A powerful winter storm blanketed much of Minnesota over the weekend, leaving behind significant snow totals, with some southeastern communities buried under more than two feet of accumulation while Minneapolis itself saw 8.5 inches.

Metro Area Accumulations Vary Widely

The Twin Cities saw wildly different snowfall amounts—anywhere from about 5 inches to over 14 inches depending on where you were. Minneapolis recorded 8.5 inches of snow, according to reports compiled early Monday morning. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) measured 8.8 inches.

Suburbs got hammered too. Eagan and Maple Grove each received 10 inches. Bloomington saw 9.5 inches, while Savage reported 10.5 inches. Head south and it got worse: Lakeville picked up 12 inches, Apple Valley 14.

Prior Lake was among the hardest hit in the southwest metro, with 13.7 inches of snow. Chanhassen also reached a significant 10.9 inches, illustrating the wide range of impacts even within a relatively small geographic area.

Southeastern Minnesota Buried Under Deep Snow

Southeastern Minnesota got buried—multiple spots reported over 20 inches. Kellogg, a small city in Wabasha County, topped the state's totals with an astounding 25 inches.

Nearby towns weren't spared either. Zumbro Falls and Reads Landing each saw 20 inches and 20.5 inches, respectively. Wabasha itself recorded 18 inches. Wisconsin got it worse: Mondovi saw 21.7 inches, Montana 26.6.

Rochester, the region's biggest city, ended up with 13.5 inches. Pine Island also received a substantial 16 inches, highlighting the storm's intensity as it swept through the southeastern portion of the state.

Snow Emergencies and Travel Disruptions

The snow was so heavy that both Minneapolis and St. Paul declared snow emergencies Sunday night. That meant strict parking bans so plows could actually get the streets cleared.

In Minneapolis, residents couldn't park on snow emergency routes from 9 p.m. Sunday until 8 a.m. Monday, or until streets were fully plowed. On Monday, parking was banned on the even-numbered side of snow emergency routes, with similar rules set for the odd-numbered side on Tuesday. St. Paul implemented its own night plow routes starting Sunday at 9 p.m., followed by day plow routes Monday morning.

The airport got hammered too. Hundreds of flights into and out of MSP Airport faced cancellations and delays throughout Sunday. By Monday, airport operations had largely returned to normal, though travelers still contended with the aftermath of the storm's disruptions.

City services took a hit as well. St. Paul officials canceled garbage collection for Monday. The city offered free overnight parking at the Block 19 Ramp for residents, with vehicles required to clear the ramp by 5 p.m. Monday.

Looking Ahead to Improved Conditions

Once the storm cleared out, things started getting better. By Monday, roads were passable again, especially down south. Temperatures in the Twin Cities were expected to reach the mid-teens.

Don't get comfortable though—another system's coming. Another, smaller storm system is forecast to arrive late Tuesday. This system is expected to bring only an inch or two of additional snow accumulation.

For now, residents are focused on dealing with the snow and following parking rules.