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Subscribe to RSSIn Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and even Texas a brewing storm system brought snowfall – and twisters spawned in the Deep South. The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports.
Parts of South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota were digging out Monday morning as the season’s worst winter storm passed through the region.
The wintry storm unleashed high winds, frigid air and heavy snowfall across the Upper Midwest on Sunday, with parts of Minnesota getting more than a foot of snow, Weather.com reported. Bone-chilling winter temperatures were forecast to spread into much of the country in the early part of the week.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported more than 600 crashes by Monday morning, and at least 1,140 spinouts, according to Lt. Eric Roeske, and driving conditions remained hazardous. One person was killed in a crash involving a semi near Red Wing and injuries were reported in 63 other accidents, the patrol said.
Conditions were so dangerous that the Minnesota Department of Transportation closed some of the state’s highways Sunday night due to the blizzard conditions, KARE11.com, a local NBC affiliate, reported.
"That wind and snow is making a combination that is a lethal one," said meteorologist Nick Walker on Weather.com.
The heaviest snowfall was reported in Sacred Heart, Minn., with more than 17.3 inches. The seven inches of snow that fell on the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Sunday was already more than on any day last season, Weather.com reported. More than 100 flights in and out of the airport were canceled Sunday.
A record daily snowfall of 10.2 inches was set at Twin Cities, Minn., on Sunday. The old daily record of 7.4 inches was set in 1961.
Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images
Snow falls over Lambeau Field as fans gather ahead of a game on Sunday in Green Bay, Wis.
At Minneapolis’s Metrodome, officials cranked up the heat to make sure that the snow didn't bring down its inflatable roof. Nearly two years ago, a storm that dumped 17 inches of snow in 24 hours tore holes in the dome, and forced the Vikings football team to play the final two games of the season elsewhere. The repair project cost $22.7 million.
Single-digit and even below-freezing temperatures were gripping the region Monday morning. The cold front is set to spread as far south as Houston, Little Rock, Ark. and Memphis, Tenn., which were likely to see temperatures drop into the 40s and 50s.
Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com
Forecasters expect the extreme winter weather to end toward the middle of the week, with the mercury returning to more normal December averages. Chicago meanwhile, has recently enjoyed warmer-than-usual weather and was on track to break the record for the longest stretch of snowless days on Monday, NBCChicago.com reported.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Well, it's about time the Midwest was struck. After Sandy on the East coast, the Northwest getting belted with repeated storms, this has been way overdue. I sure hope people will take precautions to drive slower, have emergency supplies on hand, be careful with their CO2 detectors and fireplace so no fires start. It will be especially cold. It is times like these the risk of deaths goes up from house fires and faulty furnaces as well.
CO2 is Carbon Dioxide. Detectors are for Carbon Monoxide which is CO.
I just finished clearing my driveway (total about 8 inches) and my street was plowed by 5:30. We are set up to handle it.
There are trade-offs wherever you live. If you lived in Rwanda, you'd be shoveling elephant crap off the lawn.
By the way, does anyone know at what temperature the weather becdomes "bone chilling?"
Well, here in Denver Bill, Kathy Sabine of 9News seems to claim that any cold below about 20 degrees is "bitter". It's 18 degrees here this morning around 6 AM
From Merriam-Webster we have the following
http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bone-chilling
Gm Bill.....depends on insulation.......
but i find the temp goes UP every year... use to be below zero / with a wind chill of say -10 , now a days its anything below 40.
bet Jack would place it at anything below 85.....poor guy dang.... ice melting and thinning out his umbrella drinks and all.....tsk tsk
gm Tramp
Agreed. Some years ago I took the family to CA for a niece's wedding. We were frollicking in the water while the locals sat on the beach in hoodies wondering who these crazy people might be.
COLD IS A RELATIVE THING. . ..
At 65 degrees above zero:
People in Florida turn on the heat.
People in Minnesota plant gardens.
At 60 degrees above zero:
People in California shiver uncontrollably.
People in Minnesota sunbathe.
At 50 degrees above zero:
Italian and English cars won't start.
People in Minnesota drive with the windows down.
At 40 degrees above zero:
People in Georgia don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and wool hats.
People in Minnesota throw on a flannel shirt.
At 35 degrees above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Minnesota have the last cookout before it gets cold.
At 20 degrees above zero:
People in Miami all die.
People in Minnesota close the windows.
At zero degrees:
People in Arizona fly away to Mexico.
People in Minnesota get out their winter coats.
At 10 degrees below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
Girl Scouts in Minnesota are selling cookies door to door.
At 20 degrees below zero:
Washington, DC, runs out of hot air.
People in Minnesota let the dogs sleep indoors.
At 30 degrees below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Minnesotans get upset because they can't start the snowmobile.
At 40 degrees below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops.
People in Minnesota start saying, "Cold enough for ya?"
At 50 degrees below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Minnesota public schools will open 2 hours late
Sounds like the people in Minnesota might be a little retarded. But hey, our country is made up of all kinds. Bless them all.
uncalled for sally.....ever been there?
great job geek, havent seen that for quite a spell.....you may have a cookie....
We are not "a little retarded". Our weather keeps most of the idiots away. Not all, but most. We don't cry for government funding every time the weather gets bad, either. We are always prepared.
yea the people in northern states give new meaning to brain freeze
In MN, we call this a "dusting". Everyone in my neighborhood already had clean driveways this morning, even the seniors had clean driveways thanks to generous neighbors lending their services. It was close to 0° this morning, so I did finally dig out my winter coat.
@Sally, that was extremely rude.
@Geek, I love those. I grew up in northern Michigan and there were similar sayings there. We had more snow than cold thanks to the Great Lakes (17" in a day isn't a big deal... school didn't close until around 12"), but we still occasionally had the sub-zero temps. St. Ignace had to have the National Guard dig them out one year because they got about 5 feet in a couple of days and it bogged their plows down to where they couldn't use them. And for anyone around Buffalo, NY, many feet of snow is also normal each year. So when I see articles about the "huge" snowfall of over a foot, I just smile and shake my head because it's not really that big of a deal.
@Everyone: How you look at weather varies depending on where you live. It isn't unusual to get a lot of snow in the northern states. People still go to work and school. Other than the first snowfall of the year, people usually know how to drive in it and there aren't really all that many accidents considering the weather. It also helps to have road crews who know how to handle the snow and ice. Now that I live in the south, I am actually more worried about driving in the few inches of snow that we get than I was driving in a foot of unplowed road in a small car (I'd do that at 45mph without a problem). Down here, the road crews make the roads dangerous. My first winter here, the city streets in a large city ended up with a few inches of hard packed snow smoothed out very nicely by the plows so that you couldn't move without sliding. Then, they left unplowed triangles at intersections for people to run into (they'd plow straight and the'd plow the right turn and they'd plow straight from the other direction so that you had a triangle between at each corner. They even stopped plowing completely on a divided road in one lane right after a corner, forcing people to slow down quickly (not smart on a slick road) or quickly change lanes (not smart if there is traffic). And down here, people get in wrecks every time it RAINS. I don't know that I ever heard of a wreck in Michigan when it rained except in specific cases where hydroplaning was involved. Down here, a light rain will mean a wreck. So part of it is drivers not knowing how to handle the weather and part of it is the state not knowing how to handle the weather.
Feeling lucky to be down in the 20's right now. You folks take care up there egh.
I live in a western Twin Cities suburb--we got just over 13 inches. As BeeRent said, every neighbor had their driveway plowed or shoveled by the time the city finally plowed the streets. We helped two cars get unstuck. I grilled burgers last night on the gas grill outside (but, then, I grill all year long--even if it is 10 below). Just another winter day in Minnesota.
@ Ancient Geek: Thanks, I always enjoy that list. I think you missed one, though: "Hell freezes over.
Minnesota public schools will open 2 hours late" AND THE VIKINGS WIN THE SUPERBOWL!
Heat stroke?...hallucination?....brain freeze?.....sure they beat duh bears....but so could a good team of geriatric patients in wheelchairs............:)
Good Morning Denver Bill and Scooter!
When the seawater gets below 23 (Celsius), I don a wetsuit to scuba dive.
When the air temperature gets to be 20 I go inside, take my tank top off and put on a polo shirt
If the air ever gets to 15, I would head farther south to the equator!
Right now in sunny Barbados it is 31 Celsius or 87 Fahrenheit and a nice 20 KPH breeze. I enjoy the winter weather here! Christmas in the Caribbean has everything but Snow! (Jimmy Buffet).
gm jack....your runnin late, fixing to head out, the ol ladys been in a cookie baking mood this place smells wonderful, i am gaining weight just smelling it, but anyway she makes rum / cherry chocolate things ( on top of a ton of others) and we are out of rum ( for some reason) anyway being the dutiful ol man i am, i am going to weather the storm and go get some...." just to be helpful of course." ( that's my story and in sticking to it )
Yeah, had to do a little work around here today, seems every now and then, it pops up out of nowhere. Been catching up to you and Bill - your post about winter are hilarious, whereas my "mundane" stuff about the Caribbean, probably just blows right over with "visions of sugar plums dancing in your head..."
The wife made me a fruitcake ( I used to trade canned apricots in C-rats for all the cans of fruitcake I could get in VN) - just a crazy GI, huh? Anyway, the fruitcake she makes each year has dried tropical fruits - mango, papaya, rum, cherries, did I say rum?, persimmons, pineapple, did I say rum? and walnuts and macadamia nuts did I say rum? - she uses about 4 cups of rum to soak it and it starts 4 weeks before she allows me to touch, let alone eat it. I keep getting my hand slapped every time I open the tin lid! Looking forward to Christmas Eve - that is the exact 4 week mark - oh yum!
gm jack
To each their own. I also liked the fruitcake and the ham and limas --- consequently never went hungry. On the other hand, I never cared for anything with the word "loaf" in the title. Most everyone liked peaches or fruit cocktail. Apricots weren't bad if you mixed them with a creamer packet and poured them over a pound cake.
Scooter, did you not connect the dots? The Vikings win the Superbowl WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER.
I live in the southwest Twin Cities area and it was nice to finally fire up the snowblower. And no, ten degrees is not cold. The real plus is how much fun it is to spin donuts and power-slide the four wheeler up and down the street! Gotta get the snowmobile fired up too.
Windancersong kind of missed the point. Most Minnesotans welcome this kind of weather. Actually we wonder what's wrong when it doesn't happen. As for being prepared, that is the standard, not the exception. So much so, that we don't even have to acknowledge it. It is just part of our daily lives. Kind of like being able to cope with the heat in Phoenix in July.
Hey There Rum Runner errrr....Scooter,
It's 30 here in NW Indiana today. They're calling for snow, but I'm not seeing any thus far. It's almost noon...just wondering if the wife has had to send out a search party to hunt you down??? ;D I did my cookies a week or so ago (six varieties). Spent the weekend making 80 quarts each of turkey noodle and ham & bean soup to freeze and give to family and friends. Have a good one and stay warm out there! Julie :)
Uff da!
She is also found of saying there is no bad weather only inappropriate clothing.
Good Evening Denver Bill
I was gaga over scrambled eggs and ham, turkey loaf and Ham & Ma Fers. The beans and Meatballs went well if I could get loaf of vietnamese bread and then melt the cheese spread over it for a meatball/bean sam'ich! Never ever did go hungry but lost 35-40 lbs during my extended tours.
When they switched over to MREs one of the first ones was labelled Ham or Turkey Loaf. If they didn't know whether it was a pig or a turkey that went in I wasn't going to eat it.
When I was in the Air Force got stationed in Thule Greenland on a TDY search mission in '63 or '64.
EVERYBODY up there wore PANTYHOSE!!! Best thing for cold weather!! Sure beat the hell out of GI Long Johns!!!
Ancient Greek is right cold is relative to your location. Hell 10 below was T-Shirt weather at Thule!!
"Well, it's about time the Midwest was struck."
Why? You have something against the Midwest? When you live in the snow belt areas, winter storms are just a part of living there.
"It is times like these the risk of deaths goes up from house fires and faulty furnaces as well."
It probably isn't as high of a risk, than the risk of being killed by drunk drivers around the Holidays. Winter storms are a part of nature in the Midwest, and have been for generations, so people know how to prepare for them. It's much harder to prepare for being on the road around the Holidays, when the number of those who drink and drive goes up during those times.
ever hear the saying "tit for tat"....? .....you may have the latter.......
Scooter
I would prefer the tatas - every time!
the thing i hate most about winter....more clothes....
yeah but in winter the colder it gets.... the larger and more rigid the "party hats"
I'm enjoying 70 degree weather in Dec here in GA
Agreed. I live in TN and am having a thunderstorm this a.m. To each his own.
Lived in NE for 4 yrs and though I liked the snow, I couldn't wait for it to melt after a few days.
25 and falling here in eastern Iowa right now. calling for 14 tonight....bout normal, no snow yet though.
Show off!
73 here gd....course im inside.....and it will cost me but bet my beers colder then yours though ...for free...
Packer Game in the snow!
Was really, really, hopeing for that in Foxboro tonight.
So were the Texans.
It's comforting to know that the storm is "blanketing" instead of "pummeling" the area like it was yesterday.
Here in Denver we only got a skiff of snow, but the mountains got some pretty decent amounts. Hope the pattern continues.
Yes yesterdays snow was of the "weekend " variety, today's is more "user friendly" ( unless your on the working end of the shovel.)
a skiff? i beleive thats what we call a "dusting" around these parts ( about an inch ) ,,,correct?
About a quarter of an inch!
Yep a dusting, thanks Rex i love learning new descriptive wording, i will remember that ....bugs hell out of the guys at the legion, "v" and hilltop when i do that.......
Wow...it's snowing in the Upper Midwest 2 weeks before Christmas.
Who'd have thought it possible?
good point it is running late again this year...............
Hey, Al Gore -- it's freaking snowing!!
Somehow all of this weather is Bush's fault.
tweedle dee
tweedle dumb
and then tweedle dumber
Just went out to a sheltered place in the woods and stuck in my yard stick - 18" in Stillwater. This will make a great skiing base and it is quite beautiful today. We'll have everything tidied up by the end of the day.
Stillwater? ...now if was stillwater Florida that would be something....stillwater Mn. however....not so much so....
( was there last year around oct. nice place . then over to Benson to work all winter nice folks there, nothing else though)
And it's a nice 45 here is SW WA. Normal temps for Dec. Yes, the midwest gets snow and blizzards in the winter. What else is new? Yeesh.
Just enough snow and cold to keep the riff-raff out....we prefer it this way y'all !
We in the midwest live here because WE LOVE IT. We grew up with snow in the winter, so it doesn't faze us a bit.
well i do enjoy driving down I-80 the day after a good storm to see all the interesting ways people ..."park".....
.i do however sympathise with the out of state plates who either don't understand what they are doing or unknowingly drive into it. but when i see Iowa plates on a 4X4 ....nope...you knew better.
i don't know why it snowed, but we should all pay a carbon tax to either stop the snow or make it snow more....depending on what the governments strategy is today..........pay more taxes.......yeah.......
twoisacrowd....lol...too funny....
LETS SEE....
all outside furniture grill etc. put away...check
Boat covered....check
generator...check
beer.....4-30 packs, ( good for the week)....check
food ...freezer full, pantry stocked....check
the entire unread 7 volume Dark Tower series.......check
snowblower...eh who needs it...i ain't going nowhere, and i will shovel it in July so...check
entertainment system.....yep shes here so....check... ( just kiddin ladies don't go off)
car fully fueled and remote starter working....in case the 4-30's arent enough......check
Pc and laptop good....check
winter clothes....like im going out this winter? yeah right...so check
remember to turn that outside faucet off and drain the damn thing this year....triple checked
Bike parts and all gaskets and such ready.... like im going to get ambitious......check
YEP ready to go,
bring it on.....
Yep, you sound ready...lol
you put your grill away for the winter? we still grill, just not as much in the winter.
Dave
Nope just moved it from the yard to the porch...i too grill year round, always make boneless beef ribs on the superbowl...no matter the weather....its tradition...( read in what the hell am i doing...???)....
Scooter
What I'm doing:
Down here it is difficult to make a snowman using wet sand - when the tide comes in, he's gone til next time I feel ambitious!
Grill down here at least 2-3 times weekly, keep plenty of beer on ice and lots of little umbrellas for those fruity boat drinks too! Fresh mahi-mahi, flying fish, snapper (the fish) and lots of ice - for the beer and boat drinks!
Check to make sure my scuba gear is cleaned and ready with ranks full 24/7. Wash the sand out of my swim shorts.
Entertainment System - steel drum bands, Ipod with Barefoot Man, Jimmy Buffet and Byron Lee!
Winter in the Caribbean - we have everything but snow. "eeek, snow"!
MSN forgets the Rockies.
In Santa Fe, NM - 5-1/2 inches of snow fell yesterday in less than four hours.
It's 11 here at my house this morning.
'tis a winter wonderland. Cheers!
It always snows in the winter in the upper mid west. This is not news. I bet its warm in Miami.
Exactly Rick. Two weeks before Christmas and it's snowing? This is National News?
The weathermen these days get all excited every time the weather changes. Each snow storm is the blizzard of the century.
I personally love the snow.....think it's beautiful. I'm planning to move to the upper mid west. Most places in the country have some sort of weather issue....hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc. I'd rather deal with snow than anything else.
so where are ya maybe we can trade places....ya like corn?.........
16 degrees here in No UT and snowing, not a big deal, except for heating bills. Thank who, or whatever you believe in if you have a roof over your head, some don't.
no UT?....NO UT?????....holy @!$%# what happened...oh wait a minute, you mean NORTH UT,...whew.... had me worried there...
Yes, a---rand: There are many people here in NJ and NY in the aftermath of Sandy who are in that very predicament
I met a guy in my apartment building who just moved up here from Georgia. He was taking pictures of the snow and completely astonished by all of it. I told him this doens't even get considered for the record books. The National Media thinks this is a big deal? Our schools don't even consider starting late. Sure the first snow gives drivers a remedial driving lesson but now that that is over, life moves on, the driveways are plowed out and bring on the next snowfall. We're not a "little retarded." This and Tornados are the worst thing we deal with and we have plenty of warning to prepare for both unlike those who building along a coastline and then stay put while a super storm approaches them. The Midwest is the safest part of the country to live in. When the storms hit us, we get right to work cleaning up and don't wait for assistance. I love living in MN, wouldn't want to live anyplace else.
This is a sure sign of global cooling!
I'm not a supporter of the whole global warming thing... I just haven't seen proof that it's definitely caused by us and isn't part of a natural weather system (history shows highs and lows in weather cycles where it gets warmer and then colder than normal). I'm sure we're partly responsible, but I think it's mostly just a natural cycle. That being said, be aware that warmer weather systems actually can cause more storms, stronger storms, and more snow. So your comment isn't valid.
just had to go there didnt ya pluto......here we go....
Scooter, you know it's my job to stir the pot.
600 crashes and over 1k spinouts on one day alone? I thought people in the north / northwest knew how to drive in this kind of weather. Or at least had the sense to know when NOT to drive in it.
I thought only us southerners were that stupid.
The first snowfall of any year usually results in a lot of accidents because people have spent the last 6-9 months without snow. After that, the accidents drop significantly. The way the weather has been this year, this was probably the first snow for much of that area (I could be wrong) so the numbers are high, but not entirely unexpected. And some of those could very easily be out of state drivers who don't know how to drive in snow.
@Samgirl7, have you ever driven in this weather before? It's not a matter of being stupid, or not having sense. Some of us actually still have to go to work, even if it is snowing--imagine that!! And as for accidents, sometimes it doesn't matter how slow you drive, or how careful. Spin outs happen, it's a part of life when you live in a snow prone area.
samgirl: No, stupidity is rampant all over the whole country radiating from Washington DC.
sam.. that's 600 in the whole state....how many happened where ever you live without snow?
Warm temperature snows are harder to drive in than cold snows. If the ground is cold the snow has more traction. In the warm the snow has more water and it is like a lubricant.
ever hear of black ice?
Stay safe Midwest. Been there, done that
Tucson 65 degrees for a high yesterday. Desert parties and bonfires all around with plenty of cold beer.
on my way.....will text you on the road....while driving naturally....
...
Further evidence of the damage man is doing to the environment.
.
Joe Biden in 2016.
...
Take your political BS to another forum!
agreed... first read is hosting a lemming gathering, have fun.....
GM neg....
Back at you, IA!
Global warming is the cause of all the snow!!!!!!
Reminds me when I moved from Joliet Il to Northern Vermont. First winter everyone is giving us doom and gloom stories about winter. They seemed a liitle suprised we didn't have palm trees in the Chicago area, or that I had seen winter temps of 40 below zero with a wind chill of 80 below. That was an exceptionaly brutal winter I admit. but winters in Northern Illinois win no rpizes when the hawk is out!
EEKKK .....I-74....the worlds worst,