2019 Blizzard By The Numbers: Snowfall Totals, Wind Gusts, And More
it was billed as having the potential to be a top 10 all-time snowstorm for Duluth, and it lived up to the billing. Nearly two feet of snow fell in places, winds gusted over 50 mph, roads were closed, Bentleyville was forced to cancel for two consecutive nights, and countless other things were impacted by this early-season monster of a storm.
Top Wind Speeds
The first thing we're going to break down is the wind. Blizzard conditions in the Twin Ports and along parts of the North Shore prevailed during the storm due to the heavy snow and strong wind conditions. Wind also led to shoreline flooding that closed some roads in Canal Park and led to a closure of Park Point to all non-residents.
Here are the top recorded wind gusts from the National Weather Service:
- 63 mph - 6:35 pm on 11/30 on the Blatnik Bridge
- 53 mph - Multiple times on 11/30 at I-35 and Garfield Ave
- 52 mph - 7:18 pm on 11/30 near the Aerial Lift Bridge
- 52 mph - 5:55 pm on 11/30 at Sky Harbor Airport
- 47 mph - 11:02 am on 11/30 at the Duluth International Airport
- 47 mph - 5:55 pm on 11/30 at the Richard I. Bong Airport in Superior
- 43 mph - 9:53 pm on 11/30 in Ashland, WI
- 41 mph - 5:01 pm on 11/30 in Twig, MN
- 41 mph - 8:30 pm on 11/30 at Anderson Road and US 53
- 40 mph - Multiple times on 11/30 at the Cloquet Airport
- 37 mph - 3:38 pm on 11/30 in Two Harbors, MN
- 33 mph - Multiple times on 11/30 in Bayfield, WI
Snowfall Totals
Wind gusts held up to the forecasted intensity, and so did snowfall totals. There are still final totals being collected, so some of these numbers may be adjusted. Here are the most recent snowfall totals as of Sunday afternoon:
- 31 inches - Washburn, WI
- 26 inches - Cornucopia, WI
- 24 inches - Herbster, WI
- 23.5 inches - Lester Park in Duluth, MN
- 23.3 inches - Holyoke, MN
- 22 inches - 2 miles NNW of Gary New Duluth, MN
- 21.7 inches - Duluth NWS Office
- 21.5 inches - Blueberry, WI
- 21 inches - 8 miles N of Castle Danger, MN
- 20.8 - 7 miles N of Two Harbors
- 20 inches - La Pointe, WI
- 20 inches - Gary New Duluth, MN
- 19.9 inches - Mahtowa, MN
- 19.5 inches - Cloquet, MN
- 18.2 inches - Maple, WI
- 18 inches - Saginaw, MN
- 17.9 inches - Ashland, WI
- 17.8 inches - Poplar, WI
- 17.5 inches - Mellen, WI
- 17.2 inches - Solon Springs, WI
- 17 inches - 2 miles N of Duluth, MN
- 16.6 inches - Gile, WI **
- 16 inches - Grand View, WI
- 15.2 inches - Moose Lake, MN
- 15 inches - 2 miles NW of Two Harbors, MN
- 15 inches - Fedenberg, MN
- 14.1 inches - Hayward, WI
- 14 inches - Tamarack, MN
- 14 inches - Oulu, WI
- 13 inches - 1 mile SSE of Two Harbors
- 12 inches - Hinckley, MN
- 12 inches - 1 mile W of Two Harbors
** Gile received 20 inches of snow from the pre-Thanksgiving snowstorm, by far the highest total from that storm.
Here is a map of the estimated snowfall totals from this weekend's storm. You can see the full-size image here.
This two-day snow event falls in the top 10 all-time 2-day storm totals for a single snowstorm for Duluth, with 21.7 inches being recorded at the Duluth NWS office, where official Duluth weather data is recorded. This storm ranks at number 9 all-time.
So, if you combine the totals from this storm and the one before Thanksgiving, here's what you get for a few places around the region (again, noting that this storm's numbers may adjust some):
- 36 inches - Gile, WI
- 36 inches - Herbster, WI
- 30.5 inches - 2 miles NNW of Gary New Duluth, MN
- 30.2 inches - Mahtowa, MN
- 29.8 inches - Poplar, WI
- 28.7 inches - Duluth NWS Office in Hermantown, MN
- 27 inches - Cloquet, MN
- 25 inches - Ashland, WI