Was it a snowstorm, a thunderstorm or an ice storm?

It snowed Thursday in Albert Lea, and there was lightning and thunder, too. And the snow wasn’t all that snowy, either. Albert Lea experienced a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet. The forecast called for 6 to 10 inches of accumulation, but that’s not what happened.

Albert Lea received 1 to 2 inches of icy white stuff that people can walk on top of without sinking. To the north, however, is where the real snow accumulation happened.

Bloomington had 7.2 inches of snow. Lakeville reported 6.8. Prior Lake and Minneapolis had 5 inches. St. Cloud had 4.1. Minnetonka had 4 inches. Andover had 3.5.

The winter storm that moved through Minnesota gave much of the state a fresh blanket of snow and caused at least one death.

The National Weather Service reports today that between 5 inches and 8 inches of snow fell Thursday throughout most of central Minnesota, with a few spots over 9 inches.

Those include some small towns in west-central Minnesota, including 11 inches in Carlos and nearly 10 inches in Donnelly.

There has been at least one death attributed to the storm; a man was struck by a snowplow in downtown Minneapolis.

Bitter cold is following the storm, with temperatures at or below zero forecast for much of the state, with subzero windchills.

Due to winter weather the following schools dismissed classes Thursday: Alden-Conger and Glenville-Emmons at 11:30 a.m., Albert Lea at 11:35 a.m., 11:47 a.m., 11:50 a.m. and 12:05 p.m., depending on the building, St. Theodore Catholic School at noon, Hollandale Christian School at 11 a.m., New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva at 12:15 p.m., Northwood-Kensett at 10:30 a.m., Owatonna and Blooming Prairie dismissed two hours early, Austin at noon, 12:40 p.m., 1:30 p.m., depending on the building, United South Central 11:15.

Lake Mills canceled before the school day began. United Preschool canceled for the afternoon.

By 3 p.m., the time when most schools finish each day, the weather in Albert Lea wasn’t as bad as predicted. The worst of it skirted the area.

“We were a little surprised the weather got better so quickly,” said Albert Lea Superintendent Dave Prescott. “To the north, it still was coming down pretty good.”

He said district officials check with the bus company, monitor three or four radar systems, watch weather forecasts and talk to schools to the west and north (because that’s where most of the local weather comes from) before making decisions to dismiss.

Prescott said when bad weather strikes the district tries to get the students fed before sending them home because of the importance of nutrition. He said the district usually dismisses close to 1 p.m. when inclement weather strikes during the school day, but on Thursday the district dismissed closer to 11:30 and noon. but still was able to feed the students.

Everyone made it home OK, Prescott said.

There have been four full-day cancellations so far in the school year for Albert Lea. He said if there is another, the school board might take up the discussion of making up a day. The Albert Lea secondary schools normally have 175 days in the academic year and the elementary schools have 173.

Here is the National Weather Service forecast for tonight: “A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 6. Wind chill values between 4 below and 1 above. North northeast wind between 6 and 14 mph.”

And for Saturday: “Partly sunny, with a high near 18. Wind chill values between 6 below and 4 above. North northwest wind between 6 and 13 mph.”

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.