Winter Storm in Mower, Minnesota

This winter system brought near-blizzard conditions and heavy snow to Mower County on March 19th. Snowfall totals between 4 to 8 inches across the county with the highest reported total being 7.5 inches in Grand Meadow. Additionally, a peak wind gust of 51 mph was observed at a Minnesota Department of Transportation observation site in Lyle during this event.

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.