Winter Storm — Northern Itasca, Minnesota

2021-12-16 · Northern Itasca, Minnesota

Event narrative

Snowfall reports of 1 to 3 inches were reported across the county. Wind gusts of upwards of 35 mph led to blowing snow and visibilities reduced to under a half mile during the late morning hours of the 16th that led to difficult travel conditions.

Wider weather episode

An unseasonably strong area of low pressure moved across the Nation's midsection on the 15th into the 16th and brought severe storms, including a tornado outbreak, on the warm side of the system with snow and strong winds on the cold side of the system. While snow totals were less than expected due to storms robbing moisture from this part of the system, a combination of wind and blowing snow led a a period of near-blizzard conditions across parts of the region that hampered travel over the midday hours in some areas.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 999593. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.