORD MN SIBLEY 0700 AM
1.50 BLOOMER WI CHIPPEWA 0700 AM
1.40 HAMMOND WI ST. CROIX 0700 AM
1.30 ST CLOUD MN STEARNS 0800 AM
STATE UNIVERSITY
1.20 CAMERON WI BARRON 1130 AM
1.20 RUSH CITY MN CHISAGO 1015 AM
1.20 2 SW ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 0832 AM
1.20 RUSH CITY MN CHISAGO 0700 AM
1.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 1248 PM
1.00 WINNEBAGO MN FARIBAULT 0800 AM
1.00 OWATONNA MN STEELE 0800 AM
1.00 MORGAN MN REDWOOD 0715 AM
1.00 MELROSE MN STEARNS 0700 AM
1.00 SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN 0700 AM
1.00 BALDWIN WI ST. CROIX 0700 AM
0.80 RICE MN BENTON 0700 AM
0.70 MILACA MN MILLE LACS 0700 AM