Blizzard — Lyon, Minnesota

2025-03-15 · Lyon, Minnesota

Event narrative

After a period of evening rainfall, snow developed and became briefly heavy with accumulation of 2.5 inches at Tracy and 2.0 inches 5 miles south of Cottonwood and 4 miles south-southwest of Milroy. As northwest winds increased to a sustained 40 to 44 mph at Marshall and Tracy and gusted as high as 59 mph at Tracy, the combination of wind and snowfall led to a period of widespread visibility of less than one-half mile, and frequent visibility of one-quarter mile or less.

Wider weather episode

Intense low pressure spread from the Central Plains early on March 14 to central Minnesota by the morning of March 15. After a period of rainfall and thunderstorms in the evening, precipitation switched over the a band of moderate to heavy snow later in the overnight and early morning of March 15. Very strong winds developed on the back side of the system, with sustained winds from 30 to 44 mph and spotty gusts as high as 59 mph. This produced a short period of blizzard conditions in portions of southwest Minnesota, mainly near the Buffalo Ridge.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1253809. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.