Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 26, 2009

Name: Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 26, 2009
Start: 2009-12-26T09:00
End: 2009-12-26T21:00
Location: Wisconsin

December 26, 2009 · NWS GRB · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A weakening area of low pressure moved across southern Wisconsin. The low was part of a large storm that affected the Plains and Midwest on Christmas.

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 weakening area of low pressure moved across southern Wisconsin. The low was part of a large storm that affected the Plains and Midwest on Christmas. Cold northeast winds ahead of the weak system enhanced snowfall near Lake Michigan. Snowfall totals there were mainly in the 6 to 10 inch range.

The highest recorded snowfall from the storm was 10.5 inches at Two Rivers (Manitowoc Co.). Other storm totals included 8.3 inches at Peshtigo (Marinette Co.) and 7.3 inches near Forestville (Door 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 Dec 26, 6:08 AM CST, 2 hours 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 26, 6:08 AM CST, 2 hours 52 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 26, 3:50 AM CST, 5 hours 10 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
350 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-271000-
VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE-LINCOLN-LANGLADE-
MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO-WOOD-PORTAGE-
WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET-
MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO-
350 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY
ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF THE AREA. 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY
LATER TONIGHT WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD SNOWFALL MEASUREMENTS TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREEN BAY.

LMZ521-522-541>543-271000-
THE BAY OF GREEN BAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK
ISLAND PASSAGE-LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WASHINGTON ISLAND TO SHEBOYGAN-
350 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST LAKE
MICHIGAN AND THE WATERS OF GREEN BAY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

JKL/MG

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 26, 4:14 AM CST, 4 hours 46 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
414 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-261500-
VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE-LINCOLN-LANGLADE-
MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO-WOOD-PORTAGE-
WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET-
MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...EAGLE RIVER...RHINELANDER...CRANDON...
TOMAHAWK...ANTIGO...KESHENA...STURGEON BAY...WAUSAU...
WISCONSIN RAPIDS...STEVENS POINT...APPLETON...GREEN BAY...
ALGOMA...WAUTOMA...OSHKOSH...CHILTON...TWO RIVERS...CRIVITZ
414 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

...AREAS OF SNOW EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT...

SNOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE BACK INTO CENTRAL AND EAST-CENTRAL
WISCONSIN TODAY AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM IOWA TOWARD CENTRAL
LAKE MICHIGAN.

COLD WINDS BLOWING OFF LAKE MICHIGAN WILL ENHANCE THE SNOW ACROSS
FAR EAST-CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN...WHERE 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WILL BE NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN.

SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTH-
CENTRAL WISCONSIN...WHERE ACCUMULATIONS WILL STAY UNDER AN INCH.

UNTREATED ROADS WILL BE SLIPPERY AS THE SNOW FALLS ON ICY SURFACES.
DRIVE WITH CARE IF YOU PLAN TO HEAD OUT ON THIS DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.

JKL

Special weather statement, Dec 26, 8:39 AM CST, 21 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
839 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

WIZ050-261545-
MANITOWOC-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...TWO RIVERS
839 AM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

...SNOW SHOWERS MOVING ONSHORE EASTERN MANITOWOC COUNTY THIS MORNING...

AT 840 AM...RADAR INDICATED SNOW SHOWERS MOVING ONSHORE MANITOWOC
COUNTY. THE SNOW SHOWERS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AROUND 25
MPH. THE HEAVIEST SNOW SHOWERS WILL MOVE ACROSS FAR EASTERN
MANITOWOC COUNTY BETWEEN TWO RIVERS AND TWO CREEKS THROUGH 10 AM.
THE HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS WILL PRODUCE SNOWFALL RATES AROUND AN
INCH PER HOUR AND REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN A HALF MILE AT
TIMES. ROADS WILL QUICKLY BECOME SLIPPERY...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE
LAKESHORE THIS MORNING.

ECKBERG

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, Southern Marinette

When: December 26, 9:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Southern Marinette forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.351, -88.002 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Door

When: December 26, 9:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Door forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.838, -87.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kewaunee

When: December 26, 9:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Kewaunee forecast zone
Reported by: Unknown
Coordinates: 44.483, -87.514 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Manitowoc

When: December 26, 9:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Manitowoc forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.091, -87.700 (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

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, December 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: 201623, 201624, 201625, 201626.