A slow moving area of low pressure tracked across central Iowa into central Illinois on March 18th and 19th bringing prolonged heavy snow to much of the region. Snowfall totaled 2 feet (24 inches) in some areas of southeast Minnesota, with a broad area of 10 to 16 inches across southern Minnesota, extreme northern Iowa, and west central Wisconsin. Thunder was heard at times on Friday March 18th when snow was falling at the rate of 2-3 inches per hour. Rochester, MN set a brand new one-day record snowfall of 19.8 inches.
There was a fairly sharp gradient from north to south though with only a couple inches of new snow in parts of north central Wisconsin (Taylor Co.) and far southern Wisconsin (Grant Co.).
East to northeast winds did cause some significant drifting as well, with reports of drifts up to 5 feet high in open or higher areas.
A Winter Storm Watch had been issued early Thursday morning and Winter Storm Warnings were in place by Thursday afternoon for the expected heavy snow. This was approx. 18-30 hours of advanced notice.
Images of the heavy snow...
Snow totals for March 18-19, 2005
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1247 PM CST SAT MAR 19 2005 ...STORM SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM MARCH 18-19... LOCATION COUNTY SNOWFALL ...NORTHEAST IOWA... OTRANTO 1W MITCHELL 19.0" OSAGE MITCHELL 15.0" STACYVILLE MITCHELL 13.0" DORCHESTER ALLAMAKEE 11.3" CRESCO HOWARD 11.0" KENDALLVILLE WINNESHIEK 10.5" ELMA HOWARD 7.5" LANSING ALLAMAKEE 6.2" SPILLVILLE WINNESHIEK 6.0" WAUKON 8NW ALLAMAKEE 5.4" FRANKVILLE WINNESHIEK 5.0" NEW HAMPTON CHICKASAW 5.0" NORTH WASHINGTON CHICKASAW 4.5" CHARLES CITY FLOYD 4.2" IONIA CHICKASAW 4.0" OSSIAN WINNESHIEK 3.0" VOLGA CLAYTON 1.8" EDGEWOOD CLAYTON 1.5" GARNAVILLO CLAYTON 1.5" ELKADER CLAYTON 1.4" FAYETTE FAYETTE 1.2" ...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... LYLE MOWER 24.0" PRESTON FILLMORE 23.3" HOUSTON 5E HOUSTON 23.0" BYRON 5N OLMSTED 22.5" PETERSON 2S FILLMORE 22.0" ST CHARLES WINONA 22.0" ROCHESTER - AIRPORT OLMSTED 20.2" SPRING VALLEY FILLMORE 20.0" ROCHESTER DOWNTOWN OLMSTED 19.5" STEWARTVILLE OLMSTED 19.4" BYRON OLMSTED 19.3" CHATFIELD OLMSTED 19.0" KASSON DODGE 19.0" BYRON 4S OLMSTED 19.0" CALEDONIA HOUSTON 18.0" WINONA - HIGHLAND DR WINONA 18.0" WYKOFF 3N FILLMORE 18.0" GRAND MEADOW MOWER 17.7" AUSTIN MOWER 17.0" GOODVIEW WINONA 17.0" WINONA - WEST BURNS VALLEY WINONA 17.0" WINONA 3S WINONA 17.0" KELLOGG 4S WABASHA 17.0" DOVER 3S OLMSTED 17.0" ST CHARLES 5N WINONA 16.8" DODGE CENTER DODGE 16.0" MANTORVILLE 3E DODGE 16.0" WEST CONCORD DODGE 16.0" WINONA 4S WINONA 16.0" ALTURA 5W WINONA 15.9" THEILMAN WABASHA 15.6" ORONOCO OLMSTED 15.1" LeROY MOWER 15.0" RUSHFORD FILLMORE 15.0" PINE ISLAND 2S OLMSTED 15.0" ZUMBRO FALLS WABASHA 14.9" ELGIN WABASHA 14.5" LA CRESCENT 1N HOUSTON 14.2" RENO 3SW HOUSTON 14.1" DOUGLAS 2N OLMSTED 13.0" LAKE CITY WABASHA 12.7" WABASHA WABASHA 12.4" SPRING GROVE HOUSTON 12.1" LA CRESCENT 9W HOUSTON 12.0" WINONA DAM WINONA 11.5" ...WISCONSIN... ALMA CENTER JACKSON 23.0" BUFFALO CITY BUFFALO 21.5" ETTRICK TREMPEALEAU 18.5" COCHRANE BUFFALO 18.0" PRICE JACKSON 18.0" ARCADIA TREMPEALEAU 17.0" BLAIR TREMPEALEAU 16.6" ETTRICK 2W TREMPEALEAU 16.0" LA CROSSE - NWS LA CROSSE 15.6" ONALASKA LA CROSSE 15.3" LA CROSSE - AIRPORT LA CROSSE 15.2" TAYLOR JACKSON 15.0" INDEPENDENCE 3NE TREMPEALEAU 15.0" TOWN OF HOLLAND LA CROSSE 14.7" GALESVILLE TREMPEALEAU 14.5" FRENCH ISLAND LA CROSSE 14.1" ALMA 5NE BUFFALO 14.0" HOLMEN LA CROSSE 14.0" OSSEO TREMPEALEAU 14.0" HOLMEN 2S LA CROSSE 13.9" WEST SALEM LA CROSSE 13.8" GILMANTON 6W BUFFALO 13.5" STODDARD 3NE VERNON 13.5" STODDARD VERNON 13.5" HUB CITY RICHLAND 12.0" MONDOVI 6S BUFFALO 12.0" VICTORY VERNON 11.7" WARRENS 5WSW MONROE 11.3" MILLSTON JACKSON 11.0" NEILLSVILLE CLARK 10.0" LAKE CAMELOT ADAMS 10.0" MATHER JUNEAU 9.5" SPARTA 2S MONROE 9.0" RICHLAND CENTER 4W RICHLAND 9.0" LONGWOOD CLARK 8.0" GAYS MILLS CRAWFORD 7.8" VIROQUA VERNON 7.0" WESTBY VERNON 6.6" FRIENDSHIP 10NE ADAMS 6.5" TOMAH MONROE 6.5" PLAINVILLE 5N ADAMS 6.5" NECEDAH JUNEAU 6.2" OWEN CLARK 5.6" RICHLAND CENTER RICHLAND 5.6" WITHEE CLARK 5.5" FENNIMORE GRANT 5.0" HILLSBORO VERNON 5.0" MT STERLING CRAWFORD 5.0" ONTARIO VERNON 5.0" STEUBEN 4SE CRAWFORD 4.8" MAUSTON - WRJC RADIO JUNEAU 4.2" LUBLIN TAYLOR 3.5" MEDFORD TAYLOR 3.0" CASSVILLE 8NE GRANT 2.8" LANCASTER GRANT 2.5" CUBA CITY GRANT 2.5" MEDFORD 4NW TAYLOR 2.5" GOODRICH TAYLOR 2.0" $$