Drought in Wisconsin, February 10 to 28, 2009

Name: Drought in Wisconsin, February 10 to 28, 2009
Start: 2009-02-10T12:00
End: 2009-02-28T23:59
Location: Wisconsin

February 10 to 28, 2009 · NWS DLH · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Severe (D2) conditions continued across southeastern Sawyer County and all of Price County. By the second week of the month, the severe drought conditions had spread into southern Ashland and southern Iron counties.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 2

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.

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 10, 10:45 AM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 10:45 AM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1045 AM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

.UPDATE...

.DISCUSSION...
UPDATED TO CANCEL ADVISORY IN THE ARROWHEAD. TEMPERATURES WELL
ABOVE FREEZING AND CALL TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFIRMED THAT
FREEZING PRECIP IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM. ALSO INCREASED WINDS IN
SOUTHERN AREAS...FOR ALL OF WRN WI AND FROM BRD TO DLH....WITH VERY
TIGHT GRADIENT IN WAKE OF OF LOW. GUSTS TO 30 MPH LIKELY.

RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW STILL LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON. NO CHANGES
THERE.

&&

.AVIATION...

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 354 AM CST TUE FEB 10 2009/

..QUICK HITTING FREEZING RAIN INTERIOR NRN COOK COUNTY EARLY...

DISCUSSION...DEEPLY STACKED LOW IS ON THE MOVE THIS MORNING
AS PROGRESSIVE PATTERN IN MID LVLS CONTINUES. MID LVL LOW HAS
PULLED VERY STRONG LOW/MID LVL KINEMATICS NORTH ALONG WITH A
SECONDARY PWS AXIS. VERY IMPRESSIVE 55/65KT LLJ WILL SWING THRU
NW WISC AND NORTH INTO ARROWHEAD EARLY THIS MORNING. A WEDGE OF
NEAR OR JUST BELOW FREEZING AIR IS BEING MAINTAINED AT SFC OVER
INTERIOR NRN COOK ROUGHLY FROM GRAND PORTAGE TO CKC AND BACK TO
THE CANADIAN BORDER...EAST OF SEAGULL LAKE. APPROACHING MOISTURE
MAY BE ENOUGH TO WIPE OUT SHALLOW SFC BASED LAYER OF COLD AIR.
SIGNIFICANT LIFT THAT OCCURS WITH LLJ PERPENDICULAR TO TERRAIN MAY
GENERATE ENOUGH ADIABATIC COOLING TO OFFSET EXTENT OF WARM
ADVECTION LAYER. NAM12 SFC WETBULB FCST MAINTAINS FREEZING LAYER
THROUGH 15Z. WITH THIS IN MIND HAVE ISSUED FZRA ADVISORY WITH
WORDING TO INDICATE SMALL AREAL EXTENT OF IMPACT. MAY STILL SEE A
QUICK HIT OF SIGNIFICANT ICING GIVEN LLJ/FORCING/PWS AVAILABLE.

TODAY...MAIN CONCERN TODAY IS PROGRESSION OF STRONG CLOSED MID LVL
LOW ACROSS NRN CWA. CAUTION IS NECESSARY ON THESE TYPES OF
FEATURES AS THEY PRODUCE SUFFICIENT MID LVL COOLING/INTRODUCTION
OF ICE NUCLEATION ONCE AGAIN. IN THIS CASE THE BIG QUESTION IS
HOW FAR THE WET FLAKES CAN FALL BEFORE MELTING. MDL SNDGS DONT
AGREE ON EXTENT OF COOLING SO USED A BLEND OF GFS BUFR/SREF
OUTPUT. WILL NEED TO WATCH ANY INCREASE OF SNOW AREA UNDER UPPER
LOW THIS MORNING AS IT TRACKS NE. TYPICALLY WITH THE ARRIVAL OF
DAYBREAK...EVEN INDIRECT INSOLATION CAN BE ENOUGH TO KEEP BL JUST
BARELY WARM ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN COLD RAIN OR RAIN/SNOW MIX.

TONIGHT/WEDNESDAY...MAIN SYNOPTIC FORCING PUSHES EAST WITH CLOSED
LOW. A SECONDARY MID LVL TROUGH DROPS SOUTH WEDNESDAY INTO WRN
CWA. DEEP LAYER RH NEVER HAS MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO DECREASE AS CWA
REMAINS UNDER A CYCLONICALLY CURVED FLOW. EXPECT SNOW TO
CONTINUE...ALBEIT LIGHT. MDLS ARE SUGGESTING A MID LVL SHEAR
AXIS....DEFINED IN 70H HT/WIND FIELD...MAY LOITER ACROSS NRN
CWA...ENHANCING SNOW SOMEWHAT.

EXTENDED...THURSDAY AND SUNDAY...
STRONG LOW PRESSURE IS STILL EXPECTED TO TRACK THROUGH IL/IN INTO MI
ON WEDNESDAY...AND CONTINUE TO THE NORTHEAST. THE LOW LIFTING
THROUGH MINNESOTA WILL HAVE WEAKENED...BUT A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE
WILL LINGER OVER FAR NORTHERN MINNESOTA. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE
CONSISTENT WITH THIS IDEA. THE RESULT OF THE TROUGH NEAR THE
AREA...WILL BE PERSISTENT CLOUDS OVER MUCH OF THE CWA...AND CHANCES
FOR SNOW. THE CHANCE FOR SNOW WILL BE GREATEST OVER FAR NORTHERN
MINNESOTA NEAR THE TROUGH. WE INCREASED POPS TO LIKELY OVER PARTS OF
FAR NORTHERN MINNESOTA ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE CHANCE FOR SNOW WAS
KEPT IN THE GRIDS OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA/NORTHERN
WISCONSIN INTO FRIDAY...THEN WE WENT DRY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR
SOME LES FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY OVER THE SOUTH SHORE...THEN
EXTENDING INTO THE TWIN PORTS ON SUNDAY. HOWEVER...AIRMASS LOOKS
QUITE DRY AND FLOW QUITE ANTICYCLONIC. WE DID NOT INCLUDE POPS FOR
LES ATTM.

AVIATION...
A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA WILL
CONTINUE TO THE NORTHEAST TODAY...MOVING INTO NORTHWEST ONTARIO BY
THIS EVENING. LOW MVFR AND IFR CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
PERIOD...BECOMING MAINLY MVFR LATER TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD RAIN WAS
FALLING EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH IFR VSBYS IN RAIN AND FOG. THE
RAIN WILL DIMINISH SOME THROUGH THE DAY...AND MIX WITH OR CHANGE
OVER TO SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS MINNESOTA. COLDER AIR WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE IN TONIGHT BEHIND THE LOW...AND ALL SNOW IS
EXPECTED. THE NORTHERN THIRD OF MINNESOTA WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE
AT SEE A FEW INCHES OF SNOWFALL TODAY INTO TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS
CREATING LLWS EARLY THIS MORNING...WILL DIMINISH OVER NORTHERN
MINNESOTA THIS MORNING...AND OVER NORTHWEST WISCONSIN LATER THIS
EVENING. THE LLJ WILL BE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST...BUT VEER TO SOUTHWEST
OVER WISCONSIN.

&&

POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DLH  42  30  31  22 /  70  30  20  50
INL  37  29  32  19 /  70  60  30  60
BRD  40  31  32  20 /  70  40  20  30
HYR  45  32  36  25 /  40  20  20  30
ASX  44  32  36  26 /  50  20  20  50

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.

CLC

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 10, 10:38 AM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1038 AM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-111645-
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-
1038 AM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW OVER MUCH OF NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA THIS
AFTERNOON. SNOW AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY BE LESS THAN A HALF
INCH...HOWEVER A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE FROM ABOUT
BGFORK TO INTERNATIONAL FALLS AND VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK.

IT WILL BE WINDY TODAY IN SOUTHERN AREAS FROM
BRAINERD...DULUTH...AND ACROSS ALL OF NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN WITH
GUSTS TO 30 MPH.

WET ROADS COULD BECOME SLIPPERY TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW
FREEZING AND CREATE ICY PATCHES...ESPECIALLY ON UNTREATED ROADS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF THE NORTHLAND WEDNESDAY.
OCCASIONAL SNOW IS POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.

CLC

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DULUTH (ALL LOWER CASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 10, 7:39 AM CST, 4 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
739 AM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

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

0730 AM     FREEZING RAIN    FINLAND                 47.41N 91.25W
02/10/2009  M0.20 INCH       LAKE               MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            WOLF RIDGE ELC.

&&

BETTWY

Local storm report, Feb 10, 8:22 AM CST, 3 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
822 AM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

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

0800 AM     FREEZING RAIN    LUTSEN                  47.64N 90.71W
02/10/2009  M0.10 INCH       COOK               MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FREEZING RAIN THROUGH 7PM MONDAY...THEN RAIN.

&&

BETTWY

Local storm report, Feb 10, 9:52 AM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
952 AM CST TUE FEB 10 2009

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

0745 AM     FREEZING RAIN    5 SW BRAINERD           46.30N 94.27W
02/09/2009  M0.10 INCH       CROW WING          MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            0.1 INCH ICE ACCUMULATION.

0838 AM     FREEZING RAIN    INTERNATIONAL FALLS     48.59N 93.41W
02/09/2009  M0.06 INCH       KOOCHICHING        MN   NWS EMPLOYEE

            MEASURED ICE ACUUMULATION ON THE GROUND.

1040 AM     FREEZING RAIN    4 E PAYNE               47.09N 92.52W
02/09/2009  M0.10 INCH       ST. LOUIS          MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

1144 AM     FREEZING RAIN    LITTLEFORK              48.40N 93.56W
02/09/2009  E0.10 INCH       KOOCHICHING        MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

1215 PM     FREEZING RAIN    SILVER BAY              47.29N 91.28W
02/09/2009  M0.15 INCH       LAKE               MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0353 PM     FREEZING RAIN    2 SE ESKO               46.69N 92.33W
02/09/2009  M0.05 INCH       CARLTON            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            UNTREATED ROADS ARE COATED IN ICE.

0751 PM     FREEZING RAIN    DULUTH                  46.78N 92.12W
02/09/2009  M0.15 INCH       ST. LOUIS          MN   NWS EMPLOYEE

            DULUTH HEIGHTS

0730 AM     FREEZING RAIN    FINLAND                 47.41N 91.25W
02/10/2009  M0.20 INCH       LAKE               MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            WOLF RIDGE ELC.

0800 AM     FREEZING RAIN    LUTSEN                  47.64N 90.71W
02/10/2009  M0.10 INCH       COOK               MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FREEZING RAIN THROUGH 7PM MONDAY...THEN RAIN.

&&

AGRANING

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Ashland

When: February 10, 12:00 PM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ashland forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 46.510, -90.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Iron

When: February 10, 12:00 PM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Iron forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 46.317, -90.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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, February 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 156225, 156226.