2008 Valentine's Day Winter Storm

What Happened? On Valentine's Day morning, a stationary front was situated from southeast Nebraskainto northeast Wisconsin.  As warm and moist air was lifted over this front a very narrow band (only about 30 to 50 miles wide) of heavy snow developed along the Minnesota/Iowa border and into southwest and central Wisconsin.  These types of snow bands are on the lower end of the spectrum as far as predictability, due to their areal coverage.   Snowfall rates were on the range of 1 to 2 inches an hour (indicated by purple and white colors in the two hour radar loop below).  Snowfall rates in these ranges are capable of bringing all travel to a standstill.  This band of snow produced accumulations of 7 to 11 inches in a very narrow area (around 30 miles wide) from near Cresco, IA (Howard County) east northeast to Friendship, WI (Adams County).  Surrounding the heavy snow accumulations, general amounts of 4 to 7 inches fell, although this area was not much wider.  During the afternoon, the band of snow began to move slowly southeast as the stationary front became a cold front.  Overall, the snow was only seen along a corridor of approximately 75 miles wide, with a very tight gradient between heavy snow accumulations and no snow. 

Snowfall Totals

...STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL REPORTS FOR FEBRUARY 13TH AND 14TH...

LOCATION COUNTY SNOWFALL

NORTHEAST IOWA

DORCHESTER ALLAMAKEE 8.7
LANSING 4SE ALLAMAKEE 8.5
DECORAH 5E WINNESHIEK 8.0
CRESCO 1NE HOWARD 6.5
MCINTIRE 3E HOWARD 6.5
WAUKON 8NW ALLAMAKEE 6.5
ST. ANSGAR MITCHELL 6.1
LIME SPRINGS HOWARD 6.0
ST ANSGAR 7NW MITCHELL 5.8
CALMAR WINNESHIEK 5.5
OSAGE MITCHELL 5.3
KENDALLVILLE 4N WINNESHIEK 4.8
ELMA HOWARD 4.6
OSSIAN WINNESHIEK 4.1
NEW HAMPTON CHICKASAW 4.0
WAUKON 6ESE ALLAMAKEE 4.0
STACEYVILLE MITCHELL 3.5
WATERVILLE 8S ALLAMAKEE 3.5
N. WASHINGTON CHICKASAW 3.2
CHARLES CITY FLOYD 2.8
FAYETTE FAYETTE 1.6
ELKADER CLAYTON 1.5
ELKADER 6SSW CLAYTON 1.2
STRAWBERRY POINT CLAYTON 1.0
OELWEIN 1E FAYETTE 0.9

SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA

SPRING GROVE HOUSTON 7.2
RENO 3SW HOUSTON 6.5
CALEDONIA 6S HOUSTON 5.5
HIGHLAND FILLMORE 5.0
FOUNTAIN FILLMORE 4.5
PRESTON FILLMORE 4.5
LA CRESCENT 2N HOUSTON 4.3
PRESTON FILLMORE 4.1
GRAND MEADOW 6SE MOWER 4.0
PETERSON 1S FILLMORE 3.7
SPRING VALLEY 3SW FILLMORE 3.7
SPRING VALLEY 3E FILLMORE 3.2
LYLE MOWER 3.2
SPRING VALLEY FILLMORE 2.5
GRAND MEADOW MOWER 2.2
AUSTIN MOWER 1.8
AUSTIN KAAL TV MOWER 1.8
WINONA DAM 5A WINONA 1.5
CHATFIELD 4W OLMSTED 1.3
ELGIN 2SSW WABASHA 1.2
ALTURA 5W WINONA 1.2
THEILMAN 1SSW WABASHA 1.1
WINONA WINONA 1.1
WABASHA WABASHA 1.0
ZUMBRO FALLS WABASHA 1.0
ROCHESTER 2NE OLMSTED 0.8
BYRON OLMSTED 0.5

SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN

ONTARIO VERNON 12.5
DE SOTO VERNON 12.3
VIROQUA VERNON 11.2
HILLSBORO 4SSW VERNON 10.5
LA FARGE VERNON 10.2
VIOLA VERNON 10.0
READSTOWN VERNON 9.7
VIROQUA VERNON 9.7
WESTBY 3ENE VERNON 9.4
HILLSBORO VERNON 9.1
NECEDAH 2SE JUNEAU 8.6
FRIENDSHIP 2NE ADAMS 8.0
VALLEY 1NW VERNON 7.8
GRAND MARSH 6S ADAMS 7.3
MT. STERLING CRAWFORD 7.0
NEW LISBON 2N JUNEAU 7.0
NEW LISBON 5N JUNEAU 6.5
FRIENDSHIP ADAMS 6.4
TUNNEL CITY 1S MONROE 6.4
ARKDALE ADAMS 6.2
GILLINGHAM RICHLAND 6.0
COON VALLEY VERNON 5.5
DELLWOOD ADAMS 5.5
LA CROSSE LA CROSSE 5.5
WESTBY 3ENE VERNON 5.4
WILTON 3E MONROE 5.4
SPARTA MONROE 5.2
LA CROSSE NWS LA CROSSE 5.1
WEST SALEM LA CROSSE 5.0
RICHLAND CENTER RICHLAND 5.0
GAYS MILLS CRAWFORD 4.8
LA CROSSE 4SE LA CROSSE 4.8
BLUE RIVER GRANT 4.7
STODDARD 3NE VERNON 4.6
FRENCH ISLAND LA CROSSE 4.5
ITHACA RICHLAND 4.5
NEILLSVILLE 4NNE CLARK 4.0
NEILLSVILLE 3SW CLARK 4.0
HATFIELD JACKSON 4.0
GOODRICH TAYLOR 4.0
OWEN 2N CLARK 4.0
TOMAH MONROE 4.0
ITHACA 2S RICHLAND 3.8
MEDFORD TAYLOR 3.8
OSSEO TREMPEALEAU 3.6
MOUNT ZION 2NW CRAWFORD 3.5
ONALASKA LA CROSSE 3.5
RICHLAND CENTER RICHLAND 3.4
STEUBEN 2SW CRAWFORD 3.1
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN CRAWFORD 3.0
TAYLOR JACKSON 3.0
HOLMEN 2S LA CROSSE 2.8
BLACK RIVER FALLS JACKSON 2.5
MONDOVI 6S BUFFALO 2.0
HIXTON 5W JACKSON 2.0
BLAIR TREMPEALEAU 2.0
GALESVILLE 1S TREMPEALEAU 1.5
WYALUSING GRANT 1.5
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN CRAWFORD 1.2
MUSCODA 6S GRANT 1.1
CASSVILLE 8NE GRANT 1.0
CUBA CITY 2N GRANT 0.9
LANCASTER GRANT 0.6
SINSINAWA GRANT 0.3

OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED IS CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.

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