Blizzard — Steele, Minnesota

2025-03-19 · Steele, Minnesota

Event narrative

An estimated 0 to 4 inches of snow fell across the county with the highest amounts in the southern portion. There was a very stark difference in conditions across the county with areas north of Owatonna observing little to no impact from the snow, and areas south observing heavy snowfall and gusty winds over 35 mph. The Emergency Manager in the city of Ellendale reported blizzard conditions with visibilities dropping to 1/4 mile or less for several hours.

Wider weather episode

A strong spring storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening. The worst conditions were confined to the I-90 corridor and southeast Minnesota, with snowfall rates approaching 1 to 2 inches per hour at times and frequent gusts over 35 mph.

Very dry air on the northwest edge of the system resulted in a razor sharp gradient in snow totals, with some counties experiencing both white out conditions and no snow over a small area.

Some of the highest snowfall amounts were:

9.5 inches in Bricelyn, MN (Faribault).

8.0 inches in Albert Lea, MN (Freeborn).

8.0 inches in Blue Earth, MN (Faribault).

6.0 inches in Wells, MN (Faribault).

4.4 inches in Ellendale, MN (Steele).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1245926. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.