Wisconsin, 1998

Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 8 to 9, 1998

January 8 to 9, 1998 · NWS MKX · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A major winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to 40 mph to the eastern 1/3 of Wisconsin. The responsible low pressure moved north along the east shore of Lake Michigan.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 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
12

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 major winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to 40 mph to the eastern 1/3 of Wisconsin. The responsible low pressure moved north along the east shore of Lake Michigan. Snow accumulations of 8 to almost 14 inches were the greatest amounts to date for any single storm during the 1997-98 winter season. In spite of the high moisture content of the snow, gusty northeast winds caused considerable blowing and drifting snow which hampered plowing activities. The snowfall was occasionally moderate to heavy with accumulations of 1 to 2 inches per hour while visibilities were occasionally below 1/4 mile. Predictably, hundreds of motor vehicle accidents were reported due to icy or snow covered roads. A major multi-vehicle accident on I-43 in Ozaukee County closed the Interstate for about 10 hours. Many airline flights were delayed at Milwaukee's Mitchell Field. Many trees were damaged by the heavy snow, and several power lines were downed. About 4000 customers were without electrical power in Sheboygan, Ozaukee, and Milwaukee counties. Meanwhile, many schools closed in the early afternoon hours, while several shopping malls shut their doors by mid-afternoon. The 24 hours snowfall total of 12.4 inches in Milwaukee was the greatest 24 hour accumulation in the past 10 years. It was also the 14th greatest 24-hour snowfall on record for Milwaukee.Specific snow totals were: 13.7 inches in Cedarburg (Ozaukee Co.), 12.4 inches in Milwaukee (Milwaukee Co.), 11.5 inches at the NWS Forecast Office southeast of Sullivan (Jefferson Co.), 10.8 inches in West Bend (Washington Co.), 10.5 inches in Sheboygan (Sheboygan Co.), 10.0 inches in Waukesha (Waukesha Co.), 9.5 inches in Burlington (Racine Co.), 9.0 inches in Lake Geneva (Walworth Co.), 8.4 inches in Janesville (Rock Co.), 8.0 inches in the northwest corner of Kenosha County, and 8.0 inches in the southeast corner of Fond du Lac county.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Fond du Lac

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Fond du Lac forecast zone
Coordinates
43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sheboygan

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Sheboygan forecast zone
Coordinates
43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dodge

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Dodge forecast zone
Coordinates
43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Washington

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Coordinates
43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ozaukee

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Ozaukee forecast zone
Coordinates
43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jefferson

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates
43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Waukesha

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Waukesha forecast zone
Coordinates
43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Milwaukee

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Milwaukee forecast zone
Coordinates
43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Rock

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Coordinates
42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Walworth

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Walworth forecast zone
Coordinates
42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Racine

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Racine forecast zone
Coordinates
42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Kenosha

When
January 8, 1:30 PM CST to January 9, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Kenosha forecast zone
Coordinates
42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, January 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5627586, 5627587, 5627588, 5627589, 5627590, 5627591, 5627592, 5627593, 5627594, 5627595, 5627596, 5627597.