FARGO – Snowfall on Tuesday exceeded an inch for the first time in a single day this winter, meteorologists said, setting a record.
In 1944, Fargo residents waited until Jan. 27 for the first 1-inch snowfall. That record held until this winter, when it took 14 days longer.
The 3.2 inches of snow that landed Tuesday also dashed any hopes of breaking the record lowest total snowfall for a winter. That record, set in winter 1957-58, is 9.3 inches. Thanks to Tuesday’s snowfall, the metro’s total this winter is about 11.5 inches.
“We will not have the least snowy winter on record,” WDAY Chief Meteorologist John Wheeler said. “Right now, we’re in second place.”
The snow will quickly be replaced by cold, dry weather and gusty winds, said Jeff Makowski, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Forks.
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That could result in bad visibility due to blowing snow in rural, unsheltered areas, Makowski said. TodayWednesday is expected to be “unpleasantly windy,” Wheeler said, but blowing snow “won’t be a problem” in the city. “Just slippery in the city.”
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory across Minnesota and in much of eastern North Dakota on Tuesday, reflecting widespread snow and freezing rainfall.
Utilities were largely spared by the storm, though 900 Xcel Energy customers lost power for three hours Tuesday morning in west-central Minnesota, according to an Xcel spokesman.
Drivers faced perilous roads. There were 15 accidents Tuesday between 6 a.m. and noon in Fargo amid icy and snowy road conditions, Fargo Police Lt. Joel Vettel said. The number of crashes diminished in the afternoon when roadways were more thoroughly cleared, he added.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported 13 crashes and six vehicles that went off the road and required a tow in west-central Minnesota by 4 p.m. Tuesday. One person was injured.
No more snow is expected until Thursday, when there is a slight chance. Otherwise, it “looks fairly dry into the start of the weekend,” Makowski said.
The colder temperatures, though, will not be going away soon, he said. Wednesday highs are expected to peak close to 10 degrees, and high winds will keep wind chill values low.
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Forum News Service contributed to this report.
