An area of low pressure over the Central Plains moved east along a stationary front and generated a large area of mixed freezing rain, sleet and snow to parts of northeast Wisconsin. There was enough instability present to allow thunder to occur which helped to enhance the ice and snow, mainly over central and east-central Wisconsin.
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.
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.
An area of low pressure over the Central Plains moved east along a stationary front and generated a large area of mixed freezing rain, sleet and snow to parts of northeast Wisconsin. There was enough instability present to allow thunder to occur which helped to enhance the ice and snow, mainly over central and east-central Wisconsin. In Appleton, ice accumulations reached at least one-half inch. Numerous trees, branches and power lines were toppled by the weight of the ice. Power outages affected nearly 30,000 customers.
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 Apr 9, 7:30 PM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 830 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 NEW INFORMATION ADDED TO UPDATE SECTION .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 820 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 COOL AND DRIER AIR HAS FILTERED SOUTHWARD OVER THE NORTH HALF OF THE STATE EARLY THIS EVENING. LOW LEVEL CLOUDS HAVE SHIFTED SOUTH AND SCOURED OUT. MAIN FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDS OVER SOUTHERN WISCONSIN CLOSE WHERE LIGHT RETURNS REMAIN EARLY THIS EVENING. NEXT WAVE PRODUCING ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER OVER NORTHEAST IOWA AND FAR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA ALSO TRACKING ALONG THIS BOUNDARY. LEADING EDGE OF THE CONVECTION JUST ENTERING SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN WITH WIDESPREAD CONVECTION TO THE WEST OVER IOWA. NORTH OF THIS CONVECTION WAS MORE OF A STRATI FORM RAIN. CHALLENGE OVERNIGHT WILL BE HOW MUCH EV AP COOLING WILL CHANGE THE RAIN TO A MIX OVERNIGHT AND FAR NORTH. CURRENT FORECAST ALREADY HAS A MIX ROUGHLY AROUND THE HIGHWAY 29 AREA AND NORTH. PRESENT RADAR TRENDS SUGGESTS THE HEAVIER RAIN AMOUNTS WITH EMBEDDED STORMS WILL TRACK SOUTH OF THE AREA...BUT MAY BRUSH AREAS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 10. MAIN CHANGE IN THE FORECAST IS TIMING. HAVE DELAYED THE ARRIVAL A BIT. UPDATE ISSUED AT 428 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 UPDATED THE HYDROLOGY SECTION. && .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY ISSUED AT 229 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 FIRST BAND OF RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS NORTHEAST WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON. KY50 REPORTED NEARLY THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH DURING THE PAST 7 HOURS. FOR TONIGHT...THE FIRST BAND OF HEAVIER PRECIPITATION WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON. BEHIND IT...OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING BEFORE NEXT ROUND OF HEAVIER PRECIPITATION MOVES INTO THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THERE WILL BE PROBABLY BE ANOTHER LULL IN THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION TOMORROW AFTERNOON. COLDER AND DRIER AIR ALOFT WILL PUSH SOUTHWARD TONIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE THE PRECIPITATION TO BECOME MIXED WITH OR CHANGE SNOW... LIGHT FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET...MAINLY NORTH OF A WAUSAU TO STURGEON BAY LINE. DO NOT THINK THE FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET WILL BECOME A BIG PROBLEM ACROSS THE NORTH WHERE LIGHT QPF AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED. PLUS THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE MORE SNOW THAN FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET OR THE VERY FAR NORTH WHERE THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED. ALSO... ROAD TEMPERATURES CLIMBED INTO THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S DESPITE AIR TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 30S THIS AFTERNOON. THINK ROAD/SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL BE HOVERING AROUND FREEZING BY SUNRISE...THUS WILL NOT ISSUE ANY WINTER WEATHER HEADLINES. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THERE WERE A FEW SLIPPERY SPOTS. DID ADD A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 29 OVERNIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE MIX CONTINUES ACROSS THE NORTH AND RAIN/SLEET ACROSS THE SOUTH. ANY FREEZING RAIN SHOULD END BY 15Z AS STRONG APRIL SUN WILL DO ITS MAGIC ON AREA ROADS/SURFACES. TEMPERATURES BY THEN SHOULD BE A DEGREE OR TWO ABOVE FREEZING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVERNIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING COULD APPROACH AN INCH. SEE HYDROLOGY SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS. GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. IT WILL BE COLD ON WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 30S. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY ISSUED AT 229 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 MAIN FCST CONCERNS INCLUDE PCPN TRENDS AND TYPE...AND SNOW AND ICE ACCUMS...FROM WEDS NGT INTO THU. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO A CONCERN IN THE FOX VALLEY/LKSR AREAS WEDS NGT INTO THURSDAY. STRONG FRONTOGENETIC FORCING IN ASSOC WITH AN INTENSE BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL AFFECT THE REGION WEDS NGT...BRINGING SIGNIFICANT PCPN TO C/EC WI. QPF WILL BE LIGHTER TO THE NORTH...WHERE STG NE WINDS WILL PULL DRIER AIR INTO NC/NE WI. USED THE NAM/GFS 800-750 MB TEMPS AS A GUIDELINE FOR PCPN TYPE...AND THEY INDICATE ALL SNOW OVER FAR NORTHERN WI...A MIX OF SNOW/SLEET OVER OUR CENTRAL COUNTIES...AND A MIX OF RAIN/FREEZING/SLEET OVER OUR SOUTHERN COUPLE TIERS OF COUNTIES. THE BEST CHANCE OF A DECENT ICING EVENT SHOULD BE OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL WI...WHERE MIN TEMPS WILL DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S/LOWER 30S. WITH MILD ROAD TEMPS AND TEMPS NEAR FREEZING...EXPECT ICE ACCUMS TO REMAIN BLO A QUARTER INCH. FARTHER EAST...TEMPS WILL BE AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE FREEZING...SO FREEZING RAIN WILL LIKELY BE PATCHIER IN THE FOX VALLEY/LKSHR AREAS. SNOW ACCUMS SHOULD BE FAIRLY LIGHT...WITH LOCAL 1-2 INCH AMOUNTS OVER PARTS OF NC/NE WI. ON THURSDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL APPROACH SW WI...AND BRING WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE PCPN TO THE REGION. MIXED PCPN WILL CONTINUE IN THE MORNING...WITH PCPN TYPE CHANGING TO MAINLY SNOW OVER NC/NE/C WI...AND SNOW/SLEET OVER EC WI...DURING THE AFTERNOON. LITTLE ACCUM IS EXPECT IN EC WI...BUT 1-2 INCH ACCUMS ARE LIKELY TO THE WEST AND NORTH...WITH SOME 3-4 INCH AMOUNTS PSBL IN NC/FAR NE WI. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMS ARE ANTICIPATED THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW TRACKS NE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCUMS SHOULD CONTINUE OVER NORTHERN WI. EXPECT SNOW SHOWERS TO GRADUALLY TAPER OFF FROM SW TO NE AS THE SYSTEM PULLS OUT ON FRIDAY. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL REALLY CRANK UP IN THE FOX VALLEY/LKSHR AREAS WEDS NGT INTO THU...AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN IMT AND DBQ INCREASES TO 11 TO 14 MB...AND 925 MB WINDS INCREASE TO 40-45 KTS. LOCAL STUDY SUGGESTS GUSTS APPROACHING ADVISORY CRITERIA IN THE FOX VALLEY...SO WILL CARRY GUSTS TO 40 MPH IN THE FCST. THE ONLY OTHER SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM TO AFFECT THE REGION WILL ARRIVE ON SAT NGT...AND LINGER INTO SUN NGT. LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK FROM THE CENTRAL ROCKIES TO THE LAKE SUPERIOR REGION...AND A TRACK THAT FAR NORTH SUGGESTS MAINLY RAIN FOR PCPN TYPE. EVEN SO...WILL CARRY A MENTION OF MIXED PCPN SAT NGT INTO EARLY SUNDAY...AS H8 TEMPS START OUT A LITTLE BLO ZERO. && .AVIATION...FOR 06Z TAF ISSUANCE ISSUED AT 801 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 COOL AND DRIER AIR FILTERING INTO NORTHERN WISCONSIN HAS CREATED VFR CONDITIONS EARLY THIS EVENING OVER MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. NEXT WAVE OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN AND NORTHEAST IOWA AND TRACKING TOWARD SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. THE STORMS APPEAR TO BE MOVING ALONG THE BAROCLINIC ZONE OVER SOUTHERN WISCONSIN WHICH BRUSHES NEAR A LINE FROM MFI TO OSH. RADARS TO THE WEST SHOW A LARGER STRAIT FORM RAIN NORTH OF THIS CONVECTION WHICH WILL PASS OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATER THIS EVENING. AS A RESULT EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TO LOWER TO MVFR LEVELS LATER THIS EVENING AND PERHAPS TO IFR CONDITIONS TOWARD MORNING. WITH THE DRIER AIR...PCPN TYPE BECOMES MORE OF AN ISSUE DUE TO EVAP COOLING TONIGHT. CURRENT FCST DOES HAVE A MIX OVERNIGHT OVER THE REGION ALONG HIGHWAY 29. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 430 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 GROUND TRUTH REPORTS THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE EAU CLAIRE RIVER MARATHON COUNTY IN KELLY...EAST OF WAUSAU...INDICATE ICE WAS IMPACTING THE STAGE LEVELS. WILL LIKELY END THE RIVER FLOOD WARNING EARLY THIS EVENING AND RETURN TO AN ADVISORY FOR THE FLUCTUATING FLOWS DUE TO ICE. OTHERWISE PART 1 OF THE SOAKING RAINS HAS PASSED OVER TODAY. ANOTHER ROUND RAIN DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH THE LEADING EDGE JUST GETTING INTO SW MINNESOTA AND WILL WORK INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATER THIS EVENING. ANTICIPATE RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL EVENTUALLY WILL START TO BE IMPACTED BY THE RUN OFF BY THE RAINFALL BY WEDNESDAY...IF NOT LATER TONIGHT. WITH THE PERSISTENT BOUNDARY LOCATED SOUTH...ANOTHER WAVE WITH RAINFALL ANTICIPATED FOR LATER WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AN AREAL FLOOD WATCH WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY. && .GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR WIZ030-031-035>040-045- 048>050-074. && UPDATE.........TDH SHORT TERM.....ECKBERG LONG TERM......KIECKBUSCH AVIATION.......TDH HYDROLOGY......TDH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 228 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-101930- 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- 228 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED. HEAVIER RAIN IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AGAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT. WITH AREA RIVERS SWOLLEN DUE TO THE RECENT RAINFALL AND SNOW MELT...RESIDENTS LIVING NEAR CREEKS AND RIVER SHOULD MONITOR RIVER LEVELS. A WINTRY MIX OF WEATHER IS EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF NORTH-CENTRAL AND FAR NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. THE MIXED PRECIPITATION COULD PRODUCE A FEW SLICK SPOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE WINTRY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF WISCONSIN WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. SOME ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL...CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN ON WEDNESDAY MORNING...AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING. ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. PERSONS WITH TRAVEL PLANS SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING STORM. RUNOFF FROM SNOW MELT AND WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR 3 INCHES...WILL CAUSE SOME RIVERS TO RISE TO ABOVE FLOOD STAGE IN CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS WEEK. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS REGION THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY ICE OR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OR RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER A HALF INCH TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREEN BAY. LMZ521-522-541>543-101930- THE BAY OF GREEN BAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WASHINGTON ISLAND TO SHEBOYGAN- 228 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE WATERS OF GREEN BAY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT INCREASING NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. A FEW GUSTS COULD APPROACH GALE FORCE ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE BAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT ARE LIKELY WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. GALE FORCE GUSTS ARE LIKELY LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. RE/TSK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 1043 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-101200- 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 1043 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 ...WINTRY MIX OF WEATHER EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... LOW PRESSURE SLOWLY APPROACHING FROM THE PLAINS...WILL BRING SEVERAL PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. DURING THIS SAME PERIOD...A LARGE ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO OUR NORTH WILL FEED COLD AIR INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHERN WISCONSIN. MIXED PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY...WITH MAINLY SNOW LATE THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. PATCHY ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL...CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...WITH MORE WIDESPREAD ICING POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. ACCUMULATING SNOW IS ALSO EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHERN WISCONSIN...WHERE 4 TO 8 INCHES MAY ACCUMULATE FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHTER FARTHER SOUTH. PERSONS WITH TRAVEL PLANS ACROSS WISCONSIN THIS WEEK SHOULD ANTICIPATE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. BE SURE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING SPRING STORM.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous branches were knocked down due to heavy icing. The largest branches measured 10 inches in diameter.
An estimated one-half inch of ice fell overnight which led to icing on tree branches and poles. The combination of ice and wind caused some branches to break off.
Up to one-half inch of ice fell in the city of Appleton. Numerous large branches and limbs were knocked down on the northeast side of Appleton near County OO and County E. Power was also knocked out in this area.
Up to one-quarter inch of ice fell over parts of Calumet County. The accumulation of ice was seen on branches and structures.
A combination of sleet and snow produced icing across parts of Waupaca County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, April 2013
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: 436649, 436650, 436651, 436652, 444900.