Power Outage in Jackson, MN

Ten wooded power poles were snapped off by thunderstorm winds along a half-mile stretch along 850th Street west of Highway 71. Property damage costs are rough estimates.

Ice accumulated to one-half to three quarters of an inch. As winds increased during the night of April 10 into early April 11 with gusts reaching 45 to 50 mph at times, power poles and transmission lines bore the brunt of the worst conditions. Over 1000 power poles were damaged and several hundred miles of transmission lines downed by the weight of the ice accumulation and stress of the high winds. Many roads were closed, including U.S. Highway 71, State Highway 86, and Interstate 90 due to power structures across roadways. Damage costs are rough estimates due to utility costs.

Freezing rain of up to two tenths of an inch caused icy roads, and accumulated lightly on trees, power lines, and other surfaces. Lakefield reported 0.17 inch of rain during a time when temperatures were at or below freezing. Law enforcement agencies reported a few vehicles accidents on the ice, but no known injuries, with traffic being light because of the holiday, business closings, and activity cancellations. Light winds prevented damage to trees and power lines.

High winds from a westerly direction followed a low pressure system which had brought Christmas Day rain and thunderstorms. There were several reports of power lines and branches down and resulting power outages, and traffic lights and some signs were damaged. There was also minor building damage in Jackson. The winds included a peak gust of 59 mph near Lakefield.

Westerly winds behind a cold front reach sustained speed of 40 to 45 mph for several hours. The high winds caused spotty power line and traffic light damage.

High winds not directly associated with thunderstorms produced a measured gust to 76 mph at Jackson Airport. The winds caused damage to trees and power lines.

Thunderstorm winds caused extensive tree damage, with tree debris blocking several roads. Power lines were also damaged.

An extended period of precipitation began with freezing rain quickly producing heavy ice accumulations, ranging up to a half inch. The precipitation then changed to sleet and then snow, with sleet and snow accumulations reaching 5 to 10 inches. Many branches, limbs, whole trees, and power lines were downed by the weight of ice and accompanying wind. Both urban areas and rural electric cooperatives suffered major power line damage, with the rural cooperatives alone reporting 6 million dollars in damages. Trees and tree debris blocked many roads, and damaged several vehicles and homes. Major power outages were reported, affecting thousands of people. The winter precipitation made travel impossible in many areas, resulting in schools and businesses being forced to close.

New snowfall of 10 to 16 inches beginning early morning on March 1st and continuing into the night of March 2nd was accompanied by sustained winds of over 30 mph at times with gusts over 40 mph. The combination of new snow, wind, and an already existing fresh snow cover resulted in a blizzard with widespread near zero visibilities. Drifting snow with the storm helped make travel impossible to extremely difficult. As a result, some who did attempt to travel became stuck or slid off roads. Schools and school activities were cancelled and numerous businesses closed. Power outages were reported as the heavy snow and strong winds brought down power lines. The blizzard conditions abated early on the morning of March 3rd.|

Widespread freezing rain produced ice accumulations near or above a quarter inch on February 24th. The icing made travel extremely difficult. The precipitation changed to snow late on the 24th, with snow accumulating 6 to 9 inches before ending by early afternoon on February 25th. The snow accumulations on top of the ice made travel impossible in places. The combination also caused tree branches and a few power lines to break, producing scattered power outages. Some weekend school activities were cancelled, as were several Sunday church services.