2012 Milwaukee Record Snowless Streak

Milwaukee

On Tuesday, December 18th, 2012, a low pressure system moving from western Iowa to far southern Lake Michigan brought measurable snowfall to General Mitchell International Airport. At 6 pm Tuesday night, the airport reported its first measurable snowfall since March 4, 2012, bringing the snowless streak to an end after 288 days. The old record was 279 days set in 1999.

Keep in mind that Milwaukee's Mitchell Field, where official weather observations are kept, experienced a trace of snow on the following days late in 2012: November 12th, 23rd, 24th, 25th and 28th, and Dec 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th. Trace amounts of snow are not considered for this record streak.

The latest date for the first measurable snow in a winter season in the climate record for Milwaukee is December 26, 1888, when 0.1 inches of snow fell. The latest first one inch or greater snowfall in a winter season was on January 20, 1889, when 3.5 inches of snow fell. Thus, both of these records occurred in the winter of 1888-1889. The average date of the first measurable snowfall in Milwaukee is November 14th and the average date of the first inch of snowfall in Milwaukee is December 2nd.

Rank # Days End Date

1    288   12/17/2012
  2    279   12/13/1999
3    278   12/ 5/1908
4    265   11/25/1919
5    263   12/ 2/1918
  6    257   12/ 1/1963
7    256   12/ 8/1948
8    254   12/ 8/1931
9    250   12/ 6/1922
10    245   12/18/2001

Madison

In 2012, Madison went 246 days between measurable snows, which is the 9th longest streak on record. The streak ended on November 6, 2012, when a snowfall of 0.1 inches was measured in Madison. The last previous measurable snowfall occurred on March 4, 2012, with a snowfall of 1.4 inches.

Rank # Days   End Date
1    295   11/28/1902
2    280   12/14/1999
3    258   11/27/1918
4    256   11/21/1901
5    255   12/ 8/1931
6    252   12/ 2/1899
7    250   12/22/2001
8    250   12/ 5/1922
9    246   11/ 6/2012
10    245   11/ 8/1946, 11/12/1895

Kapela/Kavinsky/Gehring/Wood/REM/MEB/SM
National Weather Service - Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI