Winter Weather — Lincoln, Minnesota

2023-12-25 · Lincoln, Minnesota

Event narrative

Ice accumulations up to one to two tenths of an inch were common resulting in slick roadways. Two tenths of an inch ice accumulation was reported 8 miles southeast of Hendricks.

Wider weather episode

A complex storm impacted the Northern Plains in the days leading up to and through the Christmas holiday with widespread precipitation, wind, and hazardous conditions. The storm began as rain during the afternoon and evening of December 23, briefly pausing before a second round of rainfall surged northward early on December 24. Cooler temperatures slipped in near the surface by early Christmas Day, and this caused a widespread transition to freezing rain with ice accumulation varying from one-tenth to one-half inch, greatest near the crest of the Buffalo Ridge as warmer air wrapped into the area from the south and east within the dry slot. As the storm wound up and exited on December 26, colder air and wrap-around moisture brought up to one-half inch of light snowfall.

Several long-term NWS Cooperative Observer locations in southwest Minnesota recorded the highest 3-day precipitation total on record for December including:

Minneota 2.75

Marshall 2.52

Lake Wilson 2.00

Pipestone 1.92

Lakefield 2 NE 1.69

Windom 1.51.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1153504. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.