Northeastern Minnesota Weather History – March
Chronological order from oldest on record, to more recent.
March 15, 1941:
Beware the Ides of March. The most severe blizzard in modern history strikes North Dakota and Minnesota. The blizzard began on a Saturday night while many are traveling, and thus claims 71 lives. Winds gust to 75 mph at Duluth, Minnesota, and reach 85 mph at Grand Forks, North Dakota. Snow drifts twelve feet high were reported in north-central Minnesota. A cold front traveling 30 mph crosses Minnesota in just seven hours.
Blizzard March 23-25, 1975
Heavy snow accumulated 7 to 15 inches with winds gusting to 60 mph. Most roads were blocked by drifts up to 20 feet. Interstate 35 was closed from Forest Lake to Duluth. The high winds whipped electric lines together causing prolonged and major power failures. Schools and businesses were closed.
A foot of snow and winds unofficially recorded in excess of 100 mph paralyzed the city of Duluth. Waves up to 20 feet pounded the Lake Superior shore, flooding basements and blowing out store windows. Waves and ice buckled metal and glass safety wall at lakefront motel, forcing evacuation of 10 rooms as knee-deep water flooded into hallways. Waves destroyed 40 foot wall at Two Harbors, flooding municipal Water Pumping stations. Large chunks of beach along Lake Superior shore were washed away. Property damage reached up to $5 million.
Blizzard March 26-29, 1975
In Duluth 13 inches of snow with winds up to 70 mph caused 4 foot drifts, making roads impassable. The airport, businesses, and schools were closed. Property damage totaled up to $50,000
Blizzard March 11-12, 1976
Five to 12 inches of new snow was whipped up by winds over 50 mph across northern Minnesota. The sheriff’s office in International Falls rescued dozens of motorists stranded on county roads during the night.
Blizzard March 3-4, 1985
Heavy snow and high winds made for whiteout conditions across the state of Minnesota. Strong winds pounded the Duluth area, blowing off roofing material and snapping power lines. a wind gust of 71 mph was recorded at the Duluth Airport. A steady 80 to 85 mph wind with gusts over 90 mph were measured at the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth. Snow drifts in Duluth exceeded20 feet and Park Point remained isolated for almost 4 days. International Falls, which received 7.6 inches of snow, closed schools for the first time ever.
Ice Storm March 22-23, 1991
An intense ice storm, the worst to affect the Duluth area in 25 years, began in the afternoon on the 22nd across northeastern Minnesota and lasted until early afternoon on the 23rd before changed to heavy, wet snow.
Freezing rain, accompanied at time with thunder, coated the city of Duluth with as much as 6 inches of ice. The 850-foot WDIO-TV tower was topple as winds gusted to 40 mph, buffeting the heavily ice-covered tower. The tower fell onto a nearby utility line which provided power to the remainder of Duluth’s television stations, and all but one AM radio station. Telephone and power lines snapped leaving Duluth and many northeastern Minnesota communities with utility services for 24 hours. The DNR reported that four million pine trees were damaged or destroyed.
PHOTO by Derek Montgomery for MPR News