Blizzard in NW Minnesota, tornado in SW Minnesota

A major winter storm in northwest Minnesota and a tornado in the southwest part of the state. The two weather extremes happened about 250 miles apart yesterday. The rare March twister was reported near the small southwest Minnesota town of St. Leo around 4 p.m. Yellow Medicine County authorities say it damaged at least three farms but no injuries were reported.

They will be digging out today in northwest Minnesota where nearly 20 inches of snow fell in some areas. The highest totals were reported in Marshall, Pennington and Roseau counties.

Southeast Minnesota received only light rain yesterday as temperatures warmed into the 50’s and 60’s. The warm spot was St. James with a high of 70. Fairmont had a high of 68. Rochester’s official high was 60, the warmest it’s been since October 27th. It will be windy and cool today and tomorrow and the National Weather Service says southeast Minnesota could get hit by back to back wintry systems

tomorrow night and Thursday night that could contain snow.