Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 22 to 23, 2012

Name: Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 22 to 23, 2012
Start: 2012-01-22T10:00
End: 2012-01-23T09:00
Location: Wisconsin

January 22 to 23, 2012 · NWS MKX · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 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: 16

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 surge of moisture and isentropic lift ahead of a negatively-tilted short wave trough spread freezing drizzle and areas of freezing fog across all of South Central and Southeast Wisconsin during the morning hours of January 22nd. The freezing precipitation put down a glaze between 1/8 inch to just under 1/4 inch thick on surfaces across southern Wisconsin. Warm air at the surface moved into most of Southeast and South Central Wisconsin during the evening hours...changing the freezing drizzle over to drizzle. Locations in the counties of Iowa...Sauk...Columbia..and Marquette continued to get freezing drizzle and freezing fog during the overnight...with light snow falling on top of the glazed surfaces as the precipitation came to the end during the early morning hours of the 23rd. The icy surfaces created hazardous travel conditions that produced numerous spin-outs and accidents, including an accident on westbound I-94 at County Highway F in Waukesha County that involved a semi-trailer truck and a county snowplow.

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 22, 10:00 AM CST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 22, 10:00 AM CST, 0 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1000 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012

.UPDATE...HOISTED WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SC WI. REPORTS FROM
UPSTREAM/KDVN RADAR INDICATE EXPANDING COVERAGE OF FZDZ. IN
ADDITION WIDESPREAD FREEZING FOG. A FEW BLOWING SNOW REPORTS AS
WELL. ISENTROPIC PLOTS SUGGEST CONSIDERABLE MOISTURE INFLUX AND
ADIABATIC OMEGA INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. MODELS SHOWING
CONSISTENT EXPANSION OF LIGHT QPF COVERAGE...HOWEVER NOT CONVINCED
THIS WILL BE ENOUGH MEASURE...BUT ENOUGH TO CAUSE SLICK SPOTS ON
THE ROADWAYS.

PC

&&

.AVIATION/18Z TAFS/...LIFR CEILINGS/VSBYS TO PREVIAL INTO TONIGHT.
WARM LAYER ABOVE AND SUBFREEZING TEMPS AT THE SURFACE WILL RESULT
IN SOME ICING WITH FZDZ AND FZFG. LOW PRESSURE STILL ORGANIZING
INTO OK PANHANDLE. WILL EVENTUALLY CURVE NORTHEAST INTO WI LATER
TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. PLENTY OF MOISTURE SURGING NORTH WILL
EVENTUALLY LEAD TO WIDESPREAD RAIN WITH SOME FREEZING RAIN
POTENTIAL AT THE OUTSET WITH LINGERING WARM LAYER. AS LOW LIFTS
NORTHEAST OF WI ON MONDAY COLDER AIR WRAPS IN LEADING TO
A CHANGEOVER TO LIGHT SNOW.

PC

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 324 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012/

TODAY AND TONIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM

MAIN WEATHER PLAYER WILL BE FROM STRONG SHORTWAVE EXITING THE
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ROCKIES THAT WILL STRENGTHEN AND REACH THE
PLAINS BY NOON AND BECOME NEGATIVELY TILTED AS IT LIFTS NORTHEAST
TOWARD THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY THIS EVENING AND INTO WISCONSIN
AS IT BEGINS TO FORM A CLOSED LOW.

UPPER DIVERGENCE INCREASES AND MOVES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING AS THE UPPER JET ROUNDS THE BASE OF
THE TROUGH AND REACHES THE LAKE MICHIGAN AREA LATE TONIGHT.

MODELS ARE IN CLOSER AGREEMENT ON THE RESULTING SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS
WITH THE SURFACE LOW REACHING WISCONSIN LATE TONIGHT.  SURFACE LOW
IS RATHER BROAD WITH ALL MODELS KEEPING THE HIGHEST QPF OFF TO THE
SOUTH AND EAST WITH THICKNESS VALUES INDICATING MOST OF THE
PRECIPITATION LIQUID EXCEPT FOR A CHANGEOVER TO SNOW LATE TONIGHT
EXCEPT FOR MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST.  ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE
MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM LONE ROCK TO FOND DU LAC...AND THIS
WOULD ONLY BE AN INCH OR SO.

MAIN CONCERN IS WITH FREEZING DRIZZLE/RAIN POTENTIAL.  HOWEVER
MOISTURE IS LACKING INITIALLY AND WITH A FAIRLY DRY FEED FROM THE
SOUTHEAST THIS MORNING...TEMPERATURES WOULD LIKELY TO RISE ABOVE
FREEZING OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST BY THE TIME ANY MEASURABLE
PRECIPITATION FALLS.  LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SOMEWHAT LACKING FOR
WIDESPREAD FREEZING DRIZZLE SOUTHEAST.  A BIT MORE PROBLEMATIC OVER
SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN FARTHER AWAY FROM THE LAKE MICHIGAN
WARMING.  EVEN HERE MOISTURE SURGE WILL BE LATE AND PREFER TO NOT
ISSUE ANY HEADLINES FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE/FREEZING RAIN SINCE THE
TREAT WOULD LIKELY BE THIS AFTERNOON OR MORE TOWARDS EVENING.

SOME DENSE FOG POTENTIAL TONIGHT AS THE MOISTURE INCREASES OVER THE
SNOW COVER AND WHEN WINDS DIMINISH UNDER THE SURFACE LOW.

MONDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM TO HIGH

MODELS STILL HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES WITH TEMPERATURES ON
MONDAY...WITH THE NAM STILL BRINGING THE COLDER AIR IN QUICKER IN
THE MORNING. LEANED TOWARD THE MORE CONSISTENT ECMWF/GFS SOLUTION
FOR TEMPS...WHICH SUGGESTS MOST PLACES MAY STILL BE RAINING AT
DAYBREAK. TEMPS THEN TO FALL WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE MORNING
BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...WITH PRECIP LIKELY ALL SNOW ACROSS THE
AREA BY NOON. NOT A LOT OF MOISTURE AND LIFT LEFT ONCE TEMPS
DROPS...SO NOT EXPECTING MUCH IN THE WAY OF SNOW ACCUMULATION.

KEPT FOG MENTION FROM MADISON EASTWARD FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE
MORNING WITH THE LOW OVERHEAD. COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE COLD FRONT
WILL QUICKLY GET RID OF ANY FOG LINGERING FOG DURING THE MORNING
HOURS THOUGH.

WEST WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY LATE MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
BEHIND THE FRONT...AS A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT SETS UP ACROSS
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. WENT WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 35 MPH WITH DECENT
MIXING DUE TO THE COLD ADVECTION...THOUGH NEWEST NAM AND GFS
SOUNDINGS SUGGEST GUSTS COULD EVEN GET UP TO 40 MPH.

TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM

LOOKS FAIRLY QUIET TUESDAY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. MODELS
DEPICTING A SERIES OF WEAK SHORTWAVES TO ROLL THROUGH DURING THIS
PERIOD...POSSIBLY BRINGING SOME FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW AT TIMES. NOT
ENOUGH CONFIDENCE DURING ANY ONE TIME FRAME TO INCLUDE POPS. NEAR
NORMAL TEMPS TUESDAY EXPECTED TO WARM TO A FEW DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL FOR WEDNESDAY RIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.

AVIATION/12Z TAFS/...

INCREASING LOW LEVEL SOUTHEAST FLOW PUSHING SOME MVFR STRATOCUMULUS
INTO THE FAR EAST OFF LAKE MICHIGAN.

MAIN SURGE OF LOWER CEILINGS MVFR TO IFR WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING.
MAV MOS SEEMS TOO OPTIMISTIC BUT NAM SEEMS TOO LOW WITH LIFR
CEILINGS.  WILL TAKE A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH MAINLY IFR LATER THIS
MORNING THEN LOWERING TO LIFR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  OTHER
PROBLEM WILL BE WIND SHEAR POTENTIAL WITH 40 KNOT LOW LEVEL JET.
HOWEVER SURFACE WINDS INCREASE SO THE WIND SHEAR POTENTIAL WILL
LESSEN.  OTHER PROBLEM WOULD BE FREEZING DRIZZLE POTENTIAL.  HOWEVER
AN INITIAL DRIER SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL MINIMIZE THIS SOMEWHAT BUT SOME
FREEZING DRIZZLE/RAIN COULD DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
WISCONSIN MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON WHERE THE WARMER LAKE INFLUENCE WILL
BE LESS.

SOME LIFR VSBYS POTENTIAL TONIGHT AS THE MOISTURE INCREASES OVER THE
SNOW COVER AND WHEN WINDS DIMINISH UNDER THE SURFACE LOW.

APPEARS SURFACE TEMPS WILL RISE ABOVE FREEZING SOUTHEAST AND NEAR TO
ABOVE FREEZING SOUTH CENTRAL.  AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES ACROSS
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN COLDER AIR WILL PUSH ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
WISCONSIN LATE TONIGHT CHANGING ANY PRECIPITATION TO SNOW.

MARINE...

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDDAY TUESDAY AS STRONG
LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS MOVES INTO WISCONSIN
TONIGHT BRINGING BRISK SOUTH WINDS.  WINDS MAY DECREASE FOR A TIME
CLOSE TO THE LOW BUT THEN INCREASE AGAIN BEHIND A COLD/OCCLUDED
FRONT MONDAY MORNING AS WINDS BECOME SOUTHWEST AND EVENTUALLY
NORTHWEST.

&&

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR WIZ046-
     056-057-062-063-067>069.

LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST TUESDAY FOR LMZ643>646.

&&

TODAY/TONIGHT AND AVIATION/MARINE...HENTZ
MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...DDV

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 22, 9:46 AM CST, 14 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
946 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-231600-
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
946 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012

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

.DAY ONE...REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT

STRONG LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN TONIGHT.
THIS SYSTEM WILL CAUSE AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL WISCONSIN TODAY...POSSIBLY SPREADING INTO SOUTHEAST AND
EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON...ALONG WITH A CHANCE OF
LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. WIDESPREAD FREEZING FOG IS ALSO EXPECTED.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FREEZING FOG
REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO ONE MILE OR LESS IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CST
THIS EVENING ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM MONTELLO TO COLUMBUS TO
MADISON AND BELOIT...INCLUDING JANESVILLE...BARABOO AND MINERAL POINT.

IN ADDITION...AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CAUSE SLICK
SPOTS ON ROADWAYS AS WELL AS REDUCED VISIBILITIES.

AS THE LOW APPROACHES LAKE MICHIGAN LATE TONIGHT...AREAS OF RAIN
AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BECOME MIXED WITH AND CHANGE OVER TO SNOW
TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST OF MADISON. LITTLE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
ARE EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

AS THE LOW CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHEAST...SOME SNOW OF UP TO AN
INCH IS EXPECTED MAINLY NORTH OF A MONROE TO SHEBOYGAN LINE...WITH
LESS THAN AN INCH TO THE SOUTH BY LATE AFTERNOON MONDAY. BRISK
WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS MAY APPROACH WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA ON MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...HOWEVER ANY ICING REPORTS
WILL BE APPRECIATED.

LMZ643>646-231600-
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-
946 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT DUE TO STRONG SOUTHEAST
WINDS AND HIGH WAVES AHEAD OF APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE OVER THE
CENTRAL PLAINS. THE WINDS SHOULD BECOME MORE SOUTHWEST AND WEST
LATE TONIGHT AND MAY DIMINISH FOR A WHILE AS THE LOW PRESSURE
MOVES ACROSS WISCONSIN.

AREAS OF DENSE FOG AND FREEZING FOG ARE EXPECTED AS WELL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AGAIN FROM THE WEST AS LOW
PRESSURE EXITS THE LAKE MICHIGAN AREA. A FEW GUSTS MAY APPROACH
GALE CRITERIA ON MONDAY...ESPECIALLY TOWARD OPEN WATERS.

THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON ON
TUESDAY WHEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WEATHER
SYSTEM FINALLY BEGINS TO RELAX.

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX

MBK

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Sheboygan

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dodge

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Washington

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Ozaukee

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Waukesha

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Iowa

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Iowa forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.001, -90.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dane

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dane forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lafayette

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Green

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Green forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Rock

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Marquette

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to January 23, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Marquette forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Green Lake

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to January 23, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Green Lake forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Fond du Lac

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to January 23, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Sauk

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to January 23, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Sauk forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Columbia

When: January 22, 10:00 AM CST to January 23, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.467, -89.334 (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: 362554, 362555, 362556, 362557, 362558, 362559, 362560, 362561, 362562, 362563, 362564, 362565, 362567, 362568, 362569, 362570.