Blizzard and Winter Storm in Wisconsin, February 24 to 25, 2007

Name: Blizzard and Winter Storm in Wisconsin, February 24 to 25, 2007
Start: 2007-02-24T01:00
End: 2007-02-25T19:00
Location: Wisconsin

February 24 to 25, 2007 · NWS DLH · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: 5

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 DLH wrote it up.

A powerful storm system moved through the upper midwest in late February, and brought heavy snow to portions of northwest Wisconsin. The snow began falling during the evening of the 24th, with some ice and sleet mixed in at the beginning. The heaviest snow fell during the morning of the 25th. Blizzard conditions were felt during the early morning hours of the 25th, as winds gusted to over 40 mph along the south shore of Lake Superior from the Bayfield Peninsula to Superior. On the back side of the low, winds turned northerly, with lake effect snow continuing across the south shore of Lake Superior. The snow finally ended during the evening of the 25th. Snow totals ranged from 6 to 10 inches, with the heaviest occuring over the Bayfield Peninsula, over towards Superior, as well as the upper St. Croix River Valley.

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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 23, 10:02 PM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 23, 10:02 PM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1002 PM CST FRI FEB 23 2007

.UPDATE...
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IS BEING ISSUED FOR THE TWIN PORTS AREA TONIGHT.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A CLEAR SLOT AT MID AND HIGH LEVELS OVER THE TWIN PORTS AREA HAS
LEFT A LAYER OF LOW CLOUDS CONTAINING SUPERCOOLED DROPLETS.
NORMALLY...SUCH CLOUDS ARE SEEDED BY SNOW AND ICE CRYSTALS FROM
HIGHER CLOUDS. UNDER THIS DRY SLOT...SUPERCOOLED DROPLETS ARE
COALESCING AND FALLING OUT AS SUPERCOOLED DRIZZLE AND RAIN. THIS
LIQUID PRECIPITATION IS FREEZING ON CONTACT. THERE HAVE BEEN
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF EXTREMELY SLICK ROADS...ESPECIALLY ROUTES 2
AND 53 AND INTERSTATE 35. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
RAPID ICE FORMATION ON WINDSHIELDS. FURTHERMORE...SIGNIFICANG
FREEZING RAIN IS FALLING IN THE FORECAST OFFICE PARKING
LOT...COATING VEHICLES WITH LAYERS OF CLEAR ICE. WE EXPECT HIGH
CLOUDS TO AGAIN SEED THE SUPERCOOLED LAYERS...PRODUCING SNOW
BEGINNING EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 819 PM CST FRI FEB 23 2007/

UPDATE...
WINTER STORM WATCH AREAS ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER ARE EFFECTIVE
NOW...RATHER THAN LATE TONIGHT. ALSO...TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO
FALL WITH COLD ADVECTION ACROSS THE EASTERN ARROWHEAD.

DISCUSSION...
THIS IS A HUGE AND COMPLEX WINTER STORM SYSTEM...AFFECTING MOST OF
THE CENTRAL PART OF THE NATION. SURGES OF HEAVY SNOW WILL MOVE
NORTH FROM TIME TO TIME ACROSS THE AREA THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND.
WARNING AREAS ARE WHERE HEAVY SNOW FROM ONE OR MORE OF THE SURGES
IS VIRTUALLY CERTAIN. WATCH AREAS...TO THE NORTH...ARE AREAS WHERE
THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SURGES TO PRODUCE HEAVY SNOW. SURGES OF
SNOW WILL BE SEPARATED BY PERIODS OF SEVERAL HOURS WHERE LITTLE OR
NO SNOW. THE WINTER STORM COMPLEX IS STILL CENTERED IN COLORADO.
THE STORM WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EAST...REACHING THE CHICAGO AREA
SUNDAY EVENING.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 256 PM CST FRI FEB 23 2007/

DISCUSSION...

SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THRU SUNDAY NIGHT...
THE OBVIOUS FCST ISSUE IS THE SFC LOW GATHERING STRENGTH OVR THE
FRONT RANGE OF THE ROCKIES WHICH IS NOW PROGGED RATHER
CONSISTENTLY BY THE MODELS TO DIP DOWN OVR KS THEN TAKE A BEAD ON
NRN IL. PRELIMINARY BAND OF SN MOVING ACRS NRN CWA ASSOC WITH WK
500 MB S/WV. THIS WILL END LATE THIS AFTN...THEN THE MAIN EVENT
WILL START TO TAKE SHAPE LATER THIS EVE. HAVE NOT CHANGED FCST
MUCH EXCEPT TO DELAY WATCH IN FAR N UNTIL EARLY SAT MRNG. DRY AIR
WILL TAKE A BIT LONGER TO MOISTEN UP AND SIG LIFT WILL NOT ARRIVE
UNTIL ARND 12Z SAT. ALSO ADDED REST OF SRN TIER OF WI COUNTIES TO
THE WRNG. AS MSTR ADVECTION AND ISENT LIFT RAPIDLY INCRS THIS EVE
IN VERY STRONG LOLVL FLOW. AS THE STORM GETS CLOSER...EXPECT AT
LEAST ADVISORY CRITERIA SNOW OVR REST OF CWA SAT/SUN...WITH SOME
LAKE ENHANCEMENT ALG BOTH N AND S SHORES. MIDNIGHT SHIFT WILL BE
ABLE TO PIN THIS DOWN A LITTLE CLOSER.

EXTENDED...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
SLOW MOVING MID LVL LOW WILL KEEP WRN CWA IN CLOUDS/FLURRIES
MONDAY. LOW LVL CONVERGENCE IS SUPPLIED BY FAIRLY DEEP SHEAR
ZONE EXTENDING FROM SRN LAKES LOW NW TO WRN CWA...UNDERNEATH
CHANNELED SHORTWAVE. MEANWHILE VERY DRY AIR PUSHES ACROSS NE CWA
IN RESPONSE TO STRONG SFC HIGH OVER ONTARIO. WEATHER PATTERN
REMAINS QUIET TUES/WED WITH NEAR CLIMO TEMPS AS MID LVL RIDGE
DOMINATES THE REGION. NEXT SHORTWAVE/TROF PUSHES SYNOPTIC SCALE
ASCENT INTO AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY.GFS/ECMWF SIMILAR ON
TRACK OF SFC LOW ALTHOUGH GFS APPEARS TOO STRONG.HUGE SPREAD
AMONGST GFS ENSEMBLE MEMBERS ON STRENGTH/POSITION OF SFC LOW SO
CONFIDENCE NOT THAT HIGH IN THE OPS GFS OUTPUT. WILL ACCEPT IDEA
THAT SYSTEM MAY HEAD TOWARDS WRN CWA...ALLOWING PERHAPS ENOUGH
WARMING TO CREATE SOME POPTYP ISSUES OVER SRN CWA. SINCE ITS 5
DAYS OUT WILL LEAVE POPTYP AS SNOW AND MODIFY AS TRENDS BECOME
MORE APPARENT.

&&

POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DLH  12  25  15  24 /  70  70  80  70
INL  11  23  12  21 /  70  80  80  60
BRD  20  27  18  26 / 100 100 100  80
HYR  15  27  17  24 /  80  80 100  90
ASX  12  27  18  25 /  60  50  50  80

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

MN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR CROW WING-
     NORTHERN AITKIN-NORTHERN CASS-PINE-SOUTHERN AITKIN-SOUTHERN
     CASS.

     WINTER STORM WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR CENTRAL ST.
     LOUIS-KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ITASCA-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-
     SOUTHERN ITASCA.

     FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM CST SATURDAY FOR
     CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS.

     WINTER STORM WATCH FROM 4 AM CST SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
     AFTERNOON FOR CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS.

WI...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR BURNETT-PRICE-
     SAWYER-WASHBURN.

     FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM CST SATURDAY FOR DOUGLAS.

     WINTER STORM WATCH FROM 4 AM CST SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
     AFTERNOON FOR DOUGLAS.

EOM

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 23, 5:10 AM CST, 19 hours 50 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
510 AM CST FRI FEB 23 2007

LSZ121-140>148-162-MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-
006>009-241130-
BAYFIELD TO OAK POINT WI-GRAND PORTAGE TO GRAND MARAIS MN-
GRAND MARAIS TO TACONITE HARBOR MN-
TACONITE HARBOR TO SILVER BAY HARBOR MN-
SILVER BAY HARBOR TO TWO HARBORS MN-TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN-
DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI-PORT WING TO SAND ISLAND WI-
SAND ISLAND TO BAYFIELD WI-OAK POINT TO SAXON HARBOR WI-
OPEN WATERS OF LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF A LINE FROM SAXON HARBOR WI
TO GRAND PORTAGE MN-KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-
NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE-NORTHERN ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-
SOUTHERN LAKE/LAKESHORE-SOUTHERN COOK/LAKESHORE-NORTHERN CASS-
SOUTHERN ITASCA-SOUTHERN CASS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-
SOUTHERN AITKIN-CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-PINE-DOUGLAS-BAYFIELD-
ASHLAND-IRON-BURNETT-WASHBURN-SAWYER-PRICE-
510 AM CST FRI FEB 23 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA...
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

LIGHT SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHLAND TODAY.
ACCUMULATIONS TODAY WILL BE LESS THAN AN INCH IN MOST AREAS...WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF THE NORTH SHORE WHICH COULD SEE UP TO 2 INCHES.

A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE NORTHLAND TONIGHT. SNOW
WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN
THE BRAINERD LAKES...AITKIN...UPPER SAINT CROIX VALLEY...AND CASS
LAKE AREAS. 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THIS
AREA...WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES MOST OTHER LOCATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE
SNOW...WILL BE INCREASING WINDS CAUSING BLOWING AND DRIFTING.
VARIOUS WINTER STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR PARTS
OF THE NORTHLAND. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF THE
NORTHLAND SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL
BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN THE BRAINERD LAKES...AITKIN...UPPER
SAINT CROIX VALLEY...AND CASS LAKE AREAS WHERE TOTAL SNOWFALL BY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON WILL BE FROM 8 TO AROUND 12 INCHES. FURTHER NORTH
AND EAST OF THIS AREA...PLOWABLE SNOWFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE...BUT
THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS ON HOW MUCH WILL EVENTUALLY FALL. THE
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH FOR A TIME SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...THEN WILL INCREASE AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY.
VARIOUS WINTER STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR PARTS
OF THE NORTHLAND. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR MORE
DETAILS.

IN ADDITION TO THE SNOWFALL...WILL BE STRONG WINDS CAUSING
CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING. TRAVEL ACROSS PARTS OF THE
NORTHLAND WILL BE DIFFICULT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR
TONIGHT. SNOWFALL SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS AND TOTALS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY PHONE OR
E-SPOTTER THIS WEEKEND.

MELDE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 winter storm, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Douglas

When: February 24, 1:00 AM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 46.464, -91.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bayfield

When: February 24, 1:00 AM CST to February 25, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Bayfield forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.635, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Washburn

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Washburn forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.899, -91.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sawyer

When: February 24, 2:00 PM CST to February 25, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Sawyer forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.880, -91.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Burnett

When: February 24, 11:00 PM CST to February 25, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Burnett forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.863, -92.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
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 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, February 2007

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: 18228, 18949, 18231, 18232, 18230.