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More than foot of snow hits southeast Minnesota, grazes Twin Cities area

By Mary Lynn Smith

May 3, 2013 at 3:15PM

1:35

(Richard Sennott/Richard Sennott)

A historic May snowstorm left parts of Minnesota under more than a foot of snow Thursday morning, causing residents to curse as they shoveled yet another round of heavy, cement-like snow.

But in Minneapolis and St. Paul, residents saw nary a flake because the storm came up from the south and veered east before hitting the metro area.

While residents in Woodbury and other cities on the storm's fringe grumbled about 3 inches covering their greening grass, cities hit hard by the storm were forced to rev up snowblowers at a time when they would prefer to be mowing lawns.

According to the National Weather Service, the record-breaking spring snow dumped about 18 inches in Blooming Prairie, 15 inches in Zumbrota, more than a foot in Rochester and about 8 inches in Farmington. The heavy snow knocked down power lines, snapped tree limbs and gave some students what likely was an unprecedented snow day in May.

"It was probably the sharpest cutoff from heavy snow to nothing that you will ever see besides like in the mountains," said Chris Franks, a National Weather Service forecaster. The impressive snow totals in many of the hard-hit cities were "three to four times their all-time May record," he said.

"For perspective, the Twin Cities record for a May snow event is 3 inches," Franks said. "This absolutely was a historic storm."

And we hope it's winter's last hurrah.

A little snow mixed with snow might fall late Friday afternoon and into the evening, but temperatures in the 40s on Friday and Saturday should keep winter at bay, although rain is expected during the day Saturday. Sunshine will boost temperatures toward 60 by Sunday and then into the 70s by next week, Franks said.

Mary Lynn Smith • 612-673-4788

Jeannie Kaupins of Owatonna cleared snow from her sidewalk Thursday after a very late spring storm dumped almost a foot of snow there, knocking out power, downing tree limbs and closing schools. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A very late spring storm dumped snow on the Hastings area overnight, slowing the morning commute. Trevor and Lara Tubbs shoveled about 6 inches of heavy wet snow in their driveway. (Dml - Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A rare May snow day was a play day for Jon Oeltjenbruns and daughter Lesley, 7, as they put the finishing touches on a snowwoman. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

about the writer

Mary Lynn Smith

Reporter

Mary Lynn Smith is a general assignment reporter for the Star Tribune. She previously covered St. Paul City Hall and Ramsey County. Before that, she worked in Duluth where she covered local and state government and business. She frequently has written about the outdoors.