Just as the snow and ice was finally cleared from last week's blizzard, Wadena was slammed again with more snow, freezing temperatures, and wind on Monday morning.
The National Weather Service reported 13 inches of snow fell over the course of two days in and around Wadena, on Dec. 26-28. Another 3-5 was reported in the area on Monday, Dec. 31.
With the exception of avid snowmobilers, most citizens in Wadena enjoyed the fact they didn't have to wade through snow to reach their mailbox or garbage can for much of December. The start to the winter season was rather mild with just a covering present for Christmas day. That Christmas snow was only a foreshadowing of the blizzard that would slam central Minnesota over the course of two days.
On Thursday morning, Dec. 27, people woke up to less then friendly road conditions. As the day went on things only got worse. Area businesses shut down, events were cancelled, and people were advised against travel as the storm ramped up.
The following day the area was fully covered in a blanket of snow. Temperatures had steadily dropped giving the snow a base of ice making it difficult to move and shovel. The cold and wind, gusting over 30 miles per hour only exacerbated the situation, bringing a swift end to post-Christmas cheer.
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With just under 20 inches of snow on the ground, winds started whipping Monday and temperatures were expected to drop to 40 below as the area entered into a hazardous weather situation.
But the outlook looks better as little snowfall was in the forecast and temperatures were expected to rebound back into the 30s for the weekend.
