Wisconsin, 2006

Cold in Wisconsin, February 18 to 19, 2006

February 18 to 19, 2006 · NWS MKX · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

This period of low wind chill valuels was the second of two rounds of low wind chill values on the heels of a widespread, winter storm which dumped 6 to 14 inches of snow across most of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on February 15-16, 2006. Wind chills dropped to -20 to -30 during the overnight hours, thanks to temperatures that dropped into the single digits below zero and west to…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 20 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
20

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.

This period of low wind chill valuels was the second of two rounds of low wind chill values on the heels of a widespread, winter storm which dumped 6 to 14 inches of snow across most of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on February 15-16, 2006. Wind chills dropped to -20 to -30 during the overnight hours, thanks to temperatures that dropped into the single digits below zero and west to northwest winds of 10 to 15 knots (11 to 17 mph). Maximum daytime temperatures on the 18th ranged from -1F at both Jackson and the NWS Forecast Office near Sullivan (Jefferson Co.) to 10 above at Portage (Columbia Co.), which proved to be the coldest day of the 2005-06 winter season. Overnight lows into the early morning hours of the 19th ranged from -22 F at Argyle (Lafayette Co.) to -9 at Milwaukee's Mitchell Field (Milwaukee Co.). A number of evening activities were cancelled due to the low wind chill values.

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 Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 18, 2:00 PM CST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 18, 2:00 PM CST, 4 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
200 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2006

.DISCUSSION...FCST FOCUS ON COLD MAX/MIN TEMPS AND WIND CHILLS
TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.

CORE OF COLDEST 850MB TEMPS MOVING OFF.  HOWEVER WITH THE COLD TEMPS
LATE THIS AFTERNOON EXPECT LOWS TO DROP BELOW GFS MOS. THEN QUESTION
IS HOW MUCH WINDS WILL DECOUPLE.  NAM SOUNDINGS SHOW MUCH WIND THAN
MOS VALUES.  IF WINDS DECOUPLE TEMPS WILL FALL MORE...BUT IF WINDS
STAY UP WIND CHILLS WILL GO TO NEAR 25 BELOW.  WITH WIND CHILSS
EXPECTED IN THE 20 TO 25 BELOW RANGE EITHER WAY...DECIDED ON A WIND
CHAILL ADVISORY...EVEN THOUGH SOME AREAS MAY DECOUPLE AT TIMES.
OTHER AREAS...NEAR THE LAKE AND IN HIGHER TERRAIN WILL HAVE THE
HIGHER WIND SPEEDS.

WILL SLOW MODERATION OF TEMPS A BIT FROM MOS VALUES SINCE UPSTREAM
MAX TEMPS STILL VERY COLD...AND DUE TO SNOWCOVER.

MODELS HAVING TIMING PROBLEMS ON SEVERAL WEAK SHORT WAVES...BUT IN
GERNERAL SHORTWAVES MAINLY IN NORTHERN STREAM...OR IN THE CASE OF
MID WEEK TO THE SOUTH.  WITH LIMITED MOISTURE WILL KEEP FORECAST
DRY.

&&

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 6PM THIS
EVENING UNTIL 9 AM CST SUNDAY FOR
WIZ046-WIZ047-WIZ051-WIZ052-WIZ056-WIZ057-WIZ058-WIZ059-WIZ060-
WIZ062-WIZ063-WIZ064-WIZ065-WIZ066-WIZ067-WIZ068-WIZ069-WIZ070-
WIZ071-WIZ072.

&&

HENTZ
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 18, 4:35 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
435 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2006

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-191100-
COLUMBIA-DANE-DODGE-FOND DU LAC-GREEN-GREEN LAKE-IOWA-JEFFERSON-
KENOSHA-LAFAYETTE-MARQUETTE-MILWAUKEE-OZAUKEE-RACINE-ROCK-SAUK-
SHEBOYGAN-WALWORTH-WASHINGTON-WAUKESHA-
435 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

ANOTHER NIGHT OF VERY COLD WIND CHILLS IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AS
OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO PLUMMET TO BETWEEN 5 AND 12
DEGREES BELOW ZERO.  WITH WINDS REMAINING OUT OF THE WEST AT 7 TO 15
MPH...WIND CHILLS WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 15 AND 30 DEGREES BELOW
ZERO.  HENCE A WIND CHILL ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THE ENTIRE
AREA THROUGH TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

WIND CHILLS OF 15 TO 25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MID
MORNING SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT.

LMZ643>646-665-191100-
NORTH POINT LIGHTHOUSE TO WIND POINT-
PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHTHOUSE-
SHEBOYGAN WI TO PORT WASHINGTON-
WIND POINT TO WINTHROP HARBOR ILLINOIS-
435 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR GUSTY WINDS SUNDAY THROUGH
MONDAY.

MBK

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Marquette

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Green Lake

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Green Lake forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Fond du Lac

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Sheboygan

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Sauk

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Sauk forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Columbia

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Dodge

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Dodge forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Washington

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Ozaukee

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Iowa

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Iowa forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.001, -90.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Dane

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM 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)

Cold/Wind Chill, Jefferson

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Waukesha

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Milwaukee

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM 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)

Cold/Wind Chill, Lafayette

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Green

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Green forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Rock

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Walworth

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Walworth forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Racine

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Racine forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Kenosha

When
February 18, 6:00 PM CST to February 19, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Kenosha forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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, February 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5492701, 5492702, 5492703, 5492704, 5492705, 5492706, 5492707, 5492708, 5493029, 5493030, 5493031, 5493032, 5493033, 5493034, 5493035, 5493036, 5493037, 5493038, 5493039, 5493040.