By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
We knew it was a lot, and possibly a record. Now it’s official. The 17.3 inches of May snowfall in Ellendale set a Minnesota state record for a three-day period.
Ellendale’s Jerry Ibberson can tell you about it. He measured it in his back yard on behalf of the National Weather Service. On June 1, he received official confirmation from Michelle Margraff of the NWS in Chanhassen.
“I have some exciting news!” Margraff said in an e-mail to Ibberson. “The Minnesota State Climatology office has decided to include your snowfall data as part of the state record for the May snowfall event! Your 3-day total of 17.3" was the highest in the state, so it will go down in the history books as the biggest 3-day snowfall total in May in Minnesota. Thanks again for being an observer. Your reports truly make a difference!”
Ellendale just missed the record for a 24-hour record with 15.0 inches. Dodge Center had 15.4, and narrowly missed the three-day mark with 17.2.Ibberson, a weather observer for almost three years, enters precipitation data at 7 a.m. seven days a week. He’s also a Skywarn Storm Spotter and Skywarn instructor for Steele County.
The old record for a one-day and three-day May snowfall in Minnesota was 12 inches set twice, on May 8, 1938 in Windom and May 3, 1954 in Leonard.
We can only hope the new records last as long.