National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

 

Winter Storm Brings Impressive Snow Totals

Impressive snow totals really stacked up over southeast Wisconsin! The snow came from an area of low pressure passing to our south, along with some Lake Effect Snow. While we don't often see heavy Lake Effect Snow in southern Wisconsin, this is common in other areas (think Buffalo, NY) during the winter. Snow totals averaged 10 to 15 inches near the Lake, with a few places in Racine county picking up over 20 inches! Amounts tapered off to around 3-4 inches from around Madison west.

Milwaukee broke its daily maximum snowfall record on 3/13 with 8.7 inches. The previous record was 6.7 inches set in 1972. The storm total snow in Milwaukee (for all three days), was an impressive 11.2 inches. Places which didn't see the Lake Effect Snow, such as Madison, had much lower totals. In fact, the snow total in Madison was only 4.2 inches (a full 7 inches less than in Milwaukee--this really shows you what Lake Effect snow can do!).

Here's a graphic showing the snow totals across southern Wisconsin: 

 

Radar Loops

These radar loops span the time from 7 pm Sunday until 3 pm Tuesday (click to enlarge). Light snow overspread southern Wisconsin Sunday evening and tapered off Monday morning. Winds were out of the east. Extra moisture off of the lake enhanced the snowfall totals in many lakeshore areas. Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha had all reported 6 to 8 inches of snow by 7 am Monday. Inland areas had 3 to 5 inches by 7 am.

You can see that a few lake-enhanced snow bands started converging just north of Milwaukee Monday afternoon. This caused snow to pile up quickly in a small area. Mequon and Newberg picked up 10 to 15 inches by late Monday afternoon.

The lake effect snow band took on more of a north-south orientation Monday night. This band brushed southeast Wisconsin late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Additional "waves" of snow in the lake effect band kept affecting the Wind Point area of Racine County. Snowfall totals ended up in the 15 to 23 inch range there!

7 pm Sunday - 7 am Monday 7 am - 7 pm Monday
7 pm Monday - 7 am Tuesday 7 am - 3 pm Tuesday

 

Here's a loop of the entire event:

Snow Reports

Here's a list of snowfall reports from southern Wisconsin from 3/12 through 3/14:

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
339 PM CDT Tue Mar 14 2017

...Storm Total Snowfall Reports - 11/12 through 11/14 2017...

Location                     Amount    Time/Date       Lat/Lon              

...Wisconsin...

...Columbia County...
Lodi                         5.0 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.32N/89.53W        
5 WSW Portage                4.5 in    0600 AM 03/14   43.51N/89.57W        
Univ Farm                    4.0 in    0800 AM 03/14   43.30N/89.35W        

...Dane County...
Middleton                    5.0 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.09N/89.51W        
1 W Shorewood Hills          4.7 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.08N/89.47W        
Dane County Airport          4.2 in    0703 PM 03/13   43.14N/89.33W        
Madison                      4.0 in    0655 AM 03/14   43.06N/89.48W        
Waunakee 5 W                 3.8 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.20N/89.55W        
Mt Horeb                     3.5 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.98N/89.74W        

...Dodge County...
Horicon-WWTP                 5.6 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.45N/88.63W        
Town Of Westford             4.9 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.47N/88.88W        
3 WNW Beaver Dam             4.6 in    1107 PM 03/13   43.48N/88.89W        

...Fond du Lac County...
Fond Du Lac                  3.0 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.77N/88.47W        

...Green County...
New Glarus                   4.5 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.84N/89.62W        
2 SE Monticello              3.7 in    0730 AM 03/14   42.72N/89.56W        
Brodhead                     2.9 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.62N/89.39W        

...Green Lake County...
Markesan                     2.7 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.70N/89.00W        

...Iowa County...
5 SE Dodgeville              3.1 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.91N/90.06W        

...Jefferson County...
4 SSE Sullivan               8.1 in    0255 PM 03/14   42.97N/88.55W        
1 SW Palmyra                 7.0 in    1000 PM 03/13   42.87N/88.60W               
Whitewater                   4.3 in    0748 AM 03/14   42.86N/88.73W        
Jefferson-WWTP               3.0 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.99N/88.80W              

...Kenosha County...
1 WSW Kenosha                11.5 in   0300 PM 03/14   42.58N/87.83W 
4 S Sturtevant               11.3 in   0300 PM 03/14   42.64N/87.89W  
2 WSW Kenosha                10.0 in   0700 AM 03/14   42.56N/87.86W  
Pleasant Prairie             8.6 in    1230 AM 03/14   42.55N/87.93W               
Paddock Lake                 6.0 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.57N/88.10W        
Twin Lakes                   5.3 in    0800 AM 03/14   42.54N/88.24W              

...Lafayette County...
5 NNW South Wayne            5.0 in    0501 PM 03/13   42.63N/89.93W        
4 NNW South Wayne            3.3 in    0730 AM 03/14   42.63N/89.90W        

...Marquette County...
Montello                     4.5 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.78N/89.30W        

...Milwaukee County...
West Allis                   12.5 in   0600 PM 03/13   43.01N/88.03W        
2 NE Butler                  11.8 in   0731 PM 03/13   43.13N/88.04W        
1 SW Milwaukee               11.5 in   0531 PM 03/13   43.03N/87.92W        
West Allis                   11.5 in   0503 PM 03/13   43.01N/88.03W        
Sw-whitnal Park              11.4 in   0730 AM 03/14   42.92N/88.03W        
West Allis                   11.4 in   0800 AM 03/14   43.00N/88.02W        
MKE Airport                  11.2 in   0252 PM 03/14   42.95N/87.91W        
Wauwatosa                    11.0 in   0855 PM 03/13   43.06N/88.03W        
1 ENE Greendale              10.5 in   0605 PM 03/13   42.94N/87.98W        
Shorewood                    10.5 in   0545 PM 03/13   43.09N/87.89W        
1 W Wauwatosa                10.5 in   0502 PM 03/13   43.06N/88.05W        
2 SSE South Milwaukee        10.5 in   1256 PM 03/14   42.88N/87.85W        
2 WSW Cudahy                 10.4 in   0703 PM 03/13   42.94N/87.90W 
1 NE Franklin                9.5 in    0551 PM 03/13   42.90N/87.99W        
Oak Creek                    9.0 in    0924 PM 03/13   42.88N/87.90W        
1 ENE Greendale              8.9 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.94N/87.98W        
Mt. Mary College             7.8 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.07N/88.03W        
South Milwaukee-WWTP         7.7 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.90N/87.85W                      

...Ozaukee County...
Newburg                      15.7 in   0700 AM 03/14   43.43N/88.04W        
Mequon                       12.0 in   0601 PM 03/13   43.23N/87.98W        
Saukville-WWTP               10.4 in   0600 AM 03/14   43.37N/87.94W        
Belgium-WWTP                 10.0 in   0700 AM 03/14   43.51N/87.85W
Port Washington-CoCoRaHS     9.3 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.39N/87.88W        


...Racine County...
1 ENE Elmwood Park           21.5 in   1252 PM 03/14   42.70N/87.81W        
North Bay                    17.5 in   0200 PM 03/14   42.77N/87.78W        
3 NW Wind Point              14.7 in   1204 PM 03/14   42.81N/87.81W        
Wind Point                   14.0 in   1011 AM 03/14   42.78N/87.77W        
2 W North Bay                14.0 in   1006 AM 03/14   42.76N/87.83W        
1 NW Elmwood Park            11.6 in   0700 AM 03/14   42.71N/87.85W        
3 W North Bay                10.2 in   0846 AM 03/14   42.76N/87.83W        
2 N Elmwood Park             10.0 in   1150 PM 03/13   42.72N/87.82W        
4 N Sturtevant               10.0 in   1017 AM 03/14   42.76N/87.91W         
Union Grove                  7.5 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.70N/88.03W              
Rochester-WWTP               5.0 in    0600 AM 03/14   42.73N/88.23W             

...Rock County...
2 NNW Clinton                4.0 in    0830 AM 03/14   42.60N/88.88W        
Afton-Rock River             3.0 in    0711 AM 03/14   42.62N/89.07W        

...Sauk County...
2 WSW Rock Springs           4.4 in    0630 AM 03/14   43.46N/89.97W        

...Sheboygan County...
Hingham                      8.4 in    0800 AM 03/14   43.64N/87.91W        
Sheboygan-WWTP               6.0 in    0800 AM 03/14   43.72N/87.71W        
Random Lake                  6.0 in    1240 PM 03/14   43.55N/87.96W        
Random Lake-CoCoRaHS         5.9 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.55N/87.95W               
3 NNE Kohler                 4.9 in    0630 AM 03/14   43.78N/87.77W        

...Walworth County...
Pell Lake                    4.9 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.53N/88.33W        
Lake Geneva                  4.8 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.59N/88.42W        
Genoa City                   3.0 in    0404 PM 03/13   42.50N/88.32W        

...Washington County...
Newburg                      15.6 in   0330 PM 03/13   43.43N/88.05W        
1 E Jackson                  14.3 in   0537 PM 03/13   43.32N/88.14W        
Germantown                   13.7 in   0700 AM 03/14   43.22N/88.12W        
Jackson-COOP                 13.5 in   0600 AM 03/14   43.32N/88.17W        
3 W Jackson                  13.5 in   0600 AM 03/14   43.32N/88.22W                            
Germantown                   13.2 in   0600 AM 03/14   43.23N/88.10W        
1 ESE Germantown             13.0 in   0530 PM 03/13   43.23N/88.10W        
2 SE West Bend               11.0 in   0814 PM 03/13   43.40N/88.16W        
West Bend                    10.0 in   0503 PM 03/13   43.42N/88.18W  
1 ESE Hartford               7.5 in    0459 PM 03/13   43.32N/88.37W        
1 W Kewaskum                 3.6 in    0700 AM 03/14   43.53N/88.27W        

...Waukesha County...
Sussex                       12.0 in   1108 PM 03/13   43.14N/88.22W        
3 NW Brookfield              12.0 in   1006 PM 03/13   43.09N/88.16W        
1 WNW New Berlin             11.8 in   0700 AM 03/14   42.98N/88.16W        
Menomonee Falls              11.5 in   0512 PM 03/13   43.15N/88.13W        
Lannon                       11.0 in   0532 PM 03/13   43.15N/88.16W   
Big Bend                     9.7 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.88N/88.21W        
Sussex                       9.5 in    0630 PM 03/13   43.14N/88.22W        
Waukesha                     8.0 in    0611 AM 03/14   43.01N/88.24W              
3 NNE Menomonee Falls        8.0 in    0608 PM 03/13   43.19N/88.10W        
3 SE Pewaukee                6.5 in    0650 PM 03/13   43.06N/88.20W        
2 NNW Wind Lake              6.3 in    1029 PM 03/13   42.85N/88.18W        
3 SE Pewaukee                6.0 in    0837 PM 03/13   43.06N/88.21W        
3 ESE Pewaukee               6.0 in    0832 PM 03/13   43.07N/88.20W        
2 SE Eagle                   5.8 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.85N/88.44W        
1 NNE Okauchee Lake          5.7 in    0900 AM 03/14   43.15N/88.43W        
2 SSE North Prairie          5.7 in    0751 AM 03/14   42.91N/88.39W        
Waukesha 2.1 SSW             5.6 in    0700 AM 03/14   42.98N/88.25W        
1 SSW Lac La Belle           4.5 in    0412 PM 03/13   43.13N/88.53W        
Oconomowoc South             4.0 in    0829 AM 03/14   43.11N/88.50W        
1 WNW Oconomowoc             3.7 in    0558 PM 03/13   43.11N/88.52W             

Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying
equipment and exposures. Not all data listed are considered official.

 

 
      

 

 

 

 


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