Below is snowfall map showing the heaviest snow across southwestern Minnesota.
Figure1: Map of snowfall observations across the region rounded to the nearest inch.
Less snow fell across eastern MN and western WI than originally forecast because temperatures were 1 to 2 degrees warmer than anticipated. This caused the snow to be wet and heavy, so it did not pile up and the measurements were only a few inches, with even less on paved surfaces. Just another example of how a couple of degrees can make a big difference in the weather forecast.
Figure 2: Map comparing the initial snowfall forecast to the observations. Eastern MN and western WI had less snow than originally forecast.
Below is a list of storm total snowfall reports from across the area.
LOCATION AMOUNT TIME/DATE MADISON 9.5 IN 0800 AM 12/01 REDWOOD FALLS 8.6 IN 0708 AM 12/01 1 ESE MILROY 8.5 IN 0930 AM 12/01 2 SSW STILLWATER 6.6 IN 0800 AM 12/01 7 N GRANITE LEDGE 6.0 IN 0600 AM 12/01 MONTEVIDEO 6.0 IN 0800 AM 12/01 ST. CLOUD AIRPORT 6.0 IN 0619 AM 12/01 WATSON 1NE 6.0 IN 0800 AM 12/01 7 SSE BIRD ISLAND 6.0 IN 0811 AM 12/01 WILLMAR 5N 5.7 IN 0800 AM 12/01 MAPLEWOOD 5.6 IN 0845 AM 12/01 SAUK RAPIDS 5.5 IN 0800 AM 12/01 1 E SAINT CLOUD 5.5 IN 0600 AM 12/01 COSMOS 5.3 IN 0800 AM 12/01 2 NW NORTH SAINT PAUL 5.3 IN 0956 AM 12/01 CARLOS 3SW 5.0 IN 0700 AM 12/01 1 SW LITTLE FALLS 5.0 IN 0647 AM 12/01 MELROSE 5.0 IN 0800 AM 12/01 1 WNW MORRIS 5.0 IN 0700 AM 12/01 CAMBRIDGE 5.0 IN 0604 AM 12/01 1 NE OWATONNA 4.8 IN 0802 AM 12/01 ELLENDALE 4.7 IN 0800 AM 12/01 3 WNW RICE 4.7 IN 1007 AM 12/01 U OF M ST. PAUL 4.6 IN 0842 AM 12/01 7 S FAIRMONT 4.6 IN 0800 AM 12/01 6 SW LITCHFIELD 4.6 IN 0615 AM 12/01 MORA 4.5 IN 0800 AM 12/01 KIMBALL 3N 4.5 IN 0604 AM 12/01 2 N SAUK CENTRE 4.5 IN 1023 AM 12/01 1 NNE NORTH BRANCH 4.3 IN 0800 AM 12/01 2 SW LONG PRAIRIE 4.2 IN 0800 AM 12/01 5 SSE OSCEOLA 4.0 IN 0723 AM 12/01 1 NE FAIRMONT 4.0 IN 0800 AM 12/01 4 SW SPICER 4.0 IN 0816 AM 12/01 BRANDON 4.0 IN 0800 AM 12/01 3 SE ORROCK 4.0 IN 0700 AM 12/01 RICE 3.9 IN 0700 AM 12/01 MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL AIRPORT 3.9 IN 0620 AM 12/01 1 E MONTICELLO 3.8 IN 0833 AM 12/01 1 SSE SARTELL 3.8 IN 1011 AM 12/01 1 NNE WOODBURY 3.8 IN 0816 AM 12/01 1 NE STILLWATER 3.7 IN 0813 AM 12/01 MAPLE LAKE 3.7 IN 0700 AM 12/01 WASECA EXPERIMENT STATION 3.6 IN 0808 AM 12/01 MORRIS WEST CENTRAL EXPERIME 3.5 IN 0847 AM 12/01 5 SE LAKE LILLIAN 3.5 IN 0700 AM 12/01 2 E EDINA 3.4 IN 0809 AM 12/01 NEW ULM 3SE 3.3 IN 0600 AM 12/01 LONG PRAIRIE 3.2 IN 0600 AM 12/01 3 ENE MONTGOMERY 3.2 IN 0700 AM 12/01 RUSH CITY 3.2 IN 1002 AM 12/01 2 ENE SAINT MICHAEL 3.2 IN 0812 AM 12/01 LONG LAKE 3.1 IN 0800 AM 12/01 3 NE NORTHFIELD 3.0 IN 0700 AM 12/01 WATERTOWN 3.0 IN 0815 AM 12/01 1 NNW WATERTOWN 3.0 IN 0718 AM 12/01 3 SE DASSEL 3.0 IN 0800 AM 12/01 3 NE NORTHFIELD 3.0 IN 0800 AM 12/01 ROCKFORD 3.0 IN 0842 AM 12/01 WINNEBAGO 3.0 IN 0848 AM 12/01 WILD RIVER STATE PARK 3.0 IN 0802 AM 12/01 BLUE EARTH 1S 2.9 IN 0800 AM 12/01 1 E BROOKLYN CENTER 2.7 IN 0815 AM 12/01 GAYLORD 2.6 IN 0700 AM 12/01 BIG FALLS HYDRO 2.5 IN 0800 AM 12/01 1 NW NEW ULM 2.5 IN 0800 AM 12/01 WATERTOWN 2.5 IN 0800 AM 12/01 FOREST LAKE 5NE 2.5 IN 0654 AM 12/01 1 WNW EAGLE LAKE 2.5 IN 0729 AM 12/01 2 SW CHISAGO CITY 2.5 IN 0700 AM 12/01 CHANHASSEN WFO 2.4 IN 0605 AM 12/01 11 N BRUCE 2.4 IN 0807 AM 12/01 WACONIA 2.3 IN 0600 AM 12/01 5 WNW NEW MARKET 2.2 IN 0800 AM 12/01 1 WSW GOLDEN VALLEY 2.2 IN 0800 AM 12/01 ROBERTS WWTP 2.1 IN 0804 AM 12/01 LOWER ST. ANTHONY 2.1 IN 0600 AM 12/01 1 WSW CHASKA 2.1 IN 0700 AM 12/01 BROWNTON WWTP 2.0 IN 0800 AM 12/01 3 N BOYCEVILLE 2.0 IN 0818 AM 12/01 1 WNW VESELI 2.0 IN 0948 AM 12/01 HASTINGS DAM 2 2.0 IN 0600 AM 12/01 1 WSW CARVER 1.9 IN 0816 AM 12/01 2 SSE EDINA 1.9 IN 0700 AM 12/01 5 SSE BALSAM LAKE 1.5 IN 0818 AM 12/01 RICE LAKE 1.5 IN 0803 AM 12/01 3 WNW LADYSMITH 1.3 IN 0820 AM 12/01 2 E BRUCE 1.2 IN 0819 AM 12/01 2 SW PRIOR LAKE 1.1 IN 0804 AM 12/01 HOLCOMBE 1.0 IN 0803 AM 12/01 2 SE CHETEK 1.0 IN 0819 AM 12/01 BALDWIN 1.0 IN 0803 AM 12/01