Wisconsin, 2001

Winter Storm in Wisconsin, November 26 to 27, 2001

November 26 to 27, 2001 · NWS MPX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong low pressure system developed in Colorado on the 25th, reached eastern Iowa during the evening of the 26th, then trekked into eastern Wisconsin late on the 27th. It produced a wide swath of heavy snow across much of central Minnesota (see corresponding entry) into West Central Wisconsin.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 MPX wrote it up.

A strong low pressure system developed in Colorado on the 25th, reached eastern Iowa during the evening of the 26th, then trekked into eastern Wisconsin late on the 27th. It produced a wide swath of heavy snow across much of central Minnesota (see corresponding entry) into West Central Wisconsin. Storm totals of 8 inches or more was common, but much heavier totals greater than 15 inches extended from Frederic in Polk County into northwest Wisconsin (see corresponding entry from NWS Duluth).At Frederic, 18 inches piled up. Other notable totals include 10.9 inches at Weyerhaeuser (Rusk County), and 10 inches at Rice Lake (Barron County) and St. Croix Falls (Polk County). Visibilities were frequently below 1/4 mile during the storm, but winds remained in the 15 to 25 mph range.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 26, 10:10 AM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 26, 10:10 AM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1010 AM CST MON NOV 26 2001

THE FORECAST CONCERN NEAR TERM...WINTER STORM.

MORNING MODELS INDICATE CURRENT SCENARIO LOOKS GOOD.  STILL SHOULD
SEE WARM AIR LIFT NORTHEAST OVER THE EASTERN CWA.  STILL EXPECT
MIXED PRECIPITATION TO MOVE INTO THIS REGION...AS FAR WEST AS THE
EASTERN METRO DURING THE EVENING.  WILL LIKELY SEE BURSTS OF SNOW
THIS AFTERNOON...WITH HEAVY SNOW BAND STILL LOOKING LIKE WHAT WAS
EXPRESSED YESTERDAY.   WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT CONDITIONS DETERIORATING
FURTHER THIS EVENING OVER THE WEST...WITH STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY
SNOW.  MAY HAVE TO EXTEND WARNING INTO TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY NORTH
AND WEST.  CURRENT SNOW TOTALS LOOK AS GOOD AS ANY SO WILL CONTINUE
THIS.

.MSP...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL TO CENTRAL MN THIS
       AFTERNOON  AND TONIGHT.
       WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL MN
       AND PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON AND
       TONIGHT.
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR REST OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND WEST
       CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
 DWE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Barron

When
November 26, 1:00 PM CST to November 27, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Barron forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.424, -91.848 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Polk

When
November 26, 1:00 PM CST to November 27, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.461, -92.441 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Rusk

When
November 26, 1:00 PM CST to November 27, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Rusk forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.475, -91.133 (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 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, November 2001

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: 5272477, 5272478, 5272479.