A winter storm affected parts of South-central and Southeast Wisconsin with steady moderate to heavy snow. with the lake-influence clearly noted by the higher 12 to 18 inch accumulations where the landmass extends out into the lake around Wind Point in Racine County and eastern Sheboygan County.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 MKX wrote it up.
A winter storm affected parts of South-central and Southeast Wisconsin with steady moderate to heavy snow. Snowfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches were reported over the eastern counties of Southeast Wisconsin...with the lake-influence clearly noted by the higher 12 to 18 inch accumulations where the landmass extends out into the lake around Wind Point in Racine County and eastern Sheboygan County. Oostburg, in southeast Sheboygan County, recorded 18.6 inches of snow. The rapidly accumulating heavy snows made it difficult for plowing crews to keep area roadways passable, causing closures of county roads. The rapid accumulation of snow made it difficult to keep roads clear, even in the larger cities in the east, where the snow intensity was enhanced by convergent flow along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The most rapid accumulations occurred during the early evening of February 26th, and continued overnight into the morning hours of February 27th.
This winter storm was due to a deformation zone on the north side of low pressure that tracked from Missouri, across Illinois to Lower Michigan. The deformation zone lifted north through southern Wisconsin during the late afternoon and evening hours of February 26th, then stalled in an east-west fashion over East-Central Wisconsin during the overnight hours, with an easterly flow feeding additional lake moisture into the system. Later on the deformation zone rotated to a more north-south line and dropped southeast through Southeast Wisconsin during the early morning of February 27th as the low pulled away to the east.
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 Feb 26, 3:29 AM CST, 8 hours 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
329 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2013
.TODAY AND TONIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS HIGH.
MODERATE 250 MB UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE LIFTS NORTH FROM ILLINOIS
EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS SEEN BY RAPIDLY THICKENING CLOUDS. THIS
UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE CONTINUES THROUGH THE NIGHT...AS IT
WEAKENS.
GOOD MID LEVEL WARM TROWAL LIFTS NORTH ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
TODAY. STRONG 700 MB UPWARD MOTION LIFTS NORTH BUT WEAKENS AS IT
REACHES SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. HOWEVER THIS LIFT CONTINUES THROUGH
THE NIGHT.
MODERATE 850 MB MOISTURE CONVERGENCE THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE
WEAKENING A LITTLE. NEVER THE LESS MODELS AGREE ON PUSHING
PRECIPITATION NORTHWARD INTO FAR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN THIS
AFTERNOON, THEN ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. MAIN
FORECAST CONCERN IS WITH AMOUNTS. MOST MODELS HAVE TRENDED TOWARD
THE HIGHER NAM...ALTHOUGH IT IS STILL HIGHER NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN
THAN THE REST. IT APPEARS THE CONSENSUS PRECIPITATION IS VERY
REASONABLE, GIVEN THE GFS MAY BE TOO LOW.
STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED AS THE LOW PRESSURE
APPROACHES NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN.
THE EASTERLY WINDS WILL KEEP LOW LEVEL DRY AIR IN PLACE OVER
SOUTHERN WI...WHICH WILL LEAD TO A DELAY IN PRECIP ON THE NORTH
SIDE OF THE LOW MAKING IT INTO SOUTHERN WI. HOWEVER THIS WILL ALSO
AID IN EVAPORATIVE COOLING WHICH COMBINED WITH DYNAMIC COOLING
SHOULD RESULT IN A SNOW EVENT...WITH A POSSIBLE RAIN/SNOW MIXTURE
AT ONSET.
WILL PUSH SNOW AMOUNTS TO NEAR WINTER STORM WARNING CRITERIA IN
THE FAR SOUTHEAST...INCLUDING MILWAUKEE TO KENOSHA. IF THE HIGHER
PRECIP TRENDS CONTINUE ON LATER MODEL RUNS A WARNING MAY BE
NEEDED...GIVEN THE STRONG WINDS AND WET HEAVY SNOW.
.WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS HIGH.
SHORT TERM MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH TAKING SURFACE LOW
FROM FAR NORTHEAST INDIANA/FAR NORTHWEST OHIO SLOWLY EASTWARD
WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...REACHING NEW ENGLAND BY 12Z
THURSDAY. ASSOCIATED 500MB LOW SHIFTS SLOWLY EASTWARD IN A SIMILAR
FASHION...BEING NEARLY VERTICALLY STACKED WITH THE SURFACE LOW.
VARIOUS VORTICITY MAXIMA AT 500MB ROTATE CYCLONICALLY THROUGH THE
AREA WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. LITTLE IF ANY LOW TO MID
LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS RESPONSE DURING THIS TIME...WITH WEAK Q VECTOR
CONVERGENCE IN THE LOW LEVELS.
AREA FORECAST SOUNDINGS FROM NAM/GFS SHOWING WEAK UPWARD VERTICAL
MOTION DURING THIS TIME...BUT AIR COLUMN IS SATURATED IN THE LOW
TO MID LEVELS FOR MOST OF WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY
EVENING...BEFORE DRYING OUT FROM THE TOP DOWN LATER WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. WINDS REMAIN GUSTY OUT OF THE NORTH WEDNESDAY WITHIN TIGHT
PRESSURE GRADIENT. GUSTS OF 30 KNOTS PLUS APPEAR POSSIBLE ON AREA
FORECAST SOUNDINGS...ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE
AREA...AND NEAR THE LAKE. THIS MAY LEAD TO SOME BLOWING SNOW.
WINDS REMAIN SOMEWHAT GUSTY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
SHORT TERM MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW QPF OF GENERALLY 0.08 TO 0.15
INCHES WEDNESDAY...WITH A FEW HUNDREDTHS MORE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
SNOW TO LIQUID RATIOS WILL BE LOW WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS AROUND OR
JUST ABOVE FREEZING...WHICH SHOULD KEEP SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AT AN
INCH OR LESS. CIPS ANALOGS DO SHOW 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE
WEDNESDAY. RAISED POPS TO CATEGORICAL FOR WEDNESDAY...WITH LOWER
POPS WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT THEN HAVE A WEAK 500MB RIDGE MOVING
INTO THE REGION ON THE SHORT TERM MODELS. AT THE SURFACE...AREA
REMAINS BETWEEN LOW PRESSURE WELL EAST OF THE REGION...AND HIGH
PRESSURE WELL NORTH OF THE REGION. PRESSURE GRADIENT DOES RELAX
DURING THIS TIME...SO WINDS SHOULD DECREASE IN MAGNITUDE. AREA
FORECAST SOUNDINGS FROM NAM/GFS DRY OUT EXCEPT BELOW LOW LEVEL
INVERSION AROUND 3000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THUS...QPF FROM
GFS/CANADIAN SEEMS OVERDONE VERSUS DRY NAM/ECMWF. WENT DRY FOR
THURSDAY.
HOWEVER...LAKE EFFECT SNOW POTENTIAL INCREASES THURSDAY
NIGHT...AS LOW LEVEL WINDS REMAIN NORTHEAST AND DELTA T VALUES
INCREASE TO 12 TO 13 DEGREES CELSIUS. THIS IS BORDERLINE FOR LAKE
EFFECT SNOW. STILL...LOW LEVELS REMAIN MOIST BELOW INVERSION AND
TAP SHALLOW DENDRITE GROWTH ZONE. LAKE EFFECT SNOW FLOW CHART ONLY
SHOWS MINOR ACCUMULATIONS UP TO AN INCH. WILL KEEP POPS FOR
THURSDAY NIGHT NEAR THE LAKE. CIPS ANALOGS SHOW LIGHT
ACCUMULATIONS THURSDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR OR
JUST ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS.
.FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM.
GFS/ECMWF IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH FEATURES THROUGH MOST OF THE
WEEKEND...WITH DIFFERENCES FOR SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY. GFS MAINTAINS
LAKE EFFECT SNOW POTENTIAL FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT NEAR THE
LAKE. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW DELTA T VALUES REMAINING AROUND 13
DEGREES CELSIUS WITH NORTHEAST LOW LEVEL FLOW. POPS MAY BE NEEDED
NEAR THE LAKE IN LATER FORECASTS. THE ECMWF IS SHOWING LIGHT QPF
NEAR THE SHORE AS WELL DURING PARTS OF THIS PERIOD.
THE REST OF THE AREA WILL SEE QUIET WEATHER WITH A HIGH PRESSURE
RIDGE MOVING INTO THE REGION. DRY AIRMASS WILL LIMIT EFFECT OF
PASSING 500MB SHORTWAVE TROUGH. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN NEAR OR
JUST BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS.
GFS THEN BRINGS LOW PRESSURE FROM SOUTH DAKOTA INTO NORTHWEST
IOWA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...SPREADING QPF WITHIN WARM AIR
ADVECTION/FRONTOGENESIS OVER THE REGION. ECMWF KEEPS THIS FEATURE
FURTHER TO THE WEST DURING THIS TIME...AND HAS THE AREA DRY. GIVEN
THE DIFFERENCES...WILL USE CONSENSUS POPS AND TEMPERATURES FOR
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.
&&
.AVIATION/12Z TAFS/...
CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER TODAY WITH MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS
INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THEN WITH PRECIPITATION SPREADING NORTH
MVFR CONDITIONS WILL LOWER TO IFR AND SOME LIFR AS STRONG LOW
PRESSURE MOVES INTO NORTHERN INDIANA LATE TONIGHT.
EAST WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL QUITE STRONG OUT
OF THE NORTHEAST ON LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.
&&
.MARINE...
A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS STRONG LOW
PRESSURE TRACKS FROM NORTHEAST ARKANSAS TO LOWER MICHIGAN BY
WEDNESDAY MORNING. BRISK EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL GUST TO GALE
FORCE AND THEN TURN NORTHERLY ON WEDNESDAY. HIGH WAVES ARE
EXPECTED.
&&
.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM CST
WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ064>072.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ052-059-060.
LM...GALE WARNING UNTIL 4 AM CST THURSDAY FOR LMZ643>646.
&&
TODAY/TONIGHT AND AVIATION/MARINE...HENTZ
WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...WOODHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1124 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2013 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-271730- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 1124 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN FROM MID-AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE ADVISORY EXPANDS INTO THE PORT WASHINGTON...SHEBOYGAN AND WEST BEND AREAS IN THE EVENING. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK FROM SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TO NORTHERN INDIANA...AND WILL BRING MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE ADVISORY AREA. THE HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED IN THE MILWAUKEE...RACINE AND KENOSHA AREAS. STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME DRIFTING SNOW PROBLEMS...ESPECIALLY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY MAINLY LIGHT SNOW WILL LINGER ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED IN THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS...BUT SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED. LMZ643>646-271730- 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- 1124 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT DUE TO STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS...AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TO NORTHERN INDIANA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR WEDNESDAY AND EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AS THE SLOW MOVING LOW IS CENTERED NEAR THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES. WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX MBK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall over Racine County ranged from 8 inches in western sections to around 14 inches in the far east. A snow total of 13.8 inches was reported 6 miles northwest of the City of Kenosha.
Snowfall over Walworth County ranged from 6 inches in western sections to around 8 inches in the far southeast. A snow total of 8 inches was reported east of Genoa City.
Snowfall over Racine County ranged from 6 inches in western sections to around 14 inches in the far east. A snow total of 13.5 inches was reported in the City of Racine.
Snowfall over Milwaukee County ranged from 8 inches to around 12 inches. A snow total of 11.7 inches was reported in Franklin.
Snowfall over Waukesha County ranged from 6 inches west to around 9 inches in the southeast. A snow total of 8.5 inches was reported in Muskego.
Snowfall over Ozaukee County ranged from 8 to 13 inches. A snow total of 13.0 inches was reported in Belgium.
Snowfall over Washington County ranged from 6 to around 10 inches. A snow total of 9.6 inches was reported in West Bend.
Snowfall across the county ranged from 8 to 10 inches in the western half to 12 to around 19 inches in the east. 18.6 inches of snow was reported in Oostburg.
Snowfall over Dane County ranged from 6 inches to around 9 inches. A snow total of 8.6 inches was reported in Middleton.
Snowfall in the southeast corner of Fond Du Lac County totaled 6 to 8 inches. A snow total of 8 inches was reported east of Campbellsport.
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, February 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: 437366, 437364, 437365, 437362, 437361, 437360, 437359, 437356, 437367, 437355.