Heat, Marquette
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Marquette forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat in Wisconsin, December 1 to 6, 1998
A historical heat wave, which started in late November, 1998, continued into the early morning hours of December 6th over southcentral and southeast Wisconsin. Numerous new daily record maximum temperatures were set, as well as some new daily record high minimums.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 20
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 MKX wrote it up.
A historical heat wave, which started in late November, 1998, continued into the early morning hours of December 6th over southcentral and southeast Wisconsin. Numerous new daily record maximum temperatures were set, as well as some new daily record high minimums. The length of the heat wave was an unbelievable 15 days, and involved daytime temperatures in the 50s and 60s, and overnight lows in the mid 30s to lower 50s. Normal highs are in the mid 30s and normal lows in the upper teens to mid 20s. The high of 64 in Milwaukee (Milwaukee Co.) on December 3rd became the warmest maximum reading ever recorded for the entire month of December. The high of 62 in Madison (Dane Co.) on December 5th tied the warmest maximum reading for the entire month of December. A high of 65 in Sheboygan (Sheboygan Co.) on December 3rd became the warmest maximum reading ever recorded for the entire month of December.The record warmth allowed some plants to become active again. Some farmers noted that winter wheat started to sprout. There were numerous reports of dandelion weeds blooming, lilac bushes budding, and tulip flowers popping their stems up. Here's a breakdown on the records:December 3...Milwaukee...new daily record maximum of 64, and new record maximum for December. Madison...new daily record maximum of 61, and lows of 43 tied daily record high minimum. Racine...new daily record maximum of 65. Sheboygan...new daily record maximum of 65, and new record maximum for December. Kenosha...new daily record maximum of 64.December 4...Milwaukee...new daily record high minimum of 46. Madison...new daily record high minimum of 47.December 5...Milwaukee...new daily record maximum of 61, and new daily record high minimum of 45. Madison...new daily record maximum of 62, and new daily record high minimum of 52 which was the warmest so late in the season.December 6...Milwaukee...new daily record maximum of 56. Madison...new daily record maximum of 56.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
20 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Heat, Green Lake
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Green Lake forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Fond du Lac
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Fond du Lac forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Sheboygan
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Sheboygan forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Sauk
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Sauk forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Columbia
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Columbia forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Dodge
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Dodge forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Washington
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Ozaukee
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Ozaukee forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Iowa
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Iowa forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.001, -90.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Dane
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Dane forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Jefferson
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Waukesha
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Waukesha forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Milwaukee
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Milwaukee forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Lafayette
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Lafayette forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Green
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Green forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Rock
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Rock forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Walworth
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Walworth forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Racine
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Racine forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Kenosha
- When
- December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 6, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Kenosha forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heat
- Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 1998
- Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 1998
- Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Snow in Washington, December 1 to 29, 1998
- Heavy Rain in California, December 1, 1998
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, December 1, 1998
- Drought in Virginia, December 1 to 31, 1998
- Heat in Kentucky, December 1 to 7, 1998
- Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 1998
- Heat in New Jersey, December 1 to 7, 1998
- Heat in Illinois, December 1 to 8, 1998
- Storm Surge in California, December 1 to 5, 1998
More
Every storm in Wisconsin in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, December 1998
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: 5674623, 5674624, 5674625, 5674626, 5674627, 5674628, 5674629, 5674630, 5674631, 5674632, 5674633, 5674634, 5674635, 5674636, 5674637, 5674638, 5674639, 5674640, 5674641, 5674642.