More Rain, Snow, and Wind, April 5-7, 2022

For the third week in a row, Minnesotans were treated to a mid-week weather system, this one sprawling over three days and bringing wind-driven waves of rain and snow to the majority of the state. Central and eastern Minnesota had been treated to a slurry of wet snow just 36 hours earlier, and this one ended with a carpet of slush over virtually the entire state.

This event began as a large Alberta Clipper system moved from southwestern Canada into the high plains of Montana on Monday April 4th, before ingesting rich southerly moisture and grinding its way across the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin through Thursday the 7th. This unusually wet and slow-moving "Franken-clipper" intensified on Tuesday into early Wednesday, before weakening slowly for the rest of its journey through the region.   

The first wave of rain and snow pushed eastward across the state Tuesday April 5th during the morning and early afternoon, producing just light rain in southern Minnesota, and wet, slushy snow in the central and north. Precipitation during this period was generally light, with most areas receiving a quarter-inch or less. A more impressive wave of heavier precipitation developed during the late afternoon, evening, and overnight, as the intensifying storm lifted the inbound moisture over a spiraling array of temperature boundaries, resulting in moderate rain in the south, with occasionally very heavy snow pinwheeling counterclockwise across the northern half of the state.

As the storm moved eastward early Wednesday morning, a cold front plunged through the state, turning much of the rain to wet snow. From Wednesday morning until the precipitation ended late on Thursday, the precipitation fell either as rain mixed with snow, or as all snow. Strong winds persisted for the entirety of the storm, but the gustiest conditions occurred from Wednesday night through Thursday, with 40 - 55 mph gusts common in open areas.

By storm's end almost all of Minnesota had received some precipitation, with a half-inch or more covering about 60% of the state, and about 25% of the state receiving an inch or more. Northeastern Minnesota hit the precipitation jackpot, where totals of 1.25 to 2.25 inches were common.

The snow fell as a heavy slush, which accumulated, melted, and then re-accumulated in many places. In the Twin Cities, snow covered the ground three mornings in a row, even though it melted during each day. In northern Minnesota, the snows were more serious, with a foot or more falling near Finland, Silver Bay, and outside of Grand Marais, and with totals of at least six inches reported around Hibbing, Duluth, Orr, Two Harbors, Cass Lake, Pine River, and Northome.

Following are snowfall totals by county in northern and northeastern Minnesota from the Duluth National Weather Service, along with some wind gusts reported in northwestern Minnesota, courtesy of the Grand Forks National Weather Service.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN  
1102 AM CDT FRI APR 8 2022  
..72 HOUR SNOWFALL AND PRECIPITATION REPORTS  
SEE BELOW FOR 3-DAY TOTAL SNOWFALL AND PRECIPITATION (INCLUDING LIQUID EQUIVALENT FROM SNOWFALL) REPORTS.   
SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE THOSE GREATER THAT 1 INCH.   
LIQUID PRECIPITAITON REPORTS ARE THOSE GREATER THAN 0.1 INCH.  
..SNOWFALL REPORTS  
LOCATION                     AMOUNT    TIME/DATE       PROVIDER               
..MINNESOTA  
..AITKIN COUNTY  
TAMARACK 1.4 SW              1.1 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
..CARLTON COUNTY  
WRENSHALL 9.7 SSE            5.6 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
3.3 W CLOQUET                4.7 IN    0830 AM 04/08   COOP                   
WRENSHALL                    4.6 IN    0800 AM 04/08   UCOOP                  
CLOQUET 3.4 ENE              4.2 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
3 E WRIGHT                   2.3 IN    0600 AM 04/08   COOP                   
..CASS COUNTY  
REMER 11.5 WSW               7.8 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
CASS LAKE                    6.6 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COOP                   
OUTING 2.9 ENE               5.2 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
PILLAGER 5.1 N               5.0 IN    0640 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
FEDERAL DAM 3 WNW            4.3 IN    1000 AM 04/08   COOP                   
..COOK COUNTY  
LUTSEN 11.8 N                11.3 IN   0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
HOVLAND 2.8 WNW              8.7 IN    0730 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
GRAND MARAIS 3.8 NNE         8.3 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
3.7 NE SEA GULL LAKE         8.1 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COOP                   
GRAND MARAIS 6.6 NW          7.4 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
TOFTE 4.9 NE                 4.9 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
GRAND MARAIS 4.4 WSW         2.3 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
..CROW WING COUNTY  
NISSWA 4.2 ENE               3.4 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
..ITASCA COUNTY  
NORTHOME 3 S                 6.5 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COOP                   
MARCELL 0.7 NNW              4.6 IN    0830 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
BOVEY 13.4 N                 3.3 IN    0654 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
COHASSET 7.6 NNW             3.3 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
COLERAINE 0.7 S              3.0 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
WARBA 2.2 NNW                2.3 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
..KOOCHICHING COUNTY  
INDUS                        3.0 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COOP                   
INTERNATIONAL FALLS 5.1 SSW  2.9 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
INTERNATIONAL FALLS 0.6 NW   1.5 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
..LAKE COUNTY  
FINLAND 0.8 NNE              12.5 IN   0800 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
WOLF RIDGE                   9.5 IN    0733 AM 04/08   COOP                   
SILVER BAY 0.4 W             7.9 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
TWO HARBORS 2.1 NW           7.0 IN    0628 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
TWO HARBORS 3.6 WNW          7.0 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
TWO HARBORS 0.4 ESE          3.7 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
TWO HARBORS                  2.8 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COOP                   
ELY 25 E                     2.2 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COOP                   
..PINE COUNTY  
STURGEON LAKE 7.5 ESE        1.7 IN    0600 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
KERRICK 2.4 NNW              1.5 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
STURGEON LAKE 0.4 ENE        1.4 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
..ST. LOUIS COUNTY  
DULUTH 11.8 NNE              8.5 IN    0730 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
DULUTH 7.9 SW                8.5 IN    0900 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
NWS DULUTH                   8.0 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COOP                   
BRIMSON 2.0 S                7.0 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
BRIMSON 2 S                  7.0 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COOP                   
CHISHOLM 0.4 WSW             6.9 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
ORR 3 E                      6.1 IN    0600 AM 04/08   COOP                   
CHISHOLM 0.7 NW              4.1 IN    0630 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
KABETOGAMA 1.5 NW            3.8 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
DULUTH 4.6 NE                3.6 IN    0730 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
KABETOGAMA                   3.5 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COOP                   
DULUTH 17.6 NNW              3.2 IN    0630 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
DULUTH 15.4 NNW              3.0 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
3.8 S TOWER                  2.8 IN    0730 AM 04/08   COOP                   
WRIGHT 9.2 NNE               2.6 IN    0650 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
DULUTH 17.6 NNW              2.6 IN    0700 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
COTTON 5.7 ESE               2.6 IN    0800 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
IRON JUNCTION 3.4 NNW        2.4 IN    0600 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
COOK 8NE                     2.1 IN    0600 AM 04/08   COOP                   
ELY 5.2 NNW                  2.1 IN    0730 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
CANYON 4.6 NNE               1.8 IN    0730 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
DULUTH 1.2 SE                1.7 IN    0557 AM 04/08   COCORAHS               
EMBARRASS                    1.6 IN    0600 AM 04/08   COOP            
-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
410 AM CDT THU APR 7 2022  
..HIGHEST WIND REPORTS OVER THE PAST 24HRS  
LOCATION                     SPEED     TIME/DATE       PROVIDER                                
FERGUS FALLS AP  MN          58 MPH    0655 PM 04/06   AWOS                   
E GRAND FORKS MN 6 SE        58 MPH    0501 PM 04/06   MNDOT                  
ROTHSAY MN 0.5 NW            53 MPH    0630 PM 04/06   MNDOT                  
TENNEY MN 2 W                52 MPH    0245 PM 04/06   MNDOT                  
LAKE PARK MN 0.5 W           52 MPH    0500 PM 04/06   MNDOT                  
MOORHEAD AP MN               51 MPH    0235 PM 04/06   AWOS                   
HENDRUM MN 4 ENE             51 MPH    0613 PM 04/06   MNDOT                  
DILWORTH MN 2 S              50 MPH    0550 PM 04/06   MNDOT                  
EMERADO US 2 MP 340.4        50 MPH    0610 PM 04/06   NDDOT                  
DONALDSON MN 1 W             49 MPH    0150 PM 04/06   MNDOT                  
CROOKSTON AP MN              48 MPH    1235 PM 04/06   AWOS                   
ELBOW LAKE AP MN             47 MPH    0535 PM 04/06   AWOS                   
ST VINCENT MN 1 E            47 MPH    0130 PM 04/06   MNDOT                  
CAMPBELL MN 3 SE             46 MPH    0620 PM 04/06   NDAWN                  
OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING  
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURES. WE THANK ALL VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS   
FOR THEIR DEDICATION. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.         

Updated April 8, 2022.