Excessive Heat, Dane
- When
- March 4, 12:00 PM CST to March 8, 5:00 PM 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)
Excessive Heat in Wisconsin, March 4 to 8, 2000
A long period of near-record or record warmth affected all of southern Wisconsin during the early part of March, 2000. A persistant upper-level pattern that favored a jet stream position to the northwest or north of Wisconsin allowed warm air to be pushed into Wisconsin.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- 2
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 long period of near-record or record warmth affected all of southern Wisconsin during the early part of March, 2000. A persistant upper-level pattern that favored a jet stream position to the northwest or north of Wisconsin allowed warm air to be pushed into Wisconsin. Madison (Dane Co.) set a new record highs of 68 on the 5th, 69 on the 6th, 77 on the 7th, and 73 on the 8th. Madison also set new record high minimums of 50 on the 7th and 8th. Milwaukee (Milwaukee Co.) set new record highs of 59 on the 4th, 77 on the 7th, and 77 on the 8th. The 77 degrees highs on the 7th were are now the highest readings so early in the year for both Madison and Milwaukee. Newspaper articles indicated silver maples and pussy willows started to bud, and many migratory birds returned several weeks early. Many golf courses opened up while ski resorts closed. Normal highs and for early March across southern Wisconsin are in the mid to upper 30s while minimums are in the lower to middle 20s.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Excessive Heat, Milwaukee
- When
- March 4, 12:00 PM CST to March 8, 5:00 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)
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
- Flash Flood and Winter Storm in California, March 4 to 6, 2000
- Dense Fog in Kentucky, March 4, 2000
- High Wind in Alaska, March 4 to 5, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Washington, March 4 to 5, 2000
- High Wind in Alaska, March 4 to 6, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, March 4 to 6, 2000
- Hail in South Carolina, March 4, 2000
- Funnel Cloud in California, March 4, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, March 4 to 5, 2000
More
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, March 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: 5136407, 5136408.