Wisconsin, 1996

Ice Storm in Wisconsin, February 26 to 27, 1996

February 26 to 27, 1996 · NWS ARX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet spread across the area with reports of thunder and lightning as well. A coating of ice 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick accumulated creating dangerous driving conditions and knocking down scattered power lines.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet spread across the area with reports of thunder and lightning as well. A coating of ice 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick accumulated creating dangerous driving conditions and knocking down scattered power lines. This glaze event marked the 5th time during this winter that glaze had occurred.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Taylor

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Taylor forecast zone
Coordinates
45.212, -90.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Clark

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Clark forecast zone
Coordinates
44.735, -90.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Buffalo

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Buffalo forecast zone
Coordinates
44.380, -91.754 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Trempealeau

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Trempealeau forecast zone
Coordinates
44.304, -91.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Jackson

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates
44.319, -90.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, La Crosse

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
La Crosse forecast zone
Coordinates
43.907, -91.115 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Monroe

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Monroe forecast zone
Coordinates
43.946, -90.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Vernon

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Vernon forecast zone
Coordinates
43.594, -90.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Crawford

When
February 26, 3:00 PM CST to February 27, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Coordinates
43.240, -90.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5537767, 5537768, 5537769, 5537770, 5537771, 5537772, 5537962, 5537963, 5537964.