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Old Man Winter blows through again

Blizzard warning issued Wed. for Brown, Redwood, Renville, Nicollet counties

Around 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Mitch Miller was shoveling snow from his driveway on 8th South Street. Miller said even with the recent warm weather he kind of expected to be shoveling again. “You’ve got to expect this in Minnesota,” he said. Miller said he hopes it is the last time he has to shovel for the season. Photo by Clay Schuldt

NEW ULM — Old Man Winter returned not long after sunrise Wednesday with snow and wind gusts as high as 55 mph.

National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorologist Tyler Hasenstein said the winter blast was more than what was forecast. The weather system dropped the outdoor temperature from 38 to 28 degrees.

“It came in pretty quick. We tracked a southward shift in the weather system,” he said Wednesday. “The way it panned out, a band of heavier snow and wind created blizzard conditions in the morning for Yellow Medicine, Redwood and Brown Counties. Much of the blizzard conditions are near the Minnesota River from Granite Falls to Mankato.”

The blizzard warning until 6 p.m. Wednesday for the three counties included 2 to 4 inches of snow and winds gusting as high as 55 mph.

A number of area schools closed early. Sleepy Eye Public School and Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop (GFW) closed at 11 a.m. New Ulm Public Schools closed at 1 p.m.

Winter weather returned to New Ulm Wednesday morning. After a weekend of unusually high temperature, snow fell resulting in blizzard condition all morning and into the afternoon. Several area schools let out class early and Minnesota Department of Transportation issues a no travel advisory for Brown, Nicollet, Watonwan and Blue Earth Counties. Photo by Clay Schuldt

The NWS issued a blizzard warning for Renville, Nicollet and Blue Earth counties at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday. Up to 3 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 50 mph were expected.

Due to limited visibility from blowing snow and strong winds, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) issued a No Travel Advisory at 1:35 p.m. Wednesday until conditions improve on all state highways in Blue Earth, Brown, Nicollet and Watonwan counties.

Dry conditions but colder temperatures in the teens and twenties are forecast the rest of the week into Monday.

“There is a small chance of light snow Thursday night into Friday morning for southern Minnesota,” said Hasenstein.

Daytime highs in the 40s are forecast for Tuesday through Friday of next week.

Last Friday, Feb. 13, New Ulm’s all-time high temperature record was set at 50 degrees. The old record was 47 degrees in set in 1947.

Hasenstein said south central and southwest Minnesota remains in abnormally dry conditions.

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