As a shortwave disturbance rotated around a large southwest U.S. closed low aloft and into confluent flow aloft across the Northern Plains, light wintry precipitation developed on December 31. An arctic front surged southward early in the day with winds increasing to a gusty 30 to 45 mph, creating areas of blowing snow and visibility less than a half mile at times, as well as dangerously cold wind chills by late afternoon and evening of December 31.

Winter Weather in PIPESTONE, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 09:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Snow accumulated to 1 to 2 inches, and while winds gusted as high as 40 mph at Flandreau and 42 mph at Marshall, periods of blowing snow with visibility of one-half mile or less occurred between 1000-1800CST.

Winter Weather in LINCOLN, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 09:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Snow accumulated to 1 to 2 inches, and while winds gusted as high as 42 mph at Marshall, 40 mph at Flandreau and 38 mph at Tracy, periods of blowing snow with visibility of one-half mile or less occurred between 1000-1800CST.  Travel was not recommended, especially along U.S. Highways 14 and 75 as well as State Highway 19 due to near whiteout conditions.

Winter Weather in MURRAY, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 09:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Snow accumulated to 1 to 2 inches, and while winds gusted as high as 42 mph at Marshall and Worthington, periods of blowing snow with visibility of one-half mile or less occurred between 1000-1800CST.

Winter Weather in COTTONWOOD, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 09:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Snow accumulated to 1 to 2 inches, and while winds gusted as high as 42 mph at Marshall and Worthington and 40 mph near Jeffers, periods of blowing snow with visibility of one-half mile or less occurred between 1000-1800CST.

Winter Weather in ROCK, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 10:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Snow accumulated to around 1 inch, and while winds gusted as high as 42 mph near Beaver Creek and 40 mph at Luverne, periods of blowing snow with visibility of one-half mile or less occurred between 1000-1800CST.

Winter Weather in NOBLES, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 11:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Snow accumulated to around 1 inch, and while winds gusted as high as 42 mph at Worthington, periods of blowing snow with visibility of one-half mile or less occurred between 1200-1800CST.

Winter Weather in JACKSON, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 11:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Snow accumulated to around 1 inch, and while winds gusted as high as 42 mph at Jackson, periods of blowing snow with visibility of one-half mile or less occurred between 1200-1800CST.

Cold/Wind Chill in LINCOLN, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

After around an inch of snowfall, winds increased to 35 to 45 mph as temperatures plummeted, taking wind chill values as low as -32 south of Hendricks during the evening hours.

Cold/Wind Chill in LYON, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

After around an inch of snowfall, winds increased to 35 to 45 mph as temperatures plummeted, taking wind chill values as low as -35 at Marshall and -31 at Tracy during the evening hours.

Cold/Wind Chill in PIPESTONE, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

After around an inch of snowfall, winds increased to 35 to 45 mph as temperatures plummeted, taking wind chill values as low as -27 at Pipestone during the evening hours.

Cold/Wind Chill in MURRAY, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

After around an inch of snowfall, winds increased to 35 to 45 mph as temperatures plummeted, taking wind chill values as low as -32 at Slayton during the evening hours.

Cold/Wind Chill in COTTONWOOD, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

After around an inch of snowfall, winds increased to 35 to 45 mph as temperatures plummeted, taking wind chill values as low as -35 at Windom during the evening hours.

Cold/Wind Chill in NOBLES, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

After an inch or less of snowfall, winds increased to 35 to 45 mph as temperatures plummeted, taking wind chill values as low as -32 at Worthington during the evening hours.

Cold/Wind Chill in JACKSON, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 19:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

After less than an inch of snowfall, winds increased to 35 to 45 mph as temperatures plummeted, taking wind chill values as low as -29 at Jackson during the evening hours.

Cold/Wind Chill in ROCK, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

After an inch or less of snowfall, winds increased to 35 to 45 mph as temperatures plummeted, taking wind chill values as low as -22 near Beaver Creek during the evening hours.

Winter Weather in LYON, MINNESOTA
From 31-DEC-18 09:00:00 to 31-DEC-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Snow accumulated to 1 to 2 inches, and while winds gusted as high as 42 mph at Marshall and 38 mph at Tracy, periods of blowing snow with visibility of one-half mile or less occurred between 1000-1800CST.  Travel was not recommended, especially along State Highway 19 due to near whiteout conditions.