Power Outage in Brainerd, MN

A cluster of trees was down onto a power line on County Highway 11.

Multiple trees were down and the power was out.

Numerous trees were down and snapped with some falling onto power lines.

A tree was downed onto a power line and then started on fire.

Thunderstorm winds led to downed power lines in the area.

Numerous trees were damaged along with downed power lines.

Multiple trees and power lines were downed by the storm.

Multiple trees were knocked down along with nearby power lines.

Multiple trees were knocked down along with nearby power lines.

Multiple trees were knocked down along with nearby power lines.

Multiple trees were knocked down along with nearby powers lines.

Multiple trees were knocked down along with nearby power lines.

A tree was blown down and brought down a power line.

The Crow Wing County Sheriff's office reported numerous trees down and damaged across the county, and power outages, due to freezing rain.

A tree was blown down on a powerline on Beach Road.

There were 6 large healthy Oak trees down in the yard and many other trees down across the neighborhood. Power was out until 2:30 am. There was an estimated 2 of rainfall, but the gage was taken out by a falling tree.

Power lines were reported down between Brainerd and Baxter.

Trees and power lines were blown down across most county roads between County Highway 11 and the Merrifield area. Many of the trees were healthy and about a foot in diameter. Trees fell on campers at Mission Lake. There was also damage reported to the docks at the east end of Pelican Lake.

Hundreds of power outages were reported in the Nisswa and Crosby areas, according to Minnesota Power.

Many trees and power lines were blown down.

Local law enforcement reported several trees and power lines down, with a tree felled on a car at Brainerd International Raceway.

Several large oaks and powerlines were blown down.

Trees and power lines were blown down at East Gull Lake.

Hundreds of electric customers were without power as high winds downed power lines and lightning hit transformers.

Trees were blown down, causing power outages.

There were also widespread damaging winds. Damage was mainly to trees and power lines.

A powerful, long duration winter storm brought widespread snowfall amounts of 8 to 24 inches across parts of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, with areas around Lake Superior receiving up to 30 inches of snow. A wintry mixture of sleet, freezing rain and snow began Tuesday (December 13th) afternoon and evening, spreading northeast overnight Tuesday night and into Wednesday (December 14th) morning. This first wave of precipitation brought a widespread 6 to 12 inches of snow. We had a break in the snowfall during the day on Wednesday, but it started up again Wednesday night and continued into Thursday (December 15th), bringing another 8-20 inches of snow. This second wave of precipitation was nearly all snow, enhanced by the main upper level low pressure system as it moved close to the area. Lighter snow lingered into Friday and Saturday, December 16th and 17th. A low pressure system developed over eastern Colorado early Tuesday, moved northeast to eastern Nebraska by Wednesday morning, then to east-central Minnesota by Thursday morning, lingering there through Friday before moving off to the northeast Friday night and Saturday. ||The storm resulted in a long period of poor road conditions, with strong winds causing blowing and drifting snow. There were also widespread power outages, with some people reporting no power for over two days!||Notable with this storm was how wet and heavy the snow was, with 3-day liquid equivalent values of 1 to 4 inches. The wet quality of this snow, unusual for winter storms in this area, heavily weighed down trees and power lines. The density of the snowpack also exacerbated the quality of snow to absorb the red end of the visible light spectrum, transmitting the blue end, which led to many folks observing a glacier blue color in holes and cracks in the snow as they cleared it. Because of this blue color, as well as the very wet quality of the snowfall, NWS Duluth has taken to referring to this snow as the Blue Blizzard of 2022.

Several rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms worked across the Northland on the 10th with the first round moving out of Canada during the early morning hours. These storms produced localized damaging winds shortly after sunrise with a few downed trees and powerlines reported. Another round moved out of the Northern Plains across north-central Minnesota during the mid-morning hours and produced some isolated damaging winds and hail to around the size of half dollars.

Abnormally warm temperatures were present across the region leading up to this event with highs in the mid 50s. The warm air near the surface set the stage for a wintry mix followed by heavy wet snow by the evening hours. Additionally, a surface low was deepening as it encroached on the Northland, bringing gusty winds with the Duluth airport reporting a gust of 55 mph just before midnight. The combination of wet, heavy snow clumping to trees and the enhanced winds lead to several downed trees and power outages throughout the area. Snowfall totals were highest across the Arrowhead, ranging from 6 to 11 inches.

A strong area of low pressure brought heavy snowfall and very strong winds to much of the Northland starting on Wednesday the 23rd and lingering into Thursday the 24th. This storm was unique in that widespread blizzard conditions occurred across the upper Midwest, including areas from the Brainerd Lakes east towards the North Shore, Twin Ports, and Interstate 35 corridor with many observed wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph. Very strong frontogenesis occurred along a trowal axis that extended across much of northern Wisconsin west into Minnesota. Warm air advection caused temperatures across most of east-central Minnesota to rise above freezing and produce mixed precipitation for several hours during the day. As the cold front gradually moved east, temperatures very quickly dropped and caused treacherous road conditions as mixed precipitation changed over to snow. Narrow bands of heavy snow set up over the Brainerd Lakes northeast towards the Iron Range during the early morning and early afternoon, and then translated east towards the Twin Ports, North Shore, and Interstate 35 corridor. The heavy snow bands coincided with the strong mid-level frontogenesis, which also produced very strong northwest winds that caused the widespread blizzard conditions. A maximum gust of 70 mph was recorded at the Bay of Grand Marais during the height of the storm. Damage was reported to buildings and other infrastructure, in addition to some power outages and widespread whiteout conditions that made travel difficult if not impossible.||As the cold front swept rapidly eastward, bitterly cold air moved into the region and led to the development of a topographically-forced gravity wave during the night of the 23rd that dropped several more inches of snow from Two Harbors to Superior to Holyoke. The eastern half of northeast Minnesota received 6 to 10 inches of snowfall with lesser amounts further west in addition to the widespread blizzard conditions.

A slow moving and powerful winter storm spread snow across the Northland starting the evening of the 29th and brought a few waves of snow into the afternoon of the 30th. The low then deepened and passed to the south of the region, bringing heavy snowfall and high winds the evening of the 30th into the morning of the 1st. A sustained 10 hour period of blizzard conditions was observed in the Twin Ports with widespread snowfall totals of 6 to 12 inches. Heavier amounts to around 2 feet fell downwind of the head of Lake Superior and along the South Shore. Additionally, lakeshore flooding occurred in the Duluth area with a prolonged period of northeast winds pushing water up onto shore and waves causing beach erosion along Park Point.

An area of low pressure developed in the lee of the Rockies late on the 10th and then slowly moved northeast on the 11th before passing over the Northland on the 12th. This lead to a long duration snowfall event over most of the area with periods of freezing rain mixing in at times. Widespread strong northeast winds of 40 mph plus were reported with upwards of 50 to 60 mph gusts observed at the head of Lake Superior. The strong winds lead to building waves on Lake Superior, but the ice that was still present at the western end of the lake acted to dampen the wave action, preventing the large waves from crashing onto the lakeshore. The winds also led to numerous reports of downed trees and power lines with multiple vehicle crashes due to the snow and freezing rain. Snowfall amounts were generally in the 3 to 9 inch range with the highest totals being 10.9 inches in Chisholm, 11.0 inches just north of Knife River and 13.5 inches near Pine River.

An extremely slow moving storm system with multiple periods of snow affected portions of east-central Minnesota. The first batch of snow that fell over the region began on the afternoon of the 4th. By sunrise the Brainerd area had 7 inches with more falling through the late morning. Another band of snow developed from Carlton and Pine counties and continued into the evening. Winds were also very strong on the 5th with gusts well into the 40 mph range. The winds caused sporadic power outages. Specific snow amounts include 13.5 5 miles east of Leader, 13 a few miles south of Brainerd at Shepard, 12.7 near Casino, 8.5 9.1 at East Gull Lake, 6 at Walker, 9.3 near Bruno and 10 near Moose Lake.

Strong storms moved across Pine, Crow Wing and Itasca Counties and produced damaging winds that took down power lines. Hail from dime size to ping pong size was also reported.

A an area of low pressure moved northeast from Colorado into western Minnesota between the morning of Christmas to the following morning. Freezing drizzle fell across northeast Minnesota early Sunday, making for slippery roads before the onset of the storm. The storm then brought a surge of precipitation from the south into northeast Minnesota Sunday afternoon, and caused a mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and snow through late Sunday evening or the wee hours of Monday morning. There were up to a few inches of freezing rain and sleet accumulation, and some snow accumulation across northern Minnesota, most notably along the North Shore. There were also gusty east winds. The strongest winds were near Lake Superior. At the Duluth airport winds gusted to 51 mph on the 25th and 47 mph on the 26th. ||Among the hardest hit areas were the Brainerd Lakes area and other parts of the Lakes Country of central Minnesota, where an ice storm and the strong winds damaged or fell numerous trees, which contributed to power outages.

An area of low pressure developed near Colorado and moved to the Upper Midwest Thursday and Friday, November 18th and 19th, bringing northeast Minnesota's first winter storm of the season after record warmth in November. Heavy snow, ranging from 8 to 25 inches, fell across northern Minnesota in a wide area from The Brainerd Lakes area through Grand Rapids, Nett Lake to Crane Lake and Ely and the Arrowhead. The snow began as rain and sleet but quickly changed over to snow in the evening of the 17th and overnight. There were intense snowfall rates of 1 to 3 per hour during the day. Two inches of snow fell in 30 minutes near Grand Rapids and 4 inches fell in 90 minutes between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm at Coleraine. The heavy snowfall rates brought very low visibility at times. Strong winds gusting over 40 mph created blizzard conditions, especially across Crow Wing County and portions of southern Cass County. The winds were the strongest at the head of Lake Superior where winds were gusting over 50 mph. The AWOS at the Sky Harbor Airport on Duluth's Park Point measured a gust of 55 mph around 11 am Friday. These strong east winds caused huge waves on Lake Superior where a Gale Warning was in effect. Waves were as high as 7 feet in the Duluth harbor's ship canal. The combination of heavy snow and strong winds brought down trees and power lines, which caused many power outages. The snow was accompanied by thunder and lightning at times.||Some snowfall reports include 25 5 miles east of Leader, 24.8��� near Orr, 19 4 miles south of Tower, 18 in Nisswa, 16 8 miles north-northwest of Coleraine, 14.2��� at Kabetogama, 11��� at Brainerd, 11 11 miles north-northwest of Whyte, 9 in Hoyt Lakes, 8.1��� near Wright, 8 3 miles west of Iron Junction, Gunflint Lake with 7.2���, and 6��� in Floodwood. Locations along and near Lake Superior received had much less snow, with reports of about 5.3 in Lutsen, 4.8 5 miles northwest of Two Harbors, 3 to 3.5 in Duluth, 4 in Finland, 2.5 in Beaver Bay, and 3.3 in Silver Bay.

On the evening of July 12th, 2015 a line of severe storms brought widespread damaging straight line winds to the southern portions of Cass and Crow Wing counties in north central Minnesota. There was major tree loss and damage to homes, cabins and vehicles from fallen trees. ||An automated weather station in Brainerd, MN recorded a peak wind of 65 mph during the storm. Most of the storm damage in the Brainerd area was consistent with winds in the 70 to 80 mph range.||However, there were pockets of more devastating tree damage, mainly in the Pillsbury State Forest area northwest of Brainerd. Wind speeds in excess of 100 mph were likely in this area. The Pillsbury State Forest was closed most of the summer due to trails roads being blocked by downed trees. By fall many trails and campsites were still closed. ||At area, 50 vehicles were destroyed 10,000 trees were blown down, 100 accommodation units destroyed and multiple conference centers and common buildings were damaged or destroyed. ||Lodges, resorts, golf courses and campgrounds in the Gull Lake area were evacuated and closed for a week or more due to loss of power and for clean up operations. ||Cass and Crow Wing counties received state disaster assistance funds.||There as much at $25 million in damage, according to a rough tally among resorts owners, construction firms, utility providers and homeowners.

A couple rounds of snow (except along from Duluth and along the North Shore where lake enhancement maintained continuous snowfall) from December 2nd through early December 5th brought widespread snowfall totals of 10 to 18 to northeast Minnesota. Higher amounts of over 20, and even over 30, fell near the Twin Ports and along the North Shore. Snowfall reports included 33.2 near Two Harbors, 28.6 in Duluth Heights, 21.7 in Askov, 21.6 at the NWS office in Duluth/Hermantown, 18.5 in Cloquet, 17 in Moose Lake, 16.5 near Hinckley, 15.6 near McGregor, 14 in Grand Rapids, 11 in Fort Ripley and near Brainerd, 11 in Larsmont, 10.5 near Orr, and 8.8 near Grand Marais. Gusty east to northeast winds developed at the head of Lake Superior, which not only caused lake enhanced snow, but also periods of near blizzard conditions. Duluth had a peak wind of 32 mph on the 4th. There were power outages in parts of Duluth and Hermantown due to downed power lines and blown transformers. Duluth area schools, colleges, and many other public venues were closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The 21.6 of snow that fell at the Duluth NWS office was the 6th biggest snowstorm on record. There was one death Monday (12/2) evening in Aitkin County when an elderly woman driving on icy Highway 210 slid out of her lane and was hit by an oncoming vehicle.

An unusually strong storm system brought damaging winds to northeast Minnesota, as well as heavy snow. The storm set a state record low barometric pressure reading to Minnesota, which was recorded near Bigfork. The counterclockwise flow around the system brought very gusty southwest winds which brought down trees and power lines. There was also some minor structural damage reported. Winds generally gusted from 40 to 60 mph. However, a wind gust of 65 mph was measured on the Blatnik Bridge in Duluth. ||The storm system also brought heavy rain and snow to parts of northeast Minnesota. The rain turned to snow late in the afternoon, with the heaviest of the snow located just inland from Lake Superior around the Duluth area. Five to 9 inches of fell in the Duluth area, with a report of 9 inches at Twig. Two to 5 inches of snow fell in the Brainerd and Cass Lakes region. The very gusty winds combined with the snow to produce white-out conditions at times.

Strong winds from a wake low blew down trees and power lines.

A powerful late season winter storm hit northeastern Minnesota, producing heavy wet snow, with localized blizzard conditions along the North Shore and head of Lake Superior. Six to 14 inches of snow fell across a large part of the area, with 10 or more inches falling south of a line from Walker to Bigfork to Duluth. Isolated amounts of 14 inches fell across the Pillager and Brainerd areas. Much lighter amounts fell across the far north, including International Falls, which recorded nearly 2 inches of snow. Wind gusts over 40 mph were common across much of the area, with higher gusts near Lake Superior. Duluth International Airport recorded 62 mph, with 54 mph at Park Point in Duluth, and 51 mph at Two Harbors. Waves were 15 feet or more on Lake Superior. Power outages were widespread, with the majority of outages in the Duluth area. At one point, 11,000 Minnesota Power customers were without power. Many schools and businesses were closed on the 11th.

A warm front and unstable air mass combined to produce severe thunderstorms across southern Cass, Crow Wing, and Pine counties during the evening hours of August 13. A fast-moving severe thunderstorm in the Brainerd area brought large hail and winds up to 60 mph that downed hundreds of trees and damaged homes. Several businesses reported roof damage and a two-story structure at a local speedway collapsed. Docks along several lakes in Crow Wing County also reported damage. At least 7,700 customers lost power in the Brainerd Lakes region, according to Crow Wing Power.

A powerful low pressure area moved through central Wisconsin in early April, spreading heavy snow to much of northeastern Minnesota. The snow began during the early morning hours of the 3rd, and ended by late that evening. The heaviest snow fell across the north shore of Lake Superior through northern Pine County. A foot or more was recorded in these areas, with Silver Bay reporting 13.3 inches. 12.1 inches fell at the Duluth NWS, which was not only a record for the date, but also a record for any day in the month of April for the Port City. Lesser amounts of 6 to 10 inches fell in the interior Arrowhead region, including the Iron Range, as well as the Cass and Brainerd Lakes areas. In addition to the heavy snow, strong winds of over 20 mph created blowing and drifting conditions.

A powerful storm system moved through the upper midwest in late February, and brought heavy snow to much of northeast Minnesota with localized blizzard conditions along the north shore of Lake Superior. The snow began late on the 23rd in the Cass and Brainerd Lakes area, and ended on the evening of the 25th. Snowfall of 12 to 14 inches occured at the head of Lake Superior from Two Harbors to Cloquet, as well as across the Cass and Brainerd Lakes area, through southern Aitkin County and into western Pine County. Areas from the Iron Range to northern and eastern areas of the arrowhead received less than 2 inches. In addition to the heavy snow, blizzard conditions occured across the north shore during the early morning hours of the 25th, with winds gusting 40 to 50 mph. Many churches in Duluth cancelled Sunday morning services because of blowing and drifting snow.

Brutally cold temperatures combined with winds in the 10 to 20 mph range to create dangerous wind chills across northeast Minnesota in early February. Wind chills of -40 to -50 were common February 3rd through the 5th, with afternoon highs remaining below zero. The cold wave closed schools, suspended some outdoor activities, and burst pipes because of the lack of snow cover. Power companies urged their customers to conserve energy during this cold wave, as the region's electrical grid became stressed. It was the longest period of cold since 1996. Morning low temperatures at Duluth were below zero for 10 consecutive days. Lows in the -30s were common across the arrowhead during this first weekend in February into Monday, and Embarrass bottomed out at -42 on the morning of the 4th.

There was widespread wind damage from west of Pequot Lakes and across the northern part of Crow Wing County from Pequot Lakes, Jenkins, Cross Lake to Emily and back into Cass County at Outing. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted and 8,000 people lost electrical power. There was major roof damage to businesses in Pequot Lakes and Cross Lake. Homes suffered roof damage from falling trees at Breezy Point. Numerous vehicles were damaged from falling trees and branches. The worst damage was in the Cross Lake and Ideal townships.

A mixture of sleet and freezing rain fell, causing an icy glaze up to 1/2" to accumulate on roads, trees, and power lines. In addition to the precipitation, the head of the lakes area had very strong winds sustained at 35 to 50 mph. The Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth reported gusts up to 66 mph. The peak wind at the Duluth Airport was 56 mph. The strong winds closed the port entry of Duluth as the strong east winds packed ice into the ship canal. Numerous trees and and power lines were blown down. The KMart at the Miller Hill Mall location lost part of its roof in the high winds.