National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

The Northland got it's first good taste of snow alongside with its helping of Thanksgiving turkey as a  low pressure system traveled through the Dakotas and into Northern Minnesota and then into Southwestern Ontario.  A strong cold front swept through northern Minnesota from the early morning on Thanksgiving through the afternoon, creating some chilly temperatures, gusty winds, and the first significant snowfall of the season. The snow spread east from western Minnesota through the day, and it started off as a rain/snow mix in many locations before changing to all snow as cold air wrapped into the system. As the low pressure system moved northeast into southern Ontario late Thanksgiving, the northwesterly winds helped increase  snow totals in the lake effect snow areas along the south shore of Lake Superior.

Below is a map showing total snowfall for the region. Reports are from NWS sources, incdluing co-op and snowfall observers.

Below are the surface analysis products issued by the HPC and the associated surface observation maps during the progression of the low pressure system during the height of the sensible weather transition as a result of the cold frontal passage. Temperatures ahead of the cold front were in the mid to upper 40s on the morning of Thanksgiving before falling into the upper 20s and low 30s that evening.

Click here for information on how to read a station plot.