Winter Storm in Chisago, Minnesota

The combination of heavy falling snow and sustained winds near 15 to 20 mph with frequent gusts over 25 mph resulted in low visibilities and impacted travel. The 2-day snowfall reports ranged from about 5 to 9 inches throughout the county, with the highest report being 8.6 inches in Lindstrom. Road conditions became most dangerous Saturday night and much of Sunday morning.

A large scale spring storm brought a round of heavy snow to the Upper Mississippi Valley from Saturday, March 14th through Sunday, March 15th. The footprint of the greatest totals stretched from southeast MN into central WI, where many places saw at least a foot of snowfall. The heavy snow combined with strong northwesterly winds resulted in reduced visibilities, often at one mile or less in the heaviest hit areas. Persistent blizzard conditions were most widespread in southern Minnesota, severely deteriorating road conditions. This led to a widespread travel advisory issued by MNDOT for much of the southern portion of the state, including the closure of the southbound lanes of I-35 near Albert Lea.

The highest snowfall reports were:

19.0 inches in Zumbrota, MN (Goodhue).

16.9 inches in Rosemount, MN (Dakota).

16.0 inches in Pine Island, MN (Goodhue).

14.8 inches in Elko New Market, MN (Scott).

14.5 inches in Lakeville, MN (Dakota).

14.5 inches in Prior Lake, MN (Scott).

14.0 inches in western Bloomington, MN (Hennepin).