Weather and Climate News

Day of snow adds up to more than a half-foot in parts of eastern, southern Minnesota

Minneapolis residents started to clear the snow
Minneapolis residents started to clear the snow from the sidewalks after heavy snowfall in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

Updated: Nov. 30, 6 a.m. | Posted: Nov. 29, 12:07 p.m.

Tuesday was a true snow day across much of southern and eastern Minnesota, as snow that started falling before sunrise added up to more than a half-foot by evening in many locations.

The snow snarled both the morning and afternoon commutes in the Twin Cities, and caused many schools across the region to dismiss classes early or cancel after-school and evening activities.

A family go to the park
Zara Juta (center), Clive (left), and Lenox (right) go to Fuller Park in Minneapolis to sled on Tuesday.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

Minneapolis, St. Paul and some other communities declared snow emergencies, setting special parking rules into effect.

Find information about snow emergency rules in Minneapolis here.

Find information about snow emergency rules in St. Paul here.

For other communities, check city websites and social media pages for updates.

A child started sledding after the heavy snowfall
A child started sledding after the heavy snowfall in Minneapolis.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

Kids and families flocked to sledding hills in the afternoon, and the snow also was a welcome boost of fresh powder for ski hills and trails.

Snow totals included 9 inches at North St. Paul; 8.5 inches at Burnsville and St. Peter; 8.4 inches at the Twin Cities airport; 8 inches in Bloomington, Stillwater, Savage; 7.8 inches at Hudson, Wis.; 7.6 inches near Prior Lake; and 7.5 inches in Falcon Heights.

Other snow totals reported to the National Weather Service included 7 inches at North Mankato and Mendota Heights, and 6.5 inches at Richfield and Victoria.

The far northern Twin Cities metro generally saw 4 to 5 inches, while the Duluth, Rochester and Austin areas and southwest Minnesota saw 2 to 4 inches.

And while it was a snowy day across much of the state, northwest Minnesota missed out, with little if any snow on Tuesday.

Remaining winter storm warnings in east-central Minnesota were set to expire Tuesday night.

A Minneapolis resident started to clear the snow
A woman uses a snowblower to clear the sidewalk after heavy snow in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

As the snow ended, the familiar sounds of winter — whether it was shovels hitting sidewalks, or snowblowers and plows clearing driveways and streets — echoed through neighborhoods across the Twin Cities and beyond.

For travelers, the snow was a headache. Between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., the State Patrol reported more than 600 crashes and spinouts on Minnesota highways, along with more than 30 jackknifed semis. There were no reports of serious injuries or fatalities.

Find updated Minnesota road conditions here.

In the Twin Cities, Metro Transit reported short weather-related delays on more than half of its bus routes at times in the morning and into the afternoon. Blue Line trains were delayed for a time after a vehicle got stuck on the tracks in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reported dozens of delayed and canceled flights on Tuesday, and had to close down its runways for a time because of heavy snow. The airport reported some lingering flight cancellations and delays on Wednesday morning.

Winds were gusty at times on Tuesday and will picked up as the snow ended Tuesday night. The Twin Cities airport reported wind gusts in excess of 45 mph early Wednesday — which will cause blowing and drifting snow.

Find forecast updates on MPR Weather’s Updraft blog.