2000 - 2001 Seasonal Snowfall Totals and Ranking

The 2000-2001 winter season brought significant snowfall to many Minnesota counties. Mid and late-November snows blanketed much of the state with a lasting snow cover that was to persist into the early spring in many areas. December snowfalls were frequent in southern counties. Some southern Minnesota communities received two to three times their normal December snowfall. Snowfall totals were light through much of January, however a late January event foreshadowed a snowy February. February snow totals were above average statewide. Snowfall totals in March were light with the exception of a significant storm that fell on March 12. 2000-2001 seasonal snowfall totals exceeding 60 inches were common throughout western and southern Minnesota. Snowfall totals in excess of 72 inches were reported in northeastern Minnesota.

Snowfall totals in 2000-2001 ranked above the 80th percentile across much of southern, western, and northeastern Minnesota. In some communities, seasonal snowfall exceeded the 95th percentile. By contrast, snowfall in areas of far north central Minnesota fell well below the median. Average annual snowfall in the southern one half of Minnesota ranges from 36 inches in the west to around 50 inches in the east. 2000-2001 snowfall topped the historical average by approximately two feet in western Minnesota, and by more than 18 inches in many southern Minnesota counties.

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/flood_2001/snow00-01.htm
Last modified: April 2, 2001