Winter Storm in Wisconsin, April 7, 2000

Name: Winter Storm in Wisconsin, April 7, 2000
Start: 2000-04-07T09:00
End: 2000-04-07T23:59
Location: Wisconsin

April 7, 2000 · NWS MKX · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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: 11

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 late season winter storm struck southcentral and southeast Wisconsin with a prolonged period of moderate to occasionally heavy snow, northeast winds 20-25 mph (17-22 knots) gusting to 35-45 mph (30-41 knots), poor visibilities of 1/4 to 3/4 miles, and temperatures in the upper 20s to lower 30s. At the start of the winter storm the snow was melting just about as fast as it was falling, but by mid-afternoon the snow was accumulating which led to considerable blowing and drifting of snow. Snow drifts attained a height of 2 to 4 feet in exposed locations. Some light freezing drizzle was observed at times in between the convective-like snow bands that rotated northwestward across the area. During the late afternoon hours near-blizzard or near white-out conditions were occasionally observed which led to numerous vehicle accidents and indirectly-related injuries in some cases. There was at least 1 indirectly-related vehicle accident fatality (Rock County). The storm finally let up during the nighttime hours.Snow accumulations over southcentral Wisconsin varied from 3 to 5 inches, but western Dane county had accumulations of 5 to 8.5 inches. Accumulations over southeastern Wisconsin varied from 4 to 7 inches, but the West Allis area (Milwaukee County) picked up 9.4 inches and the West Bend area (Washington County) registered 9 inches. The city of Racine (Racine County) had the highest measured wind gust of 47 mph (41 knots). Synoptically, the responsible low pressure moved across southern Kansas through central Illinois to northern Indiana into lower Michigan. Moisture evaporating from ice-free Lake Michigan probably enhanced the snow accumulations across southeastern Wisconsin.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Fond du Lac

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Sheboygan

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Dodge

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Washington

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Ozaukee

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Jefferson

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Waukesha

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Milwaukee

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Walworth

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Racine

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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)

Winter Storm, Kenosha

When: April 7, 9:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM 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

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

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, April 2000

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: 5139714, 5139715, 5139716, 5139800, 5139801, 5139802, 5139803, 5139804, 5139805, 5139806, 5139807.