If you were stuck driving in it or sliding your way down a sidewalk, the ice, slush and snow of Monday morning might be an unwelcome sight. But for climate purposes, this was much-needed.
"This is a really helpful rain and snow and slush event for our region," says Kenny Blumenfeld with the Minnesota State Climatology Office
Blumenfeld tells WCCO Radio's Vineeta Sawkar that the Twin Cities, along with eastern and southern Minnesota, are benefiting the most from this wintery blast.
"It is, essentially, erasing the deficits in precipitation that we had built up during the winter time," says Blumenfeld.
He adds that the last three days are not a cure all for the extended dry spell that the state's been through the past several years.
"Going back to 2020, the Twins Cities are still short by double digit inches of precipitation," Blumenfeld says.
Blumenfeld says the key for keeping Minnesota drought-free going forward will be weekly rain through the spring.
The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows most of the state still in either Moderate or Severe Drought.