Freezing rain in the Green Bay area caused roads to become slippery during the late afternoon hours. I-43 was closed in both directions for more than two hours between Denmark and Bellevue due to more than a dozen accidents.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS GRB wrote it up.
Freezing rain in the Green Bay area caused roads to become slippery during the late afternoon hours. I-43 was closed in both directions for more than two hours between Denmark and Bellevue due to more than a dozen accidents. One accident involved nine vehicles and another involved an unoccupied Denmark Police squad car. There were also 18 to 20 vehicles that slid into the ditch.
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 Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 22, 11:18 AM CST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 1118 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012 UPDATED AVIATION PORTION FOR 18Z TAF ISSUANCE .SYNOPSIS..STORM SYSTEM TO BRING MIXED PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA LATE TODAY THROUGH MONDAY. SPLIT FLOW IN THE PROCESS OF EVOLVING ACRS NOAM...AS STG NEG UPR HEIGHT ANOMALY RETROGRADES WWD TO THE GULF OF AK. SIG STORM SYSTEM WITHIN THE SRN STREAM WL AFFECT THE AREA EARLY IN THE PERIOD... THEN THE FCST AREA WL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE NRN STREAM FOR THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK. BY NEXT WEEKEND...RISING HEIGHTS OUT NR THE WEST COAST WL CAUSE THE DOWNSTREAM FLOW TO CONSOLIDATE AGAIN...WITH BROAD TROF FORMING OVER CEN/ERN NOAM. TEMPS WL VARY WITH THE PASSAGE OF INDIVIDUAL WX SYSTEMS...BUT OVERALL...WILL RETURN TO AOA NORMAL. DESPITE THE SIG STORM SYSTEM TRACKING ACRS THE AREA EARLY IN THE PERIOD...PCPN TOTALS FOR THE NEXT WK LIKELY TO BE MODEST. && .SHORT TERM...TDA/TNGT/MON. CHANGING UPR PATTERN ACRS THE AREA WL RESULT IN COMPLEX STRUCTURE TO THE CYCLONE CROSSING THE AREA THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. UP TO THIS POINT...THAT HAS RESULTED IN CONSIDERABLE VARIABILITY BTWN MODELS AND FM RUN TO RUN OF THE SAME MODEL. SITN MAY FINALLY BE GETTING RESOLVED...AS NEW 00Z ECMWF HAS COME IN SIMILAR TO GFS/NAM IN DEPICTING CYCLONE DRIVING NEWD ACRS THE FCST AREA LATE TNGT AND EARLY MON WHILE UNDERGOING MODEST DEEPENING. MODEL FCST SOUNDINGS FOR TDA SUGGEST DRY LAYER HOLDING FM 850- 700MB...AND WITH WARMING OF LOW LEVELS...TEMP PROFILE WOULD NOT SUPPORT ICE CRYSTAL FORMATION. SO PCPN WL PROBABLY DEVELOP AS FZDZ/DZ DEPENDING ON THE TEMP. BUT TIMING OF ONSET OF PCPN A BIGGER QUESTION. SOME DRIER AIR AT LOW LEVELS HAS WORKED BACK INTO THE FCST AREA FM THE SE...AND THAT WL HOLD FOR A TIME THIS MORNING. THE NEAREST RADAR WITH ANY DRIZZLY LOOKING RETURNS WAS EAX. SO WK KEEP THE MORNING DRY AND THEN INCR PCPN CHCS DURING THE AFTN. THE WRN PART OF THE FCST AREA WL HAVE THE BEST CHC OF PCPN. TEMPS IN THE E ARE LIKELY TO WORK ABV FZG TDA /THEY ARE ALMOST THERE ALREADY AT THE LAKESHORE/. BUT GROUND TEMPS WL PROBABLY LAG SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE RECENT ARCTIC INTRUSION. SO WE COULD GET FZG PCPN EVEN WITH AIR TEMPS IN THE MID 30S. PCPN SHOULD INCR ACRS THE ENTIRE AREA TNGT. MID LEVELS STILL HAVE TROUBLE SATURATING. FZDZ/DZ WL PROBABLY BE THE MAIN PCPN TYPES...THOUGH A BAND OF RA/SHRA MAY WORK NNE ACRS FAR ERN WI DURING THE NGT. WL CARRY A CHC OF SN ALONG WITH THE FZDZ ACRS THE NW PART OF THE FCST AREA DURING THE EVENING...AS DEPTH OF MOISTURE INCREASES CLOSE TO THE POINT WHERE ICE CRYSTALS COULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE CLDS. DEEPENING MOISTURE/COLDER AIR BEING WRAPPED BACK SE INTO THE AREA AS THE CYCLONE CROSSES THE RGN WL CAUSE PCPN TO CHG TO SN FM W OR SW-NE LATE TNGT AND MON. THE NW PART OF THE FCST AREA COULD GET SEVERAL INCHES OF SN IF THE CHANGE OCCURS SOON ENOUGH...WITH MAYBE AN INCH OR TWO TOPS ELSEWHERE. GIVEN ALL THE UNCERTAINTY WITH PCPN START TIME AND TYPE...WL HOLD OFF ON POSTING ANY HEADLINES AND JUST DETAIL THE SITN IN THE HWO AND AND SPS. FULLY EXPECT THAT DAY SHIFT WL POST EITHER A FZ.Y OR WW.Y FOR AT LEAST THE W/NW 2/3 OF THE FCST AREA LATER TDA ONCE TIMING OF PCPN BECOMES MORE APPARENT. SFC DWPTS INCRG TO NR OR ABV FZG AND DECRG WINDS RIGHT ALONG THE TRACK OF THE SFC LOW SUGGEST FOG COULD BECOME A PROBLEM TNGT. EXPECT THE WORST CONDITIONS OVER THE SE 1/2 OF THE FCST AREA... WHERE DWPTS MAY ACTUALLY GO ABV FZG. COORD W MKX. .LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY. THE LATEST GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN INDICATES THAT THE RATHER BEEFY GULF OF ALASKA LOW WILL MIGRATE EAST OVER THE PERIOD...LEADING TO A LARGE LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER ITS CLIMATOLOGICAL POSITION FROM HUDSON BAY TO THE GREAT LAKES BY NEXT WEEKEND. AS A RESULT...AFTER A PERIOD OF RELATIVELY MILD TEMPS FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR...SHOULD SEE A COOL DOWN IN STORE ONCE THE LONGWAVE TROUGH AMPLIFIES OVERHEAD. UNTIL THIS OCCURS...WILL SEE A COUPLE FAST MOVING PACIFIC SYSTEMS IMPACT THE AREA...ONE TUESDAY NIGHT AND ANOTHER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WITH THE FAST FLOW SETTING UP OVER THE NORTHERN CONUS...PREFER TO LEAN ON THE GFS FOR MUCH OF THIS FORECAST CYCLE...EXCEPT FOR THE DEPARTING SYSTEM MONDAY NIGHT...WHEN WILL USE THE ECMWF. MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...LARGE EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE WILL BE DEPARTING INTO EASTERN ONTARIO MONDAY NIGHT. WILL STILL HAVE PLENTY OF MOISTURE THROUGH THE COLUMN EARLY...WHICH SHOULD BE GOOD FOR AT LEAST FLURRY ACTIVITY EVERYWHERE...AND SOME ADDITIONAL ACCUMS OVER FAR NE WISCONSIN...PERHAPS AN INCH OVER THE DOOR. COLDER AIR WILL CONTINUE TO WRAP AROUND THE LOW INTO THE REGION...AND THE SHARP CYCLONIC FLOW WILL SEND SOME LAKE ENHANCED BANDS INTO N-C WISCONSIN. MAY SEE AN ADDITIONAL INCH THERE TOO. ANY SNOW WILL BE PULLING OUT DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS THE MID-LEVEL MOISTURE DEPARTS. CLOUDS ARE LIKELY TO STICK AROUND THOUGH WITHIN CYCLONIC FLOW AND THERMAL TROUGHING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD INTO THE AREA ON TUESDAY. LOW CLOUDS WILL BE SLOWLY DEPARTING FROM SW TO NE THROUGH THE DAY. SHOULD SEE SOME SUN MOVE IN BY AFTERNOON WITH HIGHS A COUPLE DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE NEXT WAVE WILL BE DROPPING INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES TUESDAY NIGHT. BEST DYNAMICS LOOK TO STAY TO THE NORTH...WHILE MOISTURE WILL BE STUCK TO THE SOUTH. WILL GO WITH A DRY FORECAST. REST OF THE FORECAST...DECENT LOOKING SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL BE TRACKING FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY TO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SHOULD SEE SOME INCREASING CLOUDS WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF THE WAVE...THOUGH SHOULD BE DRY. THE WAVE WILL BRING GOOD FORCING INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES OF AROUND 7 C/KM...BUT MOISTURE IS LACKING. HAD A SIMILAR SYSTEM PASS THROUGH LAST WEEK THAT PRODUCED AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW...BUT WITH A STRONGER SURFACE FRONT. WILL TWEAK POPS UPWARD FROM THE ALLBLEND. NO REAL COLD AIR BEHIND THE WAVE HEADING INTO THURSDAY...AS THE AIR WILL BE OF PACIFIC ORIGIN. SHOULD SEE MILD AND DRY CONDITIONS THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. AMPLIFYING PATTERN WILL THEN DROP AN ARCTIC FRONT ON SATURDAY...WHEN TEMPS BEGIN THEIR DOWNWARD PLUNGE BACK BELOW NORMAL. && .AVIATION...EXPECT DETERIORATING CONDITIONS STARTING THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NE WI AS CIGS TO RESIDE IN THE IFR RANGE AND VSBYS SETTLE INTO THE 2-4 MILE RANGE AS MSTR GRADUALLY INCREASES IN THE LOW LEVELS OF THE ATM. NRN AND CNTRL WI SHOULD SEE FREEZING DRIZZLE DVLP BY MID-AFTERNOON AND CONT THRU MUCH OF TNGT. ERN WI WL ALSO SEE FREEZING DRIZZLE DVLP THIS AFTERNOON...BUT CHANGE TO EITHER RAIN OR DRIZZLE EARLY THIS EVENING AS WARMER AIR ARRIVES. THE IFR (BORDERLINE LIFR) CONDITIONS TO PERSIST THRU MOST OF MON AS A SFC LOW MOVES THRU NE WI. THE FREEZING DRIZZLE/DRIZZLE IS FCST TO GRADUALLY CHANGE TO ALL SNOW MON MORNING. && .GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && AK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 500 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-231200- VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE-LINCOLN-LANGLADE- MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO-WOOD-PORTAGE- WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET- MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO- 500 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT TRAVEL COULD BECOME VERY HAZARDOUS OVER PARTS WISCONSIN TODAY AND TONIGHT AS FREEZING DRIZZLE DEVELOPS ACROSS THE REGION. TEMPERATURES SHOULD EVENTUALLY WARM ENOUGH TO RESULT IN JUST DRIZZLE OR LIGHT RAIN IN FAR EASTERN WISCONSIN TONIGHT. FOG IS EXPECTED TO FORM DURING THE NIGHT AND THEN LINGER INTO EARLY MONDAY. THE FOG COULD BECOME DENSE AND REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN 1/4 MILE...ESPECIALLY OVER EASTERN WISCONSIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO SNOW BEFORE ENDING MONDAY...CONTINUING THE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. ANY LINGERING FOG WILL LIFT BY LATE MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT ANY SITUATIONS WHERE FREEZING DRIZZLE LEADS TO HAZARDOUS ROAD OR SIDEWALK CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREEN BAY. LMZ521-522-541>543-231200- THE BAY OF GREEN BAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WASHINGTON ISLAND TO SHEBOYGAN- 500 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE WATERS OF GREEN BAY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS FROM THE SOUTHEAST ARE POSSIBLE EARLY TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY WEST WINDS MAY APPROACH GALE FORCE LATE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. JS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 1100 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-222130- VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE-LINCOLN-LANGLADE- MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO-WOOD-PORTAGE- WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET- MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...EAGLE RIVER...RHINELANDER...CRANDON... TOMAHAWK...ANTIGO...KESHENA...STURGEON BAY...WAUSAU... WISCONSIN RAPIDS...STEVENS POINT...APPLETON...GREEN BAY... ALGOMA...WAUTOMA...OSHKOSH...CHILTON...TWO RIVERS...CRIVITZ 1100 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012 ...FREEZING DRIZZLE LIKELY TO RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... TRAVEL COULD BECOME VERY HAZARDOUS OVER PARTS WISCONSIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS FREEZING DRIZZLE DEVELOPS ACROSS THE REGION. THE FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN FIRST...THEN EXPAND INTO THE EAST. A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY OR WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS LIKELY TO BE POSTED LATER THIS AFTERNOON. AIR TEMPERATURES IN EASTERN WISCONSIN WILL RISE ABOVE FREEZING THIS AFTERNOON...BUT OUTDOOR SURFACES ARE VERY COLD AFTER THE RECENT COLD SNAP...AND WILL BE SLOWER TO WARM. AS A RESULT... DRIZZLE COULD RESULT IN GLAZING OF SURFACES EVEN WITH AIR TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 30S. TEMPERATURES IN EASTERN WISCONSIN SHOULD EVENTUALLY WARM ENOUGH TO RESULT IN JUST DRIZZLE OR LIGHT RAIN BY MID TO LATE EVENING...BUT THE FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL...NORTH-CENTRAL...AND PARTS OF FAR NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. FOG IS ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT. THE FOG COULD BECOME LOCALLY DENSE AT TIMES AND REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS. THAT WOULD MOST LIKELY OCCUR IN EASTERN WISCONSIN AFTER MIDNIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY MONDAY. THE MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO SNOW ON MONDAY. A COUPLE INCHES OF ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE OVER NORTH-CENTRAL AND PARTS OF CENTRAL WISCONSIN...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS IN THE EAST. THE FREEZING PRECIPITATION...FOG...AND EVENTUALLY SNOW WILL LIKELY RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. BE SURE TO CHECK THE LATEST FORECAST BEFORE HEADING OUT FOR A TRIP IN YOUR CAR. THE LATEST WISCONSIN ROAD CONDITIONS CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 511. AK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
There was one indirect injury in a 9-vehicle accident that occurred on I-43 near Langes Corners. A woman was seriously injured after she was ejected from her vehicle.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, January 2012
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: 359968.