Wisconsin, 1996

Cold in Wisconsin, February 1 to 4, 1996

February 1 to 4, 1996 · NWS ARX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A frigid airmass that settled into the region in late January continued to bring sub-zero temperatures into early February. Numerous records were broken including lows of -34, -36, and -31 in La Crosse.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ARX wrote it up.

A frigid airmass that settled into the region in late January continued to bring sub-zero temperatures into early February. Numerous records were broken including lows of -34, -36, and -31 in La Crosse. In fact, the temperature at La Crosse remained below zero for 144 hours (from Jan.29 through Feb.4). Other extremes included -52 in Cataract, -43 at both Arcadia and Fountain City, and -44 at Gays Mills.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Taylor

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Taylor forecast zone
Coordinates
45.212, -90.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Clark

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Clark forecast zone
Coordinates
44.735, -90.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Buffalo

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Buffalo forecast zone
Coordinates
44.380, -91.754 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Trempealeau

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Trempealeau forecast zone
Coordinates
44.304, -91.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Jackson

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates
44.319, -90.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, La Crosse

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
La Crosse forecast zone
Coordinates
43.907, -91.115 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Monroe

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Monroe forecast zone
Coordinates
43.946, -90.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Vernon

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Vernon forecast zone
Coordinates
43.594, -90.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Crawford

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to February 4, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Coordinates
43.240, -90.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, February 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5537758, 5537759, 5537760, 5537761, 5537762, 5537763, 5537764, 5537765, 5537766.