Close to a foot of heavy snow fell overnight across parts of the Northland, causing school cancellations and power outages across the Iron Range and points north.
Heavy rain changed over to snow late Sunday night from north to south across the region. While the Duluth airport reported on 0.6 inches, snow totals to the north reported by the National Weather Service include 11 inches near Chisholm and Orr, 10 inches at Togo and 8 inches in Bigfork and Cook.
As of 7:30 a.m. the Minnesota Department of Transportation was advising no travel on U.S. Highway 53 north of Cook, and in the Bigfork, Littlefork and International Falls areas because of heavy snow. Hazardous travel conditions were reported across the Iron Range and in the Ely and Grand Rapids areas.
According to our news partners the Northland's NewsCenter, school districts closed today because of snow include Hibbing, Chisholm, Virginia, Eveleth-Gilbert, Grand Rapids, Ely, Mountain Iron-Buhl and Deer River. The Cherry, Tower-Soudan and Northeast Range schools also are closed, along with Itasca Community College.
Minnesota Power reported a number of power outages across the Northland as of 7:30 a.m. According to the company's website, crews were working on outages affecting about 850 customers in the Tower-Soudan area, and one affecting more than 500 customers in the Pengilly and Swan Lake areas.
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The company also reported outages in the Buhl, Kinney, Coleraine and Taconite areas, as well as scattered outages around the Twin Ports.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. for northern and central St. Louis, northern Lake, northern Cook, Itasca and Koochiching counties. That includes the Iron Range, Grand Rapids, International Falls and the Boundary Waters.
A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 10 a.m. for southern Lake, southern Cook, northern Aitkin, Cass and Crow Wing counties, including Two Harbors, Grand Marais and Brainerd.
Additional snowfall today should range from 2-4 inches across the warning and advisory areas, to perhaps an inch or two elsewhere. The Twin Ports should see only an inch or so of additional snowfall.
Highs today should reach the upper 30s to low 40s across the region and winds should diminish. Lows tonight will drop into the 20s, with highs near 50 on Tuesday under partly cloudy skies.
-2.02 inches of rain fell at the Duluth airport on Sunday, setting a record for the date. The old record was 1.3 inches of rain on April 15, 1994.
-Strong northeast winds whipped across Lake Superior and the Twin Ports on Sunday. The National Weather Service reported a sustained wind of 56 mph atop the Blatnik Bridge late Sunday afternoon, with gusts to 65 mph.
