Power Outage in Windom, MN

Blizzard conditions led to a shutdown of government offices and schools, and travel was not recommended with many roads closed due to the widespread whiteout conditions. Storm-total snowfall from 4 to 10 inches occurred, with 5.1 inches at Windom. With winds gusting at times from 40 to 50 mph, many areas had snow drifts of several feet, making roads impassable. Ice accumulation from one-quarter to one-half inch occurred, and helped to produce scattered power outages as snowfall and wind increased. Damage costs are rough estimates due to utility costs.

Freezing rain and freezing drizzle of less than 0.05 inch caused icy roads, and accumulated lightly on trees, power lines, and other surfaces. Law enforcement agencies reported a few vehicles accidents on the ice, but no known injuries, with traffic being light because of the holiday.

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. The winds included a peak gust of 71 mph near Jeffers.

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.

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 7.4 inches at Windom. 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. 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 12 to 15 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 7 to 11 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.

Multiple lightning strikes damaged electrical lines and equipment at an electrical substation, resulting in a city wide power outage. An air conditioner was also damaged.

Thunderstorm winds blew the roof and wall of a large lumber yard building onto a nearby bowling alley. Widespread tree damage included large trees blown down, about a dozen of which fell onto houses and caused further damage. The winds caused roof damage to other structures and blew down power lines.