Why Did Minnesota Get Way More Snow Than Predicted Tuesday?

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If you were wondering why the snow kept falling...and falling... and falling Tuesday in Minnesota, there's an actual scientific reason that explains what happened.

Seeing as I'm a certified weather geek® who had been wishing for snow here in Minnesota, I was glad when the snow started falling Tuesday morning. Initial weather forecasts for our neck of the woods said we would likely see those flurries end around midday Tuesday, with about a half-inch of accumulation.

Well, as we know, way more snow fell across parts of southeast Minnesota yesterday as those flurries just kept coming... and coming. I think it was around 6 pm when the snow finally stopped at our place in northwest Rochester. Officially, Rochester International Airport reported 2.4 inches, but in other parts of our area closer to 5 or 6 inches were reported.

One of '20 Most Festive Towns in U.S.' is Just 40 Miles From Rochestser

As it turns out, there was some science around WHY it kept snowing-- even if it was the light, fluffy snow. The National Weather Service office in La Crosse explained why, in a post on their Twitter page Tuesday:

The same amount of liquid water can produce vastly different snowfall amounts. The ratio of liquid water to snow amount is known as the 'snow ratio.'

And, as ABC-6 Chief Meteorologist Chris Kuball noted on his Facebook page, the snow ration in Tuesday's snowfall was 'insanely high, likely on the order of about 40 inches of snow per 1 inch of liquid water,' he wrote.

So, that really heavy, wet snow that often falls in Minnesota in March and April has a low snow ratio, while yesterday's light, fluffy snow had a much higher snow ratio-- which was why there was so much more of it. So now you know!

I don't know about you, but I was glad to see the snow. I actually LIKE snow in Minnesota this time of year-- it helps in getting in the holiday spirit. (Snow in April, not so much!) But not everybody likes the snow and cold. Keep scrolling to check out some of the reasons why-- and see if you agree!

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When you think of the Midwestern states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, some people immediately think that we are freezing all the time. That's not 100% true, just about 56% true. In fact, being cold and freezing is something that most of us don't really appreciate about the winter months. That's not the only thing that we despise though. Check out the rest and see how may you give a thumbs up to.

Source: Why Did Minnesota Get Way More Snow Than Predicted Tuesday?

Filed Under: Minnesota, Rochester, snow storm, Weather forecast