Blizzard in Wisconsin, February 1 to 2, 2011

Name: Blizzard in Wisconsin, February 1 to 2, 2011
Start: 2011-02-01T21:30
End: 2011-02-02T06:00
Location: Wisconsin

February 1 to 2, 2011 · NWS MKX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

A powerful low pressure center, passing south of Wisconsin, produced blizzard conditions across much of southern Wisconsin from the evening hours of Tuesday, February 1st into the early morning of Wednesday, February 2nd. Snow associated with the system began in the mid-afternoon hours of February 1st in far southern Wisconsin and became heavy as it pushed northward into the state through the late afternoon and evening. Very strong winds were associated with this storm for an extended period of time. Sustained northeast winds of 30 to 40 mph were common through the event, with peak wind gusts between 45 and 55 mph, with the stronger wind gusts near Lake Michigan. The lakeshore observation site at Sheboygan reported a 55 mph wind gust at 6 pm CST on February 1st. The combination of high winds and heavy snow created widespread sustained visibilities of less than 1/4 mile, with frequent whiteout conditions and near zero visibilities. Twenty-four hour snowfall totals were between 8 and 16 inches, with 16 inches of snow measured by a cooperative observer 1 mile southwest of West Bend (Washington County); 11.5 inches near Beaver Dam in the town of Westfield (Dodge County); 9.5 inches just southwest of the city of Sheboygan; 8.5 inches in Grafton (Ozaukee County); and 8 inches 2 miles southwest of Fond Du Lac. In addition to the snow that fell during the blizzard, several inches of snow fell on Jan 31, with light lake effect snow through the day on Feb 1st. It's possible that some locations did not see a break in snowfall between the evening of January 31st and the morning of February 2nd. Snow drifts of 3 to 10 feet were common, with reports of some drifts reaching 12 to 15 feet in open rural areas. Drifting snow closed county highways and roads with many stranded motorists having to be rescued from vehicles buried in the drifting snow. About 100 National Guardsman were mobilized statewide in response to Gov. Scott Walker's emergency declaration for 29 counties to help rescue motorists and run emergency shelters at armories. Dodge County law enforcement reported 174 vehicles were stuck in snow or had skidded off area roads. A Randolph (Dodge County) man injured his hand in a snow blower incident. At the height of the storm, WE Energies reported 5,200 customers were without power across Southeast Wisconsin.

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 1, 8:33 PM CST, 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 1, 8:33 PM CST, 57 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
833 PM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

.UPDATE...

IMPRESSIVE RISE/FALL COUPLET ON 3 HOUR PRESS CHANGE. 8 MB
PRESSURE FALLS CENTERED NEAR CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS WITH 7 MB PRESSURE
RISE CENTER JUST WEST OF MEMPHIS. SURFACE LOW BETWEEN EVANSVILLE
INDIANA AND TERRE HAUTE INDIANA. THIS IS A FARTHER NORTH TRACK
THEN MOST OF THE PREVIOUS MODELS. NEW NAM CONFIRMS THIS WITH A
MORE NORTHERLY TRACK WHICH MOVES ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA WITH A
ELONGATED LOW FROM NORTHEAST INDIANA ACROSS NORTHERN OHIO BY 6 AM
CST. THIS SHIFTS THE MAX PRECIP BAND FARTHER NORTH INTO SOUTHEAST
WISCONSIN. 1.5 INCH OF WATER EQUIVALENT FROM 00Z THROUGH END OF
THE STORM WEDNESDAY WITH 0.75 INCH WATER EQUIVALENT ACROSS
MADISON. THIS IS ON TOP OF ANY PRECIPITATION BEFORE 6 PM.

STILL STRONG 2D FRONTOGENISIS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AROUND 700
TO 600 MB MB...GRADUALLY LIFTING AND WEAKENING BY 6 AM CST.

CURRENT FORECAST...WHICH WAS BASED ON A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK LOOKS
GOOD. THE FINAL SNOW TOTALS WILL BE QUITE VARIABLE WITH THE
STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS...BLOWING/DRIFTING AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.
THEREFORE WILL KEEP THE SNOW TOTALS AS THEY ARE.

&&
06/HENTZ

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 252 PM CST TUE FEB 1 2011/

WEDNESDAY NIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS HIGH.

SOME CLOUDS LINGER IN THE SOUTHEAST EARLY...OTHERWISE...CLASSIC
CLEAR AND COLD NIGHT IN POST SNOWSTORM ENVIRONMENT. COLD AIR IN
PLACE BY EVENING...BUT TEMPS ABOVE THE BOUNDRY LAYER TRY TO
REBOUND AFTER MIDNIGHT IN BACKING FLOW AHEAD OF NEXT APPROACHING
TROF FROM THE NDORTHWEST. HOWEVER...WITH FRESH SNOW COVER THIS
WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL RIDE OVER THE TOP OF A SHARP BOUNDRY LAYER
INVERSION. TEMPS GENERALLY 0 TO 10 BELOW WITH WIND CHILLS DIPPING
TO 20 TO 30 BELOW. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED
LATER...JUST NOT NOW WITH ALL THE OTHER MAJOR HEADLINES IN EFFECT.

THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS HIGH.

QUITE THIS PERIOD WITH TEMPS CONTINUING TO SLOWLY MODIFY AS WE GET
ATYPICAL WARM ADVECTION FROM THE NORTHWEST...COMING OUT OF
CANADA...AHEAD OF A DEEPING NORTHWEST TROF. THE COLUMN REMAINS
TOO DRY FOR ANY PRECIP WITH THE ADVECTION...AND IT ISN/T THAT
STRONG TO BEGIN WITH.

FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM.

UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO DIG INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND CLOSES OFF
FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...BEFORE OPENING BACK UP AND SHEARING
OFF TO THE EAST BY SUNDAY MORNING. NOT AN IMPRESSIVE AMOUNT OF
MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM...BUT ENOUGH TO HAVE SMALL POPS FOR
LIGHT SNOW AT THIS POINT.

SUNDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM.

QUIET AND SEASONABLE UNDER SHORT WAVE RIDGING.

EARLY NEXT WEEK...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM.

ANOTHER CLIPPER ARRIVES AND COULD BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW TO THE
AREA. IN THE WAKE OF THIS FAST SYSTEM...TEMPS COLLAPSE AGAIN BY
TUESDAY MORNING WITH BITTER CONDITIONS FORECAST.

AVIATION...LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW MOVES IN TO THE TAF SITES LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...BECOMING MODERATE TO HEAVY BY AROUND 00Z. EXPECT LONG
DURATION OF VLIFR VISBYS...FREQUENTLY TO 1/4 MILE...AS A RESULT OF
FALLING SNOW COMBINED WITH BLOWING SNOW. STRONG WINDS GRADUALLY
SHIFT FROM NORTHEAST THIS EVENING...TO NORTH BY MORNING. EXPECT
SUSTAINED WINDS 20 TO 30 KT...WITH GUSTS 35 TO 45 KT. THIS WILL
ALSO LEAD TO WIND SHEAR OF 20 TO 30 KT IN THE LOWEST 2KFT.

CONDITIONS BEGIN TO IMPROVE LATE MORNING AS THE SNOW DECREASES WEST
TO EAST. BLOWING SNOW CONTINUES THROUGH THE MORNING INTO THE EARLY
AFTERNOON WITH WINDS ABOVE 20KT. WINDS DECREASE INTO THE AFTERNOON
WITH IMPROVING GENERAL IMPROVING CONDITIONS.

&&

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ051-052-058>060-
     062>072.

     LAKESHORE FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ066-071-
     072.

     LAKESHORE FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ052-060.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ046-047-056-
     057.

LM...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR
     LMZ643>646.

     STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR LMZ643>646.

&&

TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...COLLAR
AVIATION...ZABEL
BEYOND WEDNESDAY/MARINE...DAVIS

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 1, 3:20 PM CST, 6 hours 10 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
320 PM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-021145-
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
320 PM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

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

.DAY ONE...REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A BLIZZARD WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN WISCONSIN WITH STRONG NORTHEAST
WINDS...HEAVY SNOW...AND SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES AROUND ZERO DEGREES
WILL MAKE FOR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS FOR THOSE WHO MUST
TRAVEL OR VENTURE OUTDOORS.

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS THE
LAKE RISES ABOUT 6 INCHES AND WAVES TO 14 FEET POUND THE SHORELINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE BLIZZARD WARNING WILL END AT NOON ON WEDNESDAY AS THE SNOW
DIMINISHES...HOWEVER CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL
CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND BRISK WINDS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS WIND
CHILL TEMPERATURES OF 20 BELOW TO 30 BELOW ZERO LATE WEDNESDAY
NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SNOWFALL...SNOW DRIFT HEIGHTS...WIND GUSTS...AND REPORTS OF WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS ARE APPRECIATED. REPORTS OF COASTAL FLOODING OR BLUFF
EROSION ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE WOULD BE APPRECIATED ALSO.

LMZ643>646-021145-
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-
320 PM CST TUE FEB 1 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

NORTHEAST GALES WILL INCREASE TO STORM FORCE BY MID EVENING AS
STRONG LOW PRESSURE MOVES TOWARDS INDIANA. VERY HIGH WAVES TO 16
FEET AND HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY IS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

STORM FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THEN
DIMINISH A BIT TO GALE FORCE FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. VERY HIGH
WAVES AND HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WILL CONTINUE AS WELL AND ALSO
SUBSIDE LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

BRISK SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL LIKELY REQUIRE A SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.

COLLAR
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 1, 9:03 PM CST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
903 PM CST TUE FEB 01 2011

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

0845 AM     HEAVY SNOW       1 N MILWAUKEE INTERNATI 42.96N 87.90W
02/01/2011  M2.0 INCH        MILWAUKEE          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TOTAL BETWEEN 7 AND 830 PM CST...VISIBILITIES LESS THAN
            1/4 MILE.

&&

SEARS

Local storm report, Feb 1, 9:08 PM CST, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
908 PM CST TUE FEB 01 2011

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

0855 AM     BLIZZARD         WEST ALLIS              43.01N 88.03W
02/01/2011                   MILWAUKEE          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            VISIBILITY LESS THAN 2 BLOCKS

0905 AM     BLIZZARD         2 SSE ALBANY            42.68N 89.42W
02/01/2011                   GREEN              WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WHITEOUT CONDITIONS...WINDS 30 MPH GUSTING TO 54
            MPH...HEAVY SNOW...4-5 FT DRIFTS

&&

SEARS

Local storm report, Feb 1, 9:10 PM CST, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
910 PM CST TUE FEB 01 2011

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

0845 PM     HEAVY SNOW       1 N MILWAUKEE INTERNATI 42.96N 87.90W
02/01/2011  M2.0 INCH        MILWAUKEE          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TOTAL BETWEEN 7 AND 830 PM CST...VISIBILITIES LESS THAN
            1/4 MILE.

0855 PM     BLIZZARD         WEST ALLIS              43.01N 88.03W
02/01/2011                   MILWAUKEE          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            VISIBILITY LESS THAN 2 BLOCKS

0905 PM     BLIZZARD         2 SSE ALBANY            42.68N 89.42W
02/01/2011                   GREEN              WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WHITEOUT CONDITIONS...WINDS 30 MPH GUSTING TO 54
            MPH...HEAVY SNOW...4-5 FT DRIFTS

&&

SEARS

Local storm report, Feb 1, 9:15 PM CST, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
915 PM CST TUE FEB 01 2011

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

0850 PM     BLIZZARD         RACINE                  42.73N 87.78W
02/01/2011                   RACINE             WI   PUBLIC

            THUNDERSNOW...LIGHTNING SEEN...RELAYED BY MEDIA TMJ4.

0905 PM     BLIZZARD         SHOREWOOD               43.09N 87.89W
02/01/2011                   MILWAUKEE          WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            THUNDERSNOW

&&

SEARS

Local storm report, Feb 1, 9:20 PM CST, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
920 PM CST TUE FEB 01 2011

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

0900 PM     BLIZZARD         2 E HOLY HILL           43.24N 88.29W
02/01/2011                   WASHINGTON         WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            VISIBILITY LESS THAN 1/4 MILE...WINDS 25 MPH GUSTING TO
            35 MPH...HEAVY SNOW...SNOWFALL BETWEEN 4 PM AND 9 PM CST
            WAS 3.5 INCHES. STORM TOTAL FROM YESTERDAY IS 11.4 INCHES
            SO FAR.

0905 PM     BLIZZARD         FOND DU LAC             43.78N 88.45W
02/01/2011                   FOND DU LAC        WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            5.5 INCHES SNOW TODAY...VISIBILITY LESS THAN 1/4
            MILE...WIND GUSTS UP TO 52 MPH. HWY 41 COVERED...SLOWING
            TRAFFIC.

0905 PM     HEAVY SNOW       3 S LA GRANGE           42.76N 88.60W
02/01/2011  M2.5 INCH        WALWORTH           WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SNOW TOTAL BETWEEN 7 AND 9 PM CST

&&

SEARS

Local storm report, Feb 1, 9:21 PM CST, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
921 PM CST TUE FEB 01 2011

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

0905 PM     BLIZZARD         WEST BEND               43.42N 88.18W
02/01/2011                   WASHINGTON         WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            VISIBILITY LESS THAN 1/4 MILE...WINDS GUSTING ABOVE 35
            MPH...1 INCH NEW SNOW SINCE 8 PM CST

&&

SEARS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Fond du Lac

When: February 1, 9:30 PM CST to February 2, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sheboygan

When: February 1, 9:30 PM CST to February 2, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Dodge

When: February 1, 9:30 PM CST to February 2, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Injuries: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Washington

When: February 1, 9:30 PM CST to February 2, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ozaukee

When: February 1, 9:30 PM CST to February 2, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, February 2011

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: 286994, 286995, 286996, 286997, 286998.