Wisconsin, 2000

Excessive Heat in Wisconsin, February 23 to 29, 2000

February 23 to 29, 2000 · NWS MKX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A prolonged period of well above normal temperatures affected southern Wisconsin at the end of February, 2000. Daily maximum temperatures were 15 to 30 degrees above normal while nighttime lows were 15 to 25 degrees above normal.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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 prolonged period of well above normal temperatures affected southern Wisconsin at the end of February, 2000. Daily maximum temperatures were 15 to 30 degrees above normal while nighttime lows were 15 to 25 degrees above normal. Several new recored daily maximum temperatures and high minimum records were set. Janesville (Rock Co.) registered 68 on February 23rd, breaking the old record of 58 set back in 1932. On the 25th, Madison (Dane Co.) set a new daily and all-time February record of 64 degrees, while Milwaukee (Milwaukee Co.) had a new record high minimum of 40. On the 26th, Milwaukee reached 64, breaking the old record of 62 set back in 1932. Madison came in with 61, breaking the old record of 59 set only in 1998. Fond du Lac (Fond du Lac Co.) came in with 65, breaking the old record of 56 set back in 1932. On the 26th, Milwaukee also had a new high minimum record of 47. On the 29th, Madison set a new maximum temperature record of 60, while Milwaukee did the same with 61. Many area lakes in southern Wisconsin lost their ice cover due to this prolonged warm spell.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Rock

When
February 23, 12:00 PM CST to February 29, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Dane

When
February 23, 12:00 PM CST to February 29, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Dane forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Fond du Lac

When
February 23, 12:00 PM CST to February 29, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Milwaukee

When
February 23, 12:00 PM CST to February 29, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Milwaukee forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, February 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: 5135028, 5135029, 5135030, 5135031.