The Minnesota Weather Thread (Minneapolis, St. Paul: contracts, family, how often)

[tijlover]

One of the happiest winter days in Minneapolis was back in 1991, I believe, that historic Halloween storm that paralyzed the city with 28 inches of snow in one big dump. I even saw snowmobiles in the downtown area that night.

Here, in Tucson, I talked to an old-timer here, and she said, one winter day here, 7 inches of snow was dumped here, and not a snowplow in sight!

[2x3x29x41]

It may be the perfect storm, so to speak, for major flooding.

*An unusually thick snowpack statewide.
*A very cold January and February, resulting in the ground being frozen deeper than usual and preventing any gradual melting at all.
*A rainy previous autumn, such that when the ground does finally thaw, it won't be able to absorb much if any additional water because it was already saturated when it froze up at the beginning of winter.
*What looks to be a fairly rapid warm-up. Though we'll have a few days ahead when the overnights dip below freezing, late next week the warm-up into the 50s begins, with overnights in the 30s and 40s. Also, days that are either sunny or cloudy because more rain/snow is falling.

My house won't flood, and I love the warming, but I feel bad for all the problems that will ensue for others and for towns in general.

[2x3x29x41]

The Cannon River in Northfield is way too high already. Not quite flood stage, but close enough considering the remaining snowpack, the current runoff conditions, and the forecast.

It might ebb a bit in the next few days, but when that long sting of days in the 50s and overnights well above freezing, I think it'll get bad again.

The snowpack looks like it's gotten a lot smaller, but I think part of that is that the snow is just compacting.

[Tyryztoll]

Whole string of 50's starting later this week! Die, snow........DIE!!!

[Kavalier]

Is it true that this has been one of the longest stretches in state history of consecutive days below 50 degree days?


It would make sense that they're not reporting on it on the "news".

[wamer27]

Somebody find the biggest/tallest snow pile in the cities, then we can guess when it’ll disappear.

[Umbria]

The snow is vanishing and most will be gone when we get the 50f for a few days. I was almost gonked by a huge chunk of ice from my roof.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by wamer27

Somebody find the biggest/tallest snow pile in the cities, then we can guess when it’ll disappear.

the largest parking lot in the world is at West Edmonton Mall, you'll likely find the largest snow pile in the cities in East Bloomington

[tijlover]

I'll bet the tow trucks and impound lots did their best year ever!

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by wamer27

Somebody find the biggest/tallest snow pile in the cities, then we can guess when it’ll disappear.

local media reports from 2010/2011 referenced a massive snow pile in the Sears parking lot near the state capitol where many of the surface lots around the capitol piled their snow.