A long duration winter weather event ensued after Christmas as a full-latitude trough moved through the Rockies on December 26, initiating cyclogenesis as the mid-level wave closed off and lifted northeast from TX into KS by early on December 27. A leading pulse of warm advection ahead of the main system produced a swath of mixed precipitation on the 26th into early on the 27th across southeast SD and southwest MN. This area weakened before the main wave lifted across the area on the 27th and sheared into northern Minnesota by early morning December 28. A significant dry slot pushed across Iowa early on the 27th allowing for a brief change in precipitation to liquid or freezing precipitation. Heavier snowfall redeveloped within the TROWAL during the 27th and continued through the following night across southeast SD into southwest MN.
As the area of low pressure strengthened moving across Iowa during the afternoon of December 27, winds increased with gusts of 40 to 55 mph common into the early morning of December 28.

Winter Storm in MURRAY, MINNESOTA
From 27-DEC-18 12:00:00 to 28-DEC-18 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snow developed early in the morning on December 26, changing briefly to light freezing rain between 1800-2300CST. Snow redeveloped during the overnight hours, becoming moderate to heavy through the afternoon of December 27 with visibility as low as one half mile or less at times. Northwest winds increased with gusts commonly from 30 to 40 mph from 1500CST December 27 through 0900CST December 28. Snowfall accumulated to 6.0 inches at Lake Wilson with a peak wind gust of 37 mph at Slayton. No travel was recommended during the height of the storm.

Winter Storm in PIPESTONE, MINNESOTA
From 27-DEC-18 12:00:00 to 28-DEC-18 09:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snow developed early in the morning on December 26, changing briefly to light freezing rain between 1800-2300CST. Snow redeveloped during the overnight hours, becoming moderate to heavy through the afternoon of December 27 with visibility as low as one half mile or less at times. Northwest winds increased with gusts commonly from 30 to 40 mph from 1200CST December 27 through 0600CST December 28. Snowfall accumulated to 7.9 inches at Pipestone with a peak wind gust of 36 mph. No travel was recommended during the height of the storm.

Winter Storm in LYON, MINNESOTA
From 26-DEC-18 15:00:00 to 28-DEC-18 09:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snow developed early in the morning on December 26, changing briefly to light freezing rain between 1800-2200CST. Snow redeveloped during the overnight hours, becoming moderate to heavy through the afternoon of December 27 with visibility as low as one half mile or less at times. Northwest winds increased with gusts commonly from 35 to 45 mph from 1200CST December 27 through 0900CST December 28. Snowfall accumulated to 10.1 inches at Marshall and 10.0 inches at Minneota, with a peak wind gust of 47 mph at Marshall and 38 mph at Tracy.  Numerous vehicles became stranded and blocked along U.S. Highway 14 during the early morning hours of December 28. No travel was recommended during the height of the storm.  Wind chills reached near -20 from 0600-0900CST.

Winter Storm in LINCOLN, MINNESOTA
From 26-DEC-18 15:00:00 to 28-DEC-18 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Snow developed early in the morning on December 26, changing briefly to light freezing rain between 1800-2300CST. Snow redeveloped during the overnight hours, becoming moderate to heavy through the afternoon of December 27 with visibility as low as one half mile or less at times. Northwest winds increased with gusts commonly from 30 to 40 mph from 1200CST December 27 through 0600CST December 28. Snowfall accumulated to 10.0 inches near Ivanhoe with a peak wind gust of 46 mph 5 miles south of Hendricks. No travel was recommended during the height of the storm.