Living in the upper midwest we certainly know how to deal with snow, but the blizzard that we received over the weekend is one of those that will be remembered for some time to come. Here in Minneapolis the snow total from this blizzard ranged between 17″ and 21″ in the metro area. It will go down in the books as the 5th snowiest blizzard in Minneapolis’s recorded weather history and the snowiest blizzard since 1991. Lucky for most people is that it hit on a Saturday giving us a chance to dig out before the work week sets back in. Since I had no where to go, I decided to take a few pictures outside around the house.

The back of our house after 17 inches of snow fell on December 11, 2010

There is a retaining wall in front of our porch that is about 4 feet tall, but it’s difficult to find now. Just walking around in order to get to the back of our house was a bit of a challenge as the snow came above my knee in some spots. Here is a comparison between what it normally looks like in the summer and what it looks like now.

The view from our porch on a normal summer day.
The view after 17 inches of snow fell over the weekend

Here is another comparison looking down the way from the view from our porch:

Another view off our porch on a normal summer day
The view after the blizzard from this weekend

Our beagle, Rho, didn’t seem too bothered by the snow, although it was getting very cold.

Our beagle, Rho, taking a look around after the blizzard

Following the blizzard, a cold front set in with highs on Sunday right around 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind chills were nearing -20 degrees Fahrenheit. So although it was bright and sunny out, it was not a good time to be outside. The weight of the new snow and the high winds actually caused the roof of the Metrodome to collapse. The Minnesota Vikings were scheduled to play a game there today against the New York Giants, but the game had to be rescheduled for Monday night and it will be played in Detroit’s Ford Field. Here is the Star Tribune’s photo coverage of the Dome’s roof collapse:

Star Tribune Photo Gallery of Metrodome Roof Collapse

Starting Monday it will more or less be business as usual here in Minneapolis with the roads plowed and driveways shoveled out. All part of another midwestern winter.