Monday in Central Minnesota, it was 68º.
Wednesday night, a sno-nami pushed through Minnesota and the greens of summer got plastered by a white wash of snow.
Ugh. And on top of it, winds gusted to 50mph in some areas and shut down roads to the south.
Here in middle Sherburne County, by Thursday morning about two inches had fallen but the winds wreaked havoc as roads became ice rinks and visibility diminished, causing near white outs and dangerous driving conditions.
By Thursday early afternoon, thunder could be heard and power went out for many in Orrock and Santiago Townships. Sleet rained down almost horizontally, making popcorn sounds as it deflected off the windows and rooftops.
Numerous vehicles had left the roads along Hwy. 10 and one large cargo van was seen twisting and tilting on two wheels as it navigated the icy roads and intense winds. Law enforcement and emergency personnel were kept busy helping stranded drivers and diverting traffic for most of the day.
The powerful storm hit South Dakota the hardest Wednesday as snowfall quickly piled up following an early morning occurrence of thundersnow. By mid-morning Wednesday, Mud Butte, SD, had reported 18 inches of snow.
In nearby Red Elm, 15 inches of snowfall had been reported, but high winds there were reportedly causing snowdrifts of four-to-five feet. AccuWeather forecasters said up to 30 inches of snow could fall in some areas by the time the storm pulls out.
No travel was advised for Lyon, Murray, Pipestone and Redwood counties, as well as Lincoln Co. south of Hwy. 19, and portions of Hwy. 59, Hwy. 23 and Hwy. 68 in Yellow Medicine Co. Wednesday afternoon, folks were being asked to avoid I-35 from Medford to Faribault as heavy snow caused so many crashes along that stretch that cars and passengers were at a standstill.
It was forecasted many Twin City metro suburbs would wind up with a healthy five-to-10 inches of sloppy, gloppy, cement-like slush by Friday. Final totals depended on how much changed to sleet and rain Thursday.
If it's any consolation, the sun is as high in the sky as it was on September 1, so most of the snow in ones yard will melt by Sunday or Monday. Temperatures in the 50s return next week with a period of light rain Tuesday, before the area dries out and cool off.
