November snowfall records tumble; arctic air mass follows

Top 11 heaviest 24-hour November snowstorms in St. Cloud, MN since the 1890s, including new record set on Nov. 10, 2014
Top 11 heaviest 24-hour November snowstorms in St. Cloud, MN since the 1890’s, including new record set on Nov. 10, 2014.
NOAA/NWS)

November snowfall records tumble; arctic air mass follows (Examiner, Nov 11, 2014):

Yesterday morning, it looked as though heavy snow was going to affect parts of south-central Minnesota. That snow came with a vengeance, especially to the northwest of the Minneapolis, MN area and then northeastward to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. St. Cloud, MN broke a daily snowfall record, as well as a 24-hour November snowfall record with 13.2 inches of snow on Nov. 10, 2014 (Fig. 1). The old daily snowfall record was set in 1946 (4.3 inches); the old 24-hour November snowfall record was 12.0 inches set in 1898.

Due to the magnitude of yesterday’s snowfall, melted precipitation (the amount of liquid water in the snow) measured 1.24 inches at St. Cloud, MN. This broke the record daily liquid precipitation record for the day (0.67 inches set in 1998). Other records likely fell, but were not yet reported through the evening hours of Nov. 11, 2014.

Here are some of the other larger storm totals (in tenths of inches) for Minnesota, Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan (through midday Tues., Nov. 11, 2014). All values are for observation times on Nov. 11 unless otherwise noted. Data were obtained from National Weather Service web sites in the areas affected by the heavy snow.

AMT LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME

16.00 CLAM LAKE WI ASHLAND 0630 AM

16.00 3 NNW BUTTERNUT WI ASHLAND 0600 AM

15.50 2 SE SPOONER WI WASHBURN 0800 AM

15.20 1 WSW SAXON WI IRON 0700 AM

15.00 3 E SARONA WI WASHBURN 1000 AM

15.00 1 NW SPOONER WI WASHBURN 0833 AM

14.50 1 SSW GRANTSBURG WI BURNETT 0734 AM

14.00 8 SE SPRINGBROOK WI WASHBURN 0809 AM

13.00 GILE WI IRON 0631 AM

12.70 2 W HAYWARD WI SAWYER 0630 AM

12.50 8 WNW PARK FALLS WI PRICE 0735 AM

12.00 3 W PHILLIPS WI PRICE 1100 AM

12.00 2 W IRONWOOD WI IRON 0820 AM

12.00 4 SE NAMEKAGON WI BAYFIELD 0700 AM

12.00 POPLAR WI DOUGLAS 0445 AM

16.50 ST. AUGUSTA MN STEARNS 0302 PM (NOV. 10)

16.50 CAMBRIDGE MN ISANTI 0530 PM (NOV. 10)

15.00 4 NE RUSH CITY MN CHISAGO 0859 PM (NOV. 10)

13.80 MILACA MN MILLE LACS 0730 AM

13.00 ENE BRAHAM MN ISANTI 0720 AM

9.30 3 SSW BRUNO MN PINE 0800 AM

12.40 2 SE HERMAN MI BARAGA 0700 AM

10.00 1 S RANDVILLE MI DICKINSON 0800 AM

12.70 4 SE BIG BAY MI MARQUETTE 0800 AM

14.20 6 NNW ISPEMING MI MARQUETTE 0800 AM

14.60 4 NE NEGAUNEE MI MARQUETTE 0700 AM

12.00 1 NNW ISPEMING MI MARQUETTE 0500 AM

This storm system is exiting the U.S. this afternoon and will be a distant memory, quickly. However, in its wake, bitterly cold arctic air is spreading across most of the eastern U.S. By Thursday, only the southeast (Florida, south Georgia and parts of the Gulf Coast) will escape its wrath. However, all but central and south Florida will see some cooling of temperatures.

Parts of Texas and Oklahoma are now under freeze and hard freeze watches, warnings and advisories for sub-freezing temperature conditions tonight and for the next several nights.

This is in stark contrast to record highs that were set yesterday (Nov. 10) in places like Childress, TX (87; old 85 in 2012); Borger, TX (85; old 80 in 2007) and Dalhart, TX (84; old 79 in 1980).

Cold air will also invade the eastern Great Lakes where mid-60 degree readings today will yield to bitterly cold winds and lake effect snow showers tomorrow into Friday.

Flashback:

Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past (Independent, March 20, 2000):

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Snowfalls are just a thing of the past

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