Dense Fog in Wisconsin, February 4, 2008

Name: Dense Fog in Wisconsin, February 4, 2008
Start: 2008-02-04T16:00
End: 2008-02-04T23:00
Location: Wisconsin

February 4, 2008 · NWS MKX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

Widespread dense fog developed after sunset across a good portion of south-central and southeast Wisconsin. Visibilities were reduced to 1/8 to 1/4 mile.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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: 14

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.

Widespread dense fog developed after sunset across a good portion of south-central and southeast Wisconsin. Visibilities were reduced to 1/8 to 1/4 mile. The area affected was mostly southeast of a line from Darlington to Madison to Beaver Dam to Sheboygan. Several flights were canceled or delayed at Milwaukee Mitchell Field and other airports. The media noted a few vehicle accidents. Synoptically, diminishing winds, night-time cooling, and a very moist air mass near the ground allowed the dense fog to develop.

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 4, 3:02 PM CST, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 4, 3:02 PM CST, 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
302 PM CST MON FEB 4 2008

.DISCUSSION...FORECAST FOCUS ON SIGNIFICANT SNOWSTORM FOR
TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY.

.SHORT SHORT TERM...WEATHER EXPECTED TO BE QUIET OVERNIGHT AS LULL
EXISTS DUE TO ABSENCE OF SHORT WAVE TO TRIGGER ANY PRECIPITATION.
EXPECT CLOUDY SKIES...SOME FOG AND PERHAPS VERY LIGHT DRIZZLE OR
FREEZING DRIZZLE AS DRY AIR IN MID LAYERS TO LAST THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING.

.SHORT TERM...OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE FROM NGM/NAM/SREF/GFS/WRF20/ECMWF
HI-RES PROGS POINT TO SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT FOR CWA BEGINNING
TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND LASTING THROUGH MUCH OF WEDNESDAY. HAVE
UPGRADED WINTER STORM WATCH TO WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ENTIRE CWA
DUE TO A COMBINATION OF EXPECTED HEAVY SNOWFALL AND STRONG NORTH
TO NORTHEAST WINDS. WITH PASSAGE OF COLD FRONT TO JUST SOUTHEAST
OF CWA TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY...PROGS ALL DEVELOP PAN HANDLE
TYPE LOW TO RIDE NORTHEAST ALONG FRONT AND INTENSIFY AS IT HEADS
ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TOWARD LOWER MICHIGAN. THIS LOW WILL
TAP GULF OF MEXICO MOISTURE WITH EXPECTED QPF VALUES TO APPROACHING
1 INCH OF LIQUID BY THE TIME THE STORMS EXITS AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
TYPICALLY THIS PATH WOULD FAVOR MAINLY SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN WITH
SWATH OF HEAVIEST SNOW. HOWEVER...INDICATIONS FROM MODELS SHOW
VERY FAVORABLE DENDRITE BAND AND CROSS HAIRS CONFIGURATION SETS UP
ALONG AXIS FROM LAFAYETTE COUNTY NORTHEAST TO SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
DURING HEIGHT OF EXPECTED SNOWFALL FROM 03Z WEDNESDAY TO 12Z
WEDNESDAY. THUS FORECAST 6 TO 10 INCH SNOW AMOUNTS EXPANDED TO THE
NORTHWEST AS A WIDER THAN NORMAL HEAVY SNOW BAND IS INDICATED. FAR
NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF CWA WILL ALSO GET ENOUGH SNOW ALONG WITH
STRONG WINDS MAKE STORM CRITERIA. CRAS PROGGED SATELLITE IR LOOP
CONFIRMS THIS TREND WITH COLDEST CLOUD TOPS OVER CWA DURING THIS
TIME PERIOD. NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF CWA EXPECTED TO SEE SNOW RATIOS
AROUND 13:1 WHILE HEAVY WET SNOW RATIOS OF 10:1 OR 8:1 ARE
EXPECTED IN THE FAR SOUTHEAST. GIVEN THE FORECAST LOW TRACK...CWA
REMAINS IN TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT AND STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS
AROUND 30 KNOTS AT 925 MILLIBARS SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM MIXING
DOWN TO SURFACE ACROSS CWA.

.LONG TERM...STILL LOOKING AT A SHORT BREAK IN THE ACTIVE WEATHER
PATTERN TAKES PLACE WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEFORE ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM
ARRIVES ON THURSDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...LLVL MSTR WL RMN TRAPPED UNDER INVRSN THRU 00Z WED. LOOK
FOR WDSPRD IFR CIGS...WDSPRD MVFR VSBYS AND AREAS OF IFR VSBYS IN
LGT FOG THRU THE PD.

.MARINE...SCA CRITERIA WL NO LONGER BE MET BY MIDNIGHT...BUT WINDS
WL TURN NELY TUE AFTN AHD OF AN APCHG LOW PRES SYS...AND INCRS TO
15-25 KNOTS BY EVNG. XPCT SCA CRITERIA TO BE MET BY LATE TUE.

&&

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM TUESDAY TO 3 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR
     WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072.

LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR LMZ643>646.

&&

SHORT/LONG TERM...17
AVIATION/MARINE...35

CRAS PROGGED
SATELLITE IR LOOP ON THE MONEY WITH THIS FEATURE AND SHARPENS BACK
EDGE OF SYSTEM AS IT TRACKS TOWARD SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN.

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 4, 3:00 PM CST, 1 hour before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
300 PM CST MON FEB 4 2008

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-051115-
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
300 PM CST MON FEB 4 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AREAS OF FOG...WITH LOCALLY DENSE FOG...ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO SOUTHERN
WISCONSIN TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...WITH HEAVY SNOW AT TIMES. A
WINTER WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
WISCONSIN FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES IN THE NORTHWEST...AND NEAR 10 INCHES
IN THE SOUTHEAST. GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT NEEDED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER REPORTS OF
SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

LMZ643>646-051115-
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-
300 PM CST MON FEB 4 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR
STRONG EASTERLY WINDS AND HIGH WAVES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS AND HIGH WAVES...AND
MAY ALSO BE NEEDED AGAIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 4, 10:15 AM CST, 5 hours 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1015 AM CST MON FEB 04 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1010 AM     SLEET            WEST BEND               43.42N 88.18W
02/04/2008  U0.00 INCH       WASHINGTON         WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SLEET AND SNOW FALLING. ROADS BECOMING ICY.

&&

BORGHOFF

Local storm report, Feb 4, 10:57 AM CST, 5 hours 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1057 AM CST MON FEB 04 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1055 AM     FREEZING RAIN    WEST BEND               43.42N 88.18W
02/04/2008  U0.00 INCH       WASHINGTON         WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HUGE SNOWFLAKES FALLING AND MIXING WITH FREEZING RAIN.
            ROADS ARE BECOMING ICY AND NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN
            REPORTED.

&&

BORGHOFF

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Sheboygan

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Dodge

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Washington

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Ozaukee

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Dane

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Dane forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Jefferson

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Waukesha

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Milwaukee

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Milwaukee forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Lafayette

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Green

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Green forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Rock

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Walworth

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Walworth forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Racine

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Racine forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Kenosha

When: February 4, 4:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Kenosha forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Dense Fog: Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.

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, February 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 80182, 80183, 80184, 80185, 80186, 80187, 80188, 80189, 80190, 80191, 80192, 80193, 80194, 80195.