Blizzard in Fillmore, Minnesota

The combination of intense snow and strong winds allowed for visibilities to drop to a quarter mile or less resulting in blizzard conditions on March 19th in Fillmore County. At the AWOS in Filmore County, a 53 mph peak wind gust was measured during this period with visibilities falling near or below a quarter mile for over 3 hours during the morning and afternoon. Snowfall totals across the county ranged from 5 to 9 inches with a highest reported total of 9.1 inches in Peterson.

A compact but strong winter system moved through portions of the Upper Midwest on March 19th bringing heavy snow, strong wind gusts, and even thundersnow. While snow mixed in with sleet and rain at times, eventually some colder air aloft moved into the region and switched precipitation to all snow with some locally heavy rates up to 2 to 3 inches per hour. The heaviest totals in southeast Minnesota generally fell in Fillmore and Houston counties where some locations received upwards of 8 to 10 inches. Additionally, the combination of strong winds and snow led to blizzard conditions in portions of southeast Minnesota where wind gusts over 50 mph occurred in some locations.