Wisconsin, 2006

Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 22 to 23, 2006

December 22 to 23, 2006 · NWS GRB · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Rain quickly turned to snow as an upper low pressure system moved across Wisconsin. The snow caused roads to become slippery and hundreds of vehicle accidents were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
6

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 GRB wrote it up.

Rain quickly turned to snow as an upper low pressure system moved across Wisconsin. The snow caused roads to become slippery and hundreds of vehicle accidents were reported. Heavy, wet snow stuck to power lines and tree branches causing them to snap under its weight. The downed tree limbs and power lines knocked out electricity to more than 30,000 customers, mainly in the Wausau (Marathon Co.), Stevens Point (Portage Co.), Merrill (Lincoln Co.) and Rhinelander (Oneida Co.) areas. About 11,000 customers were still without electricity on the morning of the 24th.|The highest snowfall totals included 8 inches 8 miles east of Stevens Point (Portage Co.), 7.5 inches 4 miles northeast of Rhinelander, 7.4 inches at Land O Lakes (Vilas Co.) and Elcho (Langlade Co.) and 7.0 inches at Wausau and Presque Isle (Vilas Co.).

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Vilas

When
December 22, 5:00 PM CST to December 23, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Vilas forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
46.053, -89.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Oneida

When
December 22, 5:00 PM CST to December 23, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Oneida forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
45.706, -89.522 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When
December 22, 5:00 PM CST to December 23, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
45.338, -89.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Langlade

When
December 22, 5:00 PM CST to December 23, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Langlade forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.262, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Marathon

When
December 22, 5:00 PM CST to December 23, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Marathon forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
44.898, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Portage

When
December 22, 5:00 PM CST to December 23, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Portage forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.476, -89.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, December 2006

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 7317, 7318, 7319, 7320, 7321, 7322.