Wisconsin, 2011

Winter Weather in Wisconsin, November 9, 2011

November 9, 2011 · NWS MKX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Surface low pressure, tracking from northern Missouri across extreme northeast Illinois to northern Lower Michigan, was accompanied by a strong upper-level disturbance moving across the western Great Lakes region. These features combined with a favorable thermal profile to produce 3 to 6 inches of heavy, wet snow across northwest portions of South Central Wisconsin during the morning and early…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

Surface low pressure, tracking from northern Missouri across extreme northeast Illinois to northern Lower Michigan, was accompanied by a strong upper-level disturbance moving across the western Great Lakes region. These features combined with a favorable thermal profile to produce 3 to 6 inches of heavy, wet snow across northwest portions of South Central Wisconsin during the morning and early afternoon hours of November 9th. Power lines and tree limbs snapped under the weight of the heavy snow that had collected on them. Snowfall totals for the event included La Valle with 7.2 inches; Reedsburg with 6.4 inches; Baraboo with 6 inches; and Mineral Point with 5.5 inches of snow. The 7-inch amount was isolated and therefore prevented this event from being entered as a winter storm. In addition to the snow, the tight pressure gradient around the low produced sustained northeast to north winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts of 35 to 45 mph, reducing visibilities and adding to travel difficulties.

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 Nov 9, 5:01 AM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 9, 5:01 AM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 9, 5:48 AM CST, 1 hour 12 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

8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When
November 9, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Green Lake

When
November 9, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Green Lake forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Fond du Lac

When
November 9, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals of 3 to 5 inches made for slick roads and dangerous driving conditions. A street located on a hill in Ripon became impassible as cars stalled and slid back down the hill. A tree was set on fire when a live power line, weighted down by the heavy, wet snow, snapped and made contact with the tree.

Winter Weather, Sauk

When
November 9, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Sauk forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Columbia

When
November 9, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Iowa

When
November 9, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Iowa forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.001, -90.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dane

When
November 9, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Dane forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lafayette

When
November 9, 7:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, November 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 355212, 355213, 355219, 355220, 355221, 355223, 355224, 355225.