Wisconsin, 2010

Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 12, 2010

December 12, 2010 · NWS MKX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Deepening low pressure in the Plains, tracked across Illinois, drawing warm air and rain into southeast Wisconsin. As the deep low passed to the east, the rain changed to snow, with a tight pressure gradient producing north winds of 20 to 30 mph, with a few gusts of 35 to 50 mph, caused blowing and drifting snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
$30,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

Deepening low pressure in the Plains, tracked across Illinois, drawing warm air and rain into southeast Wisconsin. As the deep low passed to the east, the rain changed to snow, with a tight pressure gradient producing north winds of 20 to 30 mph, with a few gusts of 35 to 50 mph, caused blowing and drifting snow. Snowfall totals ranged between 1 and 3 inches.

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 12, 3:43 AM CST, 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 12, 3:43 AM CST, 17 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 11, 3:45 PM CST, 12 hours 15 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
345 PM CST SAT DEC 11 2010

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-121200-
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
330 PM CST SAT DEC 11 2010

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. THE BLIZZARD WARNING BEGINS AROUND MIDNIGHT
ACROSS FAR SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN AND AT 6 PM THIS EVENING ELSEWHERE.
SEE OUR WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE OR OUR WEB SITE FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY. NORTHERLY WINDS
GUSTING TO 40 TO 50 MPH WILL CREATE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN
WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SNOWFALL AND WIND REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

LMZ643>646-121200-
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-
330 PM CST SAT DEC 11 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT. THEN A STORM
WARNING IS IN EFFECT AFTER MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.

RAPIDLY DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO PASS ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN TIP OF LAKE MICHIGAN TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...THEN SLOWLY MOVE
EAST. VERY STRONG NORTH WINDS WILL DEVELOP...WITH FREQUENT STORM
FORCE GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.

HIGH WINDS AND WAVES WILL LINGER MONDAY INTO TUESDAY.

A HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT
THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY.

DAVIS
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 11, 11:52 PM CST, 4 hours 8 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 12, 12:55 AM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 12, 1:14 AM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 12, 1:21 AM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 12, 1:39 AM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 12, 2:13 AM CST, 1 hour 47 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

3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Milwaukee

When
December 12, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Milwaukee forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Early rain limited snow amounts to between 1 and 2 inches, with the highest total of 2.3 inches in West Allis. Winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts to near 50 mph, caused some blowing and drifting snow. The ASOS at General Mitchell International airport reported a 48 mph wind gust, with the GLOS observation site at McKinley Marina recording a 44 mph wind gust and Timmerman Field on the northwest side of Milwaukee reporting a wind gust of 41 mph.

Winter Weather, Racine

When
December 12, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Racine forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Early rain limited snow amounts to between 1 and 3 inches, with the highest total of 3.3 inches in Wind Lake. Winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts of 35 to 50 mph, caused some blowing and drifting snow. Racine Batten airport recorded a 51 mph wind gust, with the AWOS at Burlington airport reporting a 39 mph wind gust. The strong winds damaged a nativity display in downtown Racine, causing $4,000 in damage.

Winter Weather, Kenosha

When
December 12, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Kenosha forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Early rain limited snow amounts to between 1 and 2 inches. Winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of 35 to 45 mph, caused some blowing and drifting snow. The GLOS lake shore observation site at Kenosha reported a 47 mph wind gust, with the ASOS at Kenosha County airport recording a wind gust of 44 mph. The strong winds caused some damage to the roof of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Sports and Activity Center.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, December 2010

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: 275517, 275518, 275519.