After Biggest April Snowstorm Ever, A Blizzard Of Good Questions
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Richard from Lakeville asks: How are official snow measurements taken?
The National Weather Service uses a white board and ruler to measure snowfall every six hours. The official measurement is taken at MSP airport in a protected area to guard against the wind as much as possible. The ruler is stuck into the snow until it hits the white board. After each measurement, that white board is then moved to the top of the snowpack for the next measurement.
Jeff from Richfield asks: Does this storm break the Halloween Blizzard snow record?
No, 28.4 inches fell at MSP during the 1991 Halloween blizzard. The recorded snowfall from April 13-16 at MSP was 15.8 inches.
Derek from Lakeville asks: What is thundersnow?
According to Mike Augustyniak, Director of Meteorology at WCCO, thunder with snow is similar to the thunder we hear with rain. Thunder during the summer is more common because there's more moisture in the air. More moisture means more instability which means more thunder.
Kyle from Spicer wants to know: How do they move all the snow out of car dealerships?
According to Jon Diethelm of Morrie's Minnetonka Ford, about 30 of the sales staff, sales managers, lot attendants and service runners will clean the snow off the cars and move them. A plow will then go through before the employees move all the cars back. The process takes about six hours.
Mary Ann from Andover and Mary from South Haven asks: How are birds handling this snowy spring?
According to Carrol Henderson with the MN DNR, many of the birds haven't yet returned to Minnesota for the spring. But, of the ones that have, they are able to hunker down in safe shelter during the storm. Henderson says the water birds – like duck and geese – are able to find small pockets of open water to eat. Robins and bluebirds can survive from feeding off the fruit of crabapple and mountain ash trees. Insect eaters – like tree swallows – are the ones that have the most difficulty and might not all make it through the cold spring.
Shawn from Savage asked: Have we ever gone a full month without hitting the average high temperature?
No. But, the Minnesota DNR says December 2000 was the closest in recent history. That month saw just two days of one degree above average.