May 1-3, 2013 Record Heavy Snow

May 1-3, 2013 Record Heavy Snow

Overview

A slow moving, potent spring storm brought unwelcomed, heavy snow to parts of the region from late Wednesday night (May 1st) through Thursday, May 2. The snow lingered into Friday the 3rd. Prior to that, the storm's surface low and cold front sparked a few showers and thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday (April 30-May 1), with a few severe storms late Monday night into early Tuesday morning. Unseasonably cold air flowed in behind the front, with 70s to low 80 highs ahead of it and 40s behind it. Cold air continued to invade from the west and north Wednesday night while a band of precipitation set up from northwest Wisconsin, across southeast Minnesota, and southwest through central Iowa. The band intensified late Wednesday night, and with ample cold air, what fell was mostly snow - and very heavy at times. 1 to 2 inch per hour snowfall rates were common overnight Wednesday. Despite the warm grounds, roadways became snow covered, resulting in slick and dangerous travel Thursday morning.  The bulk of the snow fell on Thursday. Daily snowfall records were set at many locations. In fact, the one-day totals also set monthly records! Regional Radar Loop (large file)

May 2nd Snowfall Records Set Dodge Center, MN 15.4" Osage, IA 7.0" Mondovi, WI 8.3" Rochester, MN 14.0" St Ansgar, IA 5.2" Medford, WI 2.0" Zumbro Falls, MN 10.4" Elma, IA 2.1" La Crosse, WI  0.8" Austin, MN 10.0" Charles City, IA 1.0"      Byron, MN 9.6"         Elgin, MN 7.4"         Theilman, MN 6.2"         Wabasha, MN 5.6"         Grand Meadow, MN 5.0"         Preston, MN 4.0"         Lanesboro, MN 1.6"         Spring Valley, MN 1.0"           Radar loop from Midnight to 6 pm Thursday, May 2nd

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Snowfall Graphics

24 hour regional snowfall (through Thu morning - May 2)	24 hour local snowfall (through Thu morning - May 2)	48 hour regional snowfall	48 hour local snowfall

Photos

Morning snowfall in Kasson, MN	Tree down in Austin, MN	Kasson, MN	Owatonna, MN	Rochester, MN
Tree damage in Rochester, MN				Stuck bus
Iowa horse enjoying the snow	Claremont, MN	Trucks stopped on Highway 14	MN highway and media webcams on May 2nd

Snowfall Totals (May 1-3) 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 129 PM CDT FRI MAY 3 2013 ...MAY 1-3 SNOWFALL TOTALS... LOCATION AMOUNT IOWA ...CHICKASAW... IONIA 2W 5.5 IN NASHUA 5.1 IN NEW HAMPTON 5.0 IN ...CLAYTON... MONONA WWTP TRACE ...FAYETTE... ALPHA 1ENE 1.5 IN OELWEIN 1E 1.2 IN FAYETTE 0.5 IN CLERMONT 0.5 IN ...FLOYD... CHARLES CITY 10.0 IN NASHUA 2SW 5.1 IN COLWELL 4.5 IN ...HOWARD... CRESCO 1NE 6.5 IN ELMA 4.9 IN ...MITCHELL... OSAGE 13.0 IN ST ANSGAR 10.9 IN CARPENTER 2ENE 7.0 IN RICEVILLE 7.0 IN ST ANSGAR 7NW 7.0 IN ...WINNESHIEK... BLUFFTON 1N 3.5 IN RIDGEWAY 3.0 IN HIGHLANDVILLE 3.0 IN CALMAR 2.9 IN SATTRE 4S 2.0 IN DECORAH 0.5 IN MINNESOTA ...DODGE... DODGE CENTER 17.2 IN CLAREMONT 2 SSE 14.9 IN KASSON 14.5 IN BLOOMING PRAIRIE 4E 14.0 IN CLAREMONT 13.0 IN PINE ISLAND 5WSW 13.0 IN MANTORVILLE 2ESE 9.0 IN MANTORVILLE 7.0 IN ...FILLMORE... SPRING VALLEY 3E 12.9 IN PILOT MOUND 2SSE 11.9 IN LANESBORO 8.0 IN SPRING VALLEY 8.0 IN SPRING VALLEY 1ENE 8.0 IN CHATFIELD 8.0 IN PRESTON 8.0 IN PETERSON 1S 7.2 IN HARMONY 2.5 IN HIGHLAND 2.0 IN ...HOUSTON... SPRING GROVE 4N 3.1 IN LA CRESCENT 1NNW 1.8 IN ...MOWER... GRAND MEADOW 14.0 IN AUSTIN KAAL TV 12.5 IN AUSTIN WASTE WATER 10.2 IN AUSTIN 2SW 10.0 IN BROWNSDALE 10.0 IN ADAMS 2S 8.5 IN AUSTIN 7.0 IN ...OLMSTED... ROCHESTER 3W 16.6 IN ROCHESTER 2NW 15.5 IN ROCHESTER AIRPORT 15.3 IN BYRON 4N 14.8 IN ROCHESTER 2NE 14.5 IN ORONOCO 2N 14.0 IN ORONOCO 13.2 IN ELGIN 2SSW 13.1 IN

ROCHESTER KTTC TV             13.0 IN

EYOTA                         12.5 IN
RINGE 4WSW                    11.3 IN
DOUGLAS 2N                    10.0 IN
SALEM CORNERS 3NE              9.8 IN
ROCHESTER 1SE                  9.5 IN
PINE ISLAND 2S                 9.0 IN
ROCHESTER 2NE                  8.5 IN

...WABASHA...
READS LANDING 1W              15.8 IN
OAK CENTER                    15.0 IN
ZUMBRO FALLS 4 SSW            14.1 IN
THEILMAN 1SSW                 11.5 IN
HAMMOND 1S                    10.0 IN
PLAINVIEW                     10.0 IN
ZUMBROTA (GOODHUE CO)          9.9 IN
WABASHA                        9.5 IN
KELLOGG 4S                     9.0 IN
LAKE CITY                      8.0 IN

...WINONA...
ST CHARLES 3N                 11.5 IN
ST CHARLES 5N                 10.0 IN
ALTURA 5W                      9.4 IN
LEWISTON                       8.0 IN
STOCKTON 1 NNW                 7.0 IN
WINONA DAM 5A                  5.0 IN
TREMPEALEAU DAM 6              4.0 IN
GOODVIEW                       4.0 IN
MINNESOTA CITY DAM 5           4.0 IN
WINONA                         3.5 IN
LA CRESCENT DAM 7              0.5 IN

WISCONSIN

...BUFFALO...
MONDOVI 2W                     8.3 IN
NELSON                         7.0 IN
ALMA DAM 4                     5.0 IN
FOUNTAIN CITY                  3.0 IN

...CLARK...
OWEN 2N                        1.5 IN

...CRAWFORD...
DE SOTO 1SE                    TRACE

...LA CROSSE...
TOWN OF HOLLAND                4.5 IN
HOLMEN 4N                      2.0 IN
HOLMEN 2S                      1.6 IN
HOLMEN 1N                      1.2 IN
ONALASKA 2NW                   0.9 IN
LA CROSSE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT    0.8 IN
NWS LA CROSSE                  0.4 IN

...MONROE...
TUNNEL CITY                    0.2 IN

...TAYLOR...
JUMP RIVER 1NW                 7.0 IN
LUBLIN                         3.5 IN
MEDFORD                        2.0 IN
WESTBORO 4E                    1.8 IN

...TREMPEALEAU...
OSSEO                          8.1 IN
ETTRICK 4WNW                   6.2 IN
ARCADIA                        6.0 IN
GALESVILLE 2WSW                4.7 IN
TREMPEALEAU DAM 6              4.0 IN
TREMPEALEAU 2NW                3.8 IN
CENTERVILLE 1N                 3.5 IN

...VERNON...
STODDARD                       TRACE
GENOA DAM 8                    TRACE
WESTBY 3ENE                    TRACE

$$