Wisconsin, 2009

Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, April 19 to 21, 2009

April 19 to 21, 2009 · NWS GRB · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A major spring storm system, that slowly passed through the region, dropped more than a foot of snow in some locations across far northern Wisconsin. Temperatures near freezing brought snow that easily stuck to trees and power lines.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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.

A major spring storm system, that slowly passed through the region, dropped more than a foot of snow in some locations across far northern Wisconsin. Temperatures near freezing brought snow that easily stuck to trees and power lines. Trees falling onto power lines caused power outages for about 5,000 customers in parts of Vilas County, Oneida County and Forest County.

Some of the highest snowfall totals included 13.6 inches at Conover (Vilas Co.), 13.1 inches at Hiles (Forest Co.), 12.0 inches at Three Lakes (Oneida Co.), 11.7 inches at Eagle River (Vilas Co.), 11.0 inches near Argonne (Forest Co.), 10.6 inches near Laona (Forest Co.) and near Alvin (Forest Co.), 10.4 inches at Long Lake (Florence Co.), 10.1 inches at Rhinelander (Oneida Co.) and 10.0 inches at Winchester (Vilas Co.).

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 Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 19, 2:36 PM CST, 8 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 2:36 PM CST, 8 hours 24 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 19, 3:40 AM CST, 19 hours 20 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 19, 9:39 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Vilas

When
April 19, 11:00 PM CST to April 21, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Vilas forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.053, -89.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Forest

When
April 19, 11:00 PM CST to April 21, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Forest forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.667, -88.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Oneida

When
April 19, 11:00 PM CST to April 21, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Oneida forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.706, -89.522 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Florence

When
April 19, 11:00 PM CST to April 21, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Florence forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.848, -88.398 (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 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, April 2009

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: 162825, 162827, 162829, 162831.