May Snowstorm: 18 Inches Accumulated Across Central Plains and Midwest

An un-seasonable and rare May storm delivered 18 inches of snow across parts of northwest Wisconsin and more than 15 inches in southern Minnesota, causing power outages and closing roads. The storm is expected to continue into Friday and even Saturday in places, the National Weather Service said.

"The northernmost areas have seen snow in May before, but not of this magnitude," said Jim Keeney, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

In Iowa, three cities had records set for heaviest snowfall in May, breaking the 66-year-old record. Britt and Forest City both reported a snow depth of 11 inches and Algona reported 10.5 inches. The previous record of 10 inches was on May 28, 1947 in Le Mars, Iowa.

"...It just kept snowing and snowing. It just didn't really stop in some places," said Kurt Kotenberg, another meteorologist with the National Weather Service. 

Many roads throughout Wisconsin were closed due to the snow. Travelling in the area was difficult, according to Gwen Rosengarten, a dispatcher for sheriff's department in Bayfield County.

"We are getting pounded with a bunch of snow," Rosengarten said.

Fortunately, more than half of the 54,000 Wisconsin and Minnesota customers who experienced power outages due to the storm had their services restored by Thursday afternoon, according to Xcel Energy.

However, some may have to wait until the end of Friday to have their power back, the power company added.

Total snow accumulation was expected to be 10 to 20 inches in the Rockies with up to 6 inches in the Denver area, the National Weather Service said. Between 2 and 6 inches of snow was predicted for parts of the central plains and the upper Midwest. The snowstorm surpassed both predictions. Numerous storm advisories were announced early Friday for areas in Missouri, Montana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Wyoming, and Oklahoma.