Early Spring Snowstorm Blankets Midwest and Southeast
An early spring snowstorm struck parts of the Midwestern and Southeastern United States last weekend, with numerous locations receiving in excess of 10 inches of snow. The storm first struck the Midwest on Friday and Saturday, with a narrow swath of heavy snow extending southeastward from southern Minnesota to southwestern Ohio. Indianapolis recorded 10.2 inches of snow by the end of Saturday, which was the second highest one-day total on record for the month of March. Some of the highest snow totals in the region included 17.0 inches in Nora Springs, Iowa, 12.0 inches in Dana, Illinois, and 12.6 inches in Brownsburg, Indiana.
A sharp cutoff in snow totals existed on either side of the heavy snow band, with areas a few dozen miles on either side receiving little or no snowfall. The following image is a satellite image showing the snowpack laid across Illinois and Indiana early Sunday morning.
Source: National Weather Service, Indianapolis, IN
The storm then proceeded to dump snow over parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and even North Carolina. Bluefield, West Virginia measured 17.0 inches of snow by Sunday morning, while Long Spur, Virginia and Lawsonville, North Carolina reported 16.3 and 7.0 inches, respectively. The snow led to the postponement of the STP 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in Martinsville, Virginia. It was the first time a NASCAR event had been postponed due to snow since March 1993.
