Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 18 to 19, 2008

Name: Winter Storm in Wisconsin, December 18 to 19, 2008
Start: 2008-12-18T22:00
End: 2008-12-19T12:00
Location: Wisconsin

December 18 to 19, 2008 · NWS MKX · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 was the 3rd major winter storm of the 2008-09 winter season for south-central and southeast Wisconsin. It dumped 8 to around 14 inches, but the impact on society was significant since there was a lot of blowing and drifting of the snow. Bands of heavy convective snow had snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour. The winds were generally east becoming northeast and then north at 13 to 22 knots (15 to 25 mph) with gusts to 26 knots (30 mph). However, along the Lake Michigan shoreline, a few winds gusts peaked at 30 to 35 knots (35 to 40 mph), which resulted in near-blizzard conditions in that area. Snow drifts were reported to be 2 to 4 feet in height across southern Wisconsin. In the middle of the night a small plane skidded of a runway at Milwaukee Mitchell Field, but there were no injuries. Mitchell Field was closed for a couple hours due to the incident. Additionally, many airplane flights were delayed or cancelled at the airports in Madison and Milwaukee. Numerous schools and civic functions were cancelled. Media reports indicated that dozens of vehicle accidents occurred. A 2-car accident in the Town of Bristol in Dane County claimed the life of a 16-year old girl (indirect death) on December 18th.

Specific snowfall measurements include 14.3 inches in West Allis (Milwaukee Co.); 13.3 inches in Brookfield (Waukesha Co.); 13 inches in Argyle (Lafayette Co.); 12.5 inches near Richland (Washington Co.); 12 inches near Sheboygan (Sheboygan Co.) and far northwestern Ozaukee County; Union Grove (Racine Co.); 12.3 inches in Paddock Lake (Kenosha Co.); 11.5 inches in Middleton (Dane Co.); 11.2 inches in Jefferson (Jefferson Co.); 11 to 12 inches in far northwestern Iowa County and far west-central Green County; 11 inches in far south-central Columbia County and in Beaver Dam (Dodge Co.); 10.9 inches in East Troy (Walworth Co.); 10.8 inches in Afton (Rock Co.); 10.2 inches in Reedsburg (Sauk Co.); 10 inches near Campbellsport (Fond du Lac Co.); 8.6 inches in Markesan (Green Lake Co.), and 8 to 8.5 inches in southern Marquette County. Synoptically, a strong low pressure moved from southeast Colorado to eastern Kansas to northeast Missouri to Indiana. Surface dewpoints were in the 55 to 60 range on the southeast side of the low pressure.

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 Dec 18, 9:20 PM CST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 18, 9:20 PM CST, 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
920 PM CST THU DEC 18 2008

.DISCUSSION...STATUS QUO WITH HEADLINES.  GFS CRITICAL 850-700MB
THICKNESS OF 1540 RESULTING IN FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET OVER CENTRAL
IOWA VICINITY OF KCID.  18Z GFS HANDLING THIS WELL AND 00Z NAM SHOWS
FREEZING RAIN/SLEET FALLING AT THICKNESS OF 1532 METERS WHICH PUSHES
INTO SRN PORTIONS OF SECOND TIER OF COUNTIES.  FOR NOW WILL
INTRODUCE CHANCE OF FREEZING RAIN/SLEET INTO FAR SRN COUNTIES.

OTHERWISE EXPECTING SNOW TO SPREAD ACROSS SRN WI THROUGH 08Z WITH
HEAVIEST PERIOD FROM 09Z THROUGH 15Z.

&&

.MARINE...EXPECT VARIABLE WINDS TO TURN TO THE EAST AND RAPIDLY
INCREASE NEXT FEW HOURS AND INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 KNOTS AFTER
MIDNIGHT.  HENCE WL CONTINUE WITH POSTING OF SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AT
08Z.

&&

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM CST FRIDAY
     FOR WIZ056-062-063-067>069.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 3 PM CST FRIDAY
     FOR WIZ046-047-051-052-057>060-064>066-070>072.

LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 2 AM FRIDAY TO 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR
     LMZ643>646.

&&

SHORT/LONG TERM...18 BORGHOFF
AVIATION/MARINE...13 MRC

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 18, 4:05 PM CST, 5 hours 55 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
405 PM CST THU DEC 18 2008

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-191000-
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
405 PM CST THU DEC 18 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL HIT THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING. THE SNOW SHOULD BEGIN DURING THE MID EVENING HOURS WEST OF
MADISON BUT WILL LIKELY HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT IN THE
MILWAUKEE AREA. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 11 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
NORTH OF A LINE FROM MADISON TO MILWAUKEE...AND 9 TO 13 INCHES SOUTH
OF THAT LINE. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF LATER FRIDAY MORNING. BRISK
EASTERLY WINDS WILL PRODUCE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

ANOTHER EVENT WITH 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE
POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT...AS WELL. THE THIRD ROUND OF SNOW COULD
ARRIVE LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SNOWFALL REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED.

LMZ643>646-191000-
SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI-
PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHT WI-
NORTH POINT LIGHT TO WIND POINT WI-
WIND POINT WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR IL-
405 PM CST THU DEC 18 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY
NIGHT...DUE TO BRISK EASTERLY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM PASSING SOUTH OF THE AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL BE NEEDED AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT
THROUGH TUESDAY.

MRC
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Marquette

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Marquette forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Green Lake

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Green Lake forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Fond du Lac

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sheboygan

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Columbia

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dodge

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Washington

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ozaukee

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dane

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Dane forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jefferson

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Waukesha

When: December 18, 10:00 PM CST to December 19, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Winter Storm, Dane	2008-12-18	16	Female	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Indirect

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 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, December 2008

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: 148061, 148062, 148063, 148064, 148065, 148066, 148067, 148068, 148069, 148070, 148071.