Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 20, 2012

Name: Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 20, 2012
Start: 2012-01-20T11:00
End: 2012-01-20T21:00
Location: Wisconsin

January 20, 2012 · NWS MKX · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

which continued into the evening hours. Cold temperatures that remained in the single digits above zero during the majority of the snowfall reduced the effectiveness of melting chemicals on area roads, resulting in slippery conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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: 15

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.

Strong frontogenetic forcing associated with mid-level warm-air advection ahead of a short-wave trough produced a shield of steady light...to at times moderate...snow that spread over southern Wisconsin during the late morning hours of January 20th...which continued into the evening hours. Cold temperatures that remained in the single digits above zero during the majority of the snowfall reduced the effectiveness of melting chemicals on area roads, resulting in slippery conditions. Numerous reports of spin-outs and crashes were received from law enforcement agencies across the region. Snowfall totals ranged from around 3 inches from Sauk County to Ozaukee County...generally along a Wisconsin Dells...Portage to Mequon line...rising to 5 to 6 inches from Lafayette County east into southern Rock County. The strip of counties from Marquette east to Sheboygan received 2 inches or less.

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 Jan 20, 10:21 AM CST, 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 20, 10:21 AM CST, 39 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 20, 4:59 AM CST, 6 hours 1 minute 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

15 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Sauk

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 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: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 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, Dodge

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Washington

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Ozaukee

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Iowa

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 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: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 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, Jefferson

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Waukesha

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lafayette

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Green

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Green forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Rock

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Walworth

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Walworth forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Racine

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Racine forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Kenosha

When: January 20, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Kenosha forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.573, -87.840 (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

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, January 2012

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: 362538, 362539, 362540, 362541, 362542, 362543, 362544, 362545, 362546, 362547, 362548, 362549, 362550, 362551, 362552.