Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News
Paul Huttner

Weekend storm will ease snow drought up north

Much of Minnesota is lagging behind average snow cover for early December.

Trails in the snow
Footprints create two trails in the snow on the campus of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.
Ann Arbor Miller | MPR News 2015

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

There’s a snow drought over most of Minnesota as we head into winter. And this weekend’s forecast snow event across northern Minnesota will likely help ease that deficit.

Snowfall projection
Snowfall projection by Monday.
NOAA

Most of Minnesota is running well behind average snowfall and snow cover for the first week of December and is still snow-free with bare ground.

Here’s a look at Friday’s snow cover across the U.S. Note how little snow covers the Rocky Mountains today.

Snow depth on December 3
Snow depth on December 3.
NOAA/NOHRSC

Here’s a look at the average snow cover for Dec. 3.

Average snow depth for December 3
Average snow depth for December 3.
NOAA

You can see that much of Minnesota is running anywhere from a few inches to more than a foot below average for snow cover for this first week in December.

Here are some select seasonal snowfall totals vs. average in Minnesota.

Location/Snowfall so far/Average

  • Twin Cities 1.2/8.7 inches

  • St. Cloud 2.1”/8.8 inches

  • Rochester 0.6”/6.4 inches

  • Duluth 6.6”/18.6 inches

  • International Falls 9.5”/15.3 inches

  • Fargo/Moorhead 4.3”/9.0 inches

The 5 to 10+ inches of snow up north this weekend should help bring most locations to near-average snowfall for the season.