Surprise snowstorm hits area

The original forecast from one online weather site for the Minneota area on Friday, Jan. 31: “A little snow, sleet, and freezing rain this morning; considerable clouds; storm total 1-2 inches”.

The actual weather that day: A lot of snow and sleet; considerable clouds; storm total 7-8 inches. Nearby, Ghent had only three inches of snow; Marshall had even less.

Cottonwood had close to 10 inches. Many residents in and around the Minneota area were stunned when that forecast amounted to eight inches of snow in some areas, followed by dense fog as temperatures warmed up. With only a minor amount of snow expected, students and parents were surprised when school was initially two hours late. “I checked the weather the night before and it said there was a chance of snow, but it didn’t look like it be enough for school to be late,” said one parent.

“And then it just kept coming down and coming down.” It was even more of a surprise when the snow kept falling and forced Minneota administrators to cancel school. The surprise snowfall also forced St. Edward’s to postpone its highly-anticipated and popular Mardi Gras as part of Catholic Schools Week. “We have rescheduled the Mardi Gras to Tuesday, Feb. 25,” said Principal Jaci Garvey. Some parents did not have a plan for day care because of the unexpected accumulation and had to scramble for a place to leave their young children before heading off to work.

“When I hear the night before that there might be a chance for school to be called off the next day, I make preparations for someone to watch my son,” the parent said. “But this was a complete surprise.” KSTP-TV meteorologist Jonathan Yuhas, who has become the Mascot’s information source on weather, was asked how this storm was not forecasted by weather outlets.“It’s the magic of the Buffalo Ridge and an area of low pressure moving through and creating lift,” he explained.

“The set-up was like what you see in the mountains with rising air cooling as it is lifted to higher levels than snow or rains.

I believe the higher terrain of the Buffalo Ridge plays a role in tornadoes, too.” Yuhas then showed photos of snowplow cams from Jan. 31; one near Pipestone and one near Marshall.

“You can see how little snow fell on the west side of the Buffalo Ridge at Pipestone versus the east side of Buffalo Ridge (near Minneota) where a lot of snow fell,” he noted. January 2020 will be recorded as the cloudiest January since records began in 1963, Yuhas pointed out.

Typically, the cloudiest time is mid-November into mid-December, with the sunniest being June and July. We’ve never been more ready for some sun.