Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 21 to 22, 2005

Name: Winter Storm in Wisconsin, January 21 to 22, 2005
Start: 2005-01-21T14:00
End: 2005-01-22T14:00
Location: Wisconsin

January 21 to 22, 2005 · NWS MPX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Low pressure moved from southern Minnesota into central Wisconsin between the afternoon of the 21st and midday on the 22nd. This system dropped 4 to 10 inches of snow across west central Wisconsin.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: 9

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.

Low pressure moved from southern Minnesota into central Wisconsin between the afternoon of the 21st and midday on the 22nd. This system dropped 4 to 10 inches of snow across west central Wisconsin. The highest amounts were found in a swath from Hudson to Eau Claire where 8 to as much as 11 inches of snow was recorded. The lowest amounts between 4 and 6 inches were reported near Rice Lake and Ladysmith. The snow began to taper off around mid morning on the 22nd but winds increased to 20 to 25 MPH with gusts to 35 MPH which caused areas of blowing and drifting snow into the afternoon.

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 Jan 21, 1:00 PM CST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 1:00 PM CST, 1 hour before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 21, 6:00 AM CST, 8 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
600 AM CST FRI JAN 21 2005

MNZ041-042-047>049-054>058-064>067-073>075-082-083-091-092-221200-
BLUE EARTH-BROWN-CHIPPEWA-DOUGLAS-FARIBAULT-KANDIYOHI-LAC QUI PARLE-
MARTIN-MCLEOD-MEEKER-NICOLLET-POPE-REDWOOD-RENVILLE-SIBLEY-STEARNS-
STEVENS-SWIFT-TODD-WATONWAN-YELLOW MEDICINE-
600 AM CST FRI JAN 21 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 AM CST SATURDAY...

A WINTER STORM OVER EASTERN MONTANA...WILL BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY
SNOWS OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA TODAY. TOTAL
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL VARY FROM 4 TO 7 INCHES WITH LESSER AMOUNTS
OVER THE FAR SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE
TO 25 TO 35 MPH BY THIS EVENING.  THE COMBINATION OF THESE STRONG
WINDS COUPLED WITH ANY NEWLY FALLEN SNOW WILL CREATE SEVERE BLOWING
AND DRIFTING...PRODUCING NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT IN OPEN AND
RURAL AREAS SATURDAY MORNING. WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO
IMPROVE THE REST OF THE DAY SATURDAY AS WINDS DIMINISH TO UNDER 20
MPH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

MNZ043-044-050>052-059>063-068>070-076>078-084-085-093-221200-
ANOKA-BENTON-CARVER-DAKOTA-FREEBORN-GOODHUE-HENNEPIN-ISANTI-LE SUEUR-
MILLE LACS-MORRISON-RAMSEY-RICE-SCOTT-SHERBURNE-STEELE-WASECA-
WASHINGTON-WRIGHT-
600 AM CST FRI JAN 21 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 600 AM CST
   SATURDAY...

A WINTER STORM OVER EASTERN MONTANA...WILL BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY
SNOWS OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA TODAY AND TONIGHT.
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL VARY FROM 6 TO 9 INCHES.  NORTHWEST
WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH BY TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF
THESE STRONG WINDS COUPLED WITH ANY NEWLY FALLEN SNOW WILL CREATE
SEVERE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT IN OPEN
AND RURAL AREAS SATURDAY MORNING. WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
TO IMPROVE THE REST OF THE DAY SATURDAY AS WINDS DIMINISH TO UNDER
20 MPH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.

MNZ045-053-WIZ014>016-023>028-221200-
BARRON-CHIPPEWA-CHISAGO-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-KANABEC-PEPIN-PIERCE-POLK-
RUSK-ST CROIX-
600 AM CST FRI JAN 21 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 600 AM CST
   SATURDAY...

A WINTER STORM OVER EASTERN MONTANA...WILL BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY
SNOWS OVER PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL VARY
FROM 6 TO 10 INCHES. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH
BY TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF THESE STRONG WINDS COUPLED WITH ANY
NEWLY FALLEN SNOW WILL CREATE DANGEROUS BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AND RURAL AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT IN OPEN AND
RURAL AREAS SATURDAY MORNING. WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO
IMPROVE THE REST OF THE DAY SATURDAY AS WINDS DIMINISH TO UNDER 20
MPH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Polk

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 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, Barron

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 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, Rusk

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Rusk forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.475, -91.133 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Chippewa

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Chippewa forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.069, -91.280 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eau Claire

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Eau Claire forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.727, -91.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dunn

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Dunn forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.947, -91.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pepin

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Pepin forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.483, -92.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pierce

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Pierce forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.720, -92.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, St. Croix

When: January 21, 2:00 PM CST to January 22, 2:00 PM CST
Where: St. Croix forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.034, -92.453 (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 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, January 2005

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5438397, 5438398, 5438399, 5438400, 5438401, 5438402, 5438403, 5438404, 5438405.