Murray storm history

Very slowly subsiding northwest winds remained strong enough to cause significant drifting snow and areas of very low visibilities in blowing snow through the night of December 27th. Travel remained difficult and hazardous, and wind chills were around zero at times. A vehicle dri…

Freezing rain caused light ice accumulations, but made roads and other surfaces icy, resulting in numerous accidents. One accident near Brewster killed a 26 year old woman.

Rainfall amounts across Murray County from June 20-22 ranged from 4 to 8 inches. This rainfall resulted in overland flooding and major flooding along the West Fork Des Moines River. County-wide, 132 homes were damaged, three of which were declared destroyed. Many homes in the cit…

An extended period of precipitation began with freezing rain quickly producing heavy ice accumulations, ranging up to a half inch. The precipitation then changed to sleet and then snow, with sleet and snow accumulations reaching 9.4 inches at Slayton. Many branches, limbs, whole …

Two episodes of extended blizzard conditions occurred over a slightly less than 24 hour period, with a slight improvement in conditions during the mid-afternoon to early evening. Gusty northwest winds from 35 to 45 mph were concurrent with light to moderate snowfall, which totale…

Sustained northwest winds occasionally reached around 40 mph at Slayton.

Whiteout conditions became common, especially over the western half of the county, as northwest winds reached 35 to 50 mph and interacted with periods of light snow during the late morning and afternoon.

Synoptic northwest winds were occasionally sustained from 40 to 42 mph at a Minnesota Road Weather Information System site 2 miles west of Dovray and at an Automated Weather Observing System site at Slayton.

Snowfall totaled 1.3 inches at Lake Wilson.

A long-duration snowfall totaled 6.2 inches in Slayton.

Sustained winds reached 40 to 43 mph at times at a Minnesota Road Weather Information System site 2 miles west of Dovray.

Gusty winds from 40 to 60 mph and a period of evening light snowfall led to several hours with visibility reduced to one mile or less, briefly around one-half mile near Dovray.

Heat index readings reached an afternoon peak on July 27 as high as 102 degrees at Slayton and 100 degrees near Dovray.

Daily afternoon and evening heat indices reached around 105 degrees with a maximum heat index of 105 degrees at an Automated Weather Observing System site in Slayton on June 21.

Sustained easterly winds reached 30 to 35 mph with gusts as high as 57 mph near Dovray.

After a period of evening rainfall, snow developed and became briefly heavy with a difficult to measure accumulation of 4.2 inches at Slayton and 1.9 inches at Lake Wilson. As northwest winds increased to a sustained 40 to 42 mph at times at Slayton and near Dovray with gusts as …

Northwest winds increased to a sustained 40 to 42 mph at Slayton and near Dovray, and gusted as high as 53 mph near Dovray.

Sustained winds reached as high as 40 mph near Trosky with gusts up to 59 mph.

Snowfall totaled 2.4 inches at Slayton and 1.5 inches at Lake Wilson. Sustained northwest winds reached 35 to 39 mph at times and gusted as high as 49 mph near Dovray, and sustained as high as 40 mph with gusts up to 59 mph near Trosky. Wind and snowfall combined to result in wid…

Winds were sustained at times from 40 to 41 mph with a peak gust of 51 mph near Dovray and 49 mph at Slayton.

The lowest wind chills ranged from 35 to 44 below zero with 44 below zero observed at the Minnesota Department of Transportation site near Dovray.

The lowest wind chills ranged from 35 to 37 below zero with 37 below zero observed at the Minnesota Department of Transportation site near Dovray.

Snowfall totaled 2.0 inches at Lake Wilson.

Wind chill temperatures ranged from 25 to 34 below zero during the early morning hours. A Minnesota Department of Transportation site near Dovray briefly dipped as low as 35 below zero.

Snowfall totaled 3.3 inches 0.8 miles south-southwest of Slayton and 3.0 inches in Lake Wilson.

The lowest wind chills ranged from 35 to 41 below zero with 41 below zero observed at the Minnesota Department of Transportation site near Dovray.

A couple periods of snowfall totaled 3.2 inches at Slayton. While most of the snowfall occurred prior to onset of strongest winds, some visibility of one mile or less occurred during heavier snowfall. Winds gusted at times from 25 to 40 mph.

Winds were sustained from 30 to 39 mph with gusts as high as 50 mph near Dovray and 48 mph at Slayton.

Winds were sustained from 30 to 37 mph, with occasional gusts to 46 mph near Dovray and at Slayton.

Severe (D2) drought improved to moderate (D1) drought during mid-November with as much as 2 to 3 inches of rainfall at the beginning of the month.

A period of light to occasionally moderate snowfall totaled 2.0 inches at Lake Wilson and 6 miles east of Current Lake, and 1.7 inches at Slayton. Northwest winds gusted from 25 to 35 mph during snowfall and resulted in reduced visibility as low as 1/2 to 1 mile at times of great…

Severe (D2) drought developed with precipitation around 6 inches below normal since August 1.

Afternoon and early evening heat index values reached as high as 99 degrees at Slayton on August 25 and very briefly to 106 degrees near Dovray on August 26.

Thunderstorm wind gusts up to 60 mph were measured at a Minnesota Road Weather Information System site near Dovray.

Afternoon and evening heat indices on July 13 ranged around 100 degrees with a maximum heat index of 100 degrees at a Road Weather Information System site near Dovray.

Hail varied from pea to quarter size.

Quarter size hail produced considerable crop damage. Crop damage monetary losses are an estimate using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Flooding continued from June on the Des Moines River near Avoca, with declining river levels. The river fell below flood stage on the morning of July 8th.

The West Fork of the Des Moines River near Avoca rose above flood stage the morning of June 21st, cresting around 4.64 feet above flood stage (1429.64 feet) on June 24th. This crest is in the Major Stage. The river stayed above flood stage into July. For a more comprehensive desc…

Four power poles were damaged by thunderstorm winds and resulted in loss of power to substations and a brief power outage.

Strong synoptic winds gusted up to 51 mph at Slayton and 50 mph near Dovray.