A large synoptic scale storm system that originated across Colorado, moved northeast across the Plains and Upper Midwest from late Thursday November 17th, through early Saturday, November 19th. The bulk of the heavy snowfall occurred Friday morning through Friday afternoon, when locally 6 to 12 inches of snow fell across west central and into central Minnesota. In addition to the heavy snowfall, strong winds developed, creating blizzard conditions in west central Minnesota by Friday morning as the system intensified.
Initially,  a band of mainly light precipitation spread northward into western Minnesota the early morning of Friday, November 18th. A couple of inches of snow fell along the Minnesota, South Dakota border, northeast to near Alexandria and Wadena before 6 am LST. In the warm sector, rain and some sleet occurred along with thunderstorms during the morning in southern Minnesota. Once the surface low moved from north central Iowa, northeast to west central Wisconsin, any mixture of sleet, rain or snow in western Minnesota, quickly changed over to all snow and became heavy with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour.
The most intense time when both heavy snow and high winds occurred was between 6 am LST and 3 pm LST. This is when the pressure gradient strengthened and caused widespread wind speeds of 30 to 40 mph across southwest, and west central Minnesota. Highest gusts of 50 to 55 mph were recorded during the morning, and early afternoon.
Although the snow was wet and heavy, the combination of strong winds, and intense snowfall rates, produced blizzard conditions. The most snow fell in an area from Villard, Sauk Centre, north-northeast to Long Prairie, Little Falls and Camp Ripley. The heaviest snowfall in the state occurred in north central Minnesota and the arrowhead of Minnesota where up to two feet of snow fell. Once the snow tapered off in western Minnesota, surface visibility increased rapidly, gusty winds kept the area roadways snow covered, and no travel was recommended by the Minnesota Department of Transportation as numerous accidents occurred.
Some of the higher snowfall totals were...
12.2 inches north of Swanville, Minnesota in Todd County.
11.2 inches in Long Prairie.
9.8 inches in Miltona.
9.2 inches in Villard.
8.5 inches north of Sauk Centre.
8.5 inches in Staples.
8.3 inches west of Donnelly in Stevens County.
8.0 inches near Carlos.
7.5 inches in Chokio.
7.3 inches in Morris.
7.0 inches in Little Falls.
6.0 inches in Canby and Rice.

Blizzard in RENVILLE, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 08:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 16:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph which created whiteout conditions along with around 6 inches of snowfall. Roads become impassable in western Renville county during the afternoon due to the winds and snowfall combined.

Blizzard in STEVENS, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 03:30:00 to 18-NOV-16 14:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph which created whiteout conditions along with 6 to 8 inches of snowfall.

Blizzard in REDWOOD, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 08:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 16:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph which created whiteout conditions along with around 6 inches of snowfall. Roads become impassable in western Redwood county during the afternoon due to the winds and snowfall combined.

Blizzard in SWIFT, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 04:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 14:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across mainly the western part of the county. Winds were gusting over 45 mph which created whiteout conditions along with 6 to 8 inches of snowfall. Travel was not advised by the late morning along with several accidents on the highway.

Blizzard in POPE, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 06:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph which created whiteout conditions along with 8 to 10 inches of snowfall.

Blizzard in DOUGLAS, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 03:30:00 to 18-NOV-16 16:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 45 mph which created whiteout conditions along with 8 to 10 inches of snowfall.

Winter Storm in BENTON, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 09:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated dangerous driving conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 30 mph which created significant drifting snow across the highway. Locally 6 inches of snow fell across the county.

Winter Storm in MILLE LACS, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 10:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated dangerous driving conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 30 mph which created significant drifting snow across the highway. Locally 6 to 8 inches of snow fell across the county.

Blizzard in KANDIYOHI, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 08:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 19:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph which created whiteout conditions along with 6 to 10 inches of snowfall. Roads become impassable during the late morning and afternoon due to the winds and snowfall combined.

Winter Storm in MEEKER, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 09:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated dangerous driving conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 30 mph which created some whiteout conditions in open country along with around 6 inches of snowfall.

Winter Storm in MORRISON, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 08:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated dangerous driving conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 30 mph which created some whiteout conditions along with 6 to 12 inches of snowfall.

Winter Storm in KANABEC, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 10:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated dangerous driving conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 30 mph which created significant drifting snow across the highway. Locally 6 inches of snow fell across the county.

Blizzard in YELLOW MEDICINE, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 03:30:00 to 18-NOV-16 16:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph with a few gusts of 50 to 55 mph across the county, which created whiteout conditions along with around 6 inches of snowfall. Roads become impassable during the late morning and afternoon due to the winds and snowfall combined.

Blizzard in STEARNS, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 06:30:00 to 18-NOV-16 19:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph with a few gusts of 50 mph across the western part of the county, which created whiteout conditions along with 8 to 11 inches of snowfall. Roads become impassable during the late morning and afternoon due to the winds and snowfall combined. Lesser snowfall amounts occurred in eastern Stearns county, but area roads were still impassable due to significant drifting.

Blizzard in LAC QUI PARLE, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 03:30:00 to 18-NOV-16 15:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph with a few gusts of 50 to 55 mph across the county, which created whiteout conditions along with around 6 inches of snowfall. Roads become impassable during the late morning and afternoon due to the winds and snowfall combined.

Blizzard in CHIPPEWA, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 04:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph with a few gusts of 50 mph across the western part of the county, which created whiteout conditions along with 6 to 10 inches of snowfall. Roads become impassable during the late morning and afternoon due to the winds and snowfall combined.

Blizzard in TODD, MINNESOTA
From 18-NOV-16 04:00:00 to 18-NOV-16 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Several reliable sources from weather observations, to local officials, and the department of transportation indicated blizzard conditions for several hours across the county. Winds were gusting over 40 mph with a few gusts of 50 mph across the western part of the county, which created whiteout conditions along with 8 to 12 inches of snowfall. Roads become impassable during the late morning and afternoon due to the winds and snowfall combined.