Winter Weather in Wisconsin, February 26 to 27, 2013

Name: Winter Weather in Wisconsin, February 26 to 27, 2013
Start: 2013-02-26T16:00
End: 2013-02-27T10:45
Location: Wisconsin

February 26 to 27, 2013 · NWS MKX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Where it happened

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.

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: 10

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.

Yet another winter weather event affected parts of South-Central and Southeast Wisconsin inland away from Lake Michigan. Steady snow, at a moderate to at times heavy intensity, accumulated during the early evening of February 26th through the morning hours of February 27th. Snowfall accumulations ranged from 3 to 7 inches, and the usual dozens of vehicle accidents occurred. This winter weather event was related to a Winter Storm event that affected Southeast Wisconsin counties near Lake Michigan with a snow accumulations of 8 to 18 inches. The responsible low pressure system for the winter weather event and winter storm event tracked from Missouri across Illinois to Lower Michigan.

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 Feb 26, 3:28 PM CST, 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 3:28 PM CST, 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
328 PM CST TUE FEB 26 2013

.TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE MEDIUM TO HIGH.

LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE FROM SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND INDIANA TO FAR
SOUTHERN MICHIGAN OVERNIGHT AND ACROSS LAKE ERIE TOMORROW.

DECENT UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE TODAY WILL TAPER OFF TONIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY. Q VECTOR CONVERGENCE BEST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD
AS WELL...TAPERING OFF SIGNIFICANTLY BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. DECENT
700MB OMEGA CONTINUES THROUGH THE NIGHT AND WEAKENS TOMORROW AS
WELL...ESPECIALLY BY THE AFTERNOON. WHILE THE FORCING DOES WEAKEN
SIGNIFICANTLY BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON...EXPECTING THE COLUMN TO STAY
MOIST. SO...KEPT LIGHT SNOW IN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. ALSO EXPECTING
BLOWING/DRIFTING SNOW LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW WITH DRIER SNOW
RATIOS...AROUND 11 TO 13...AND GUSTY WINDS.

NOT MUCH CHANGE TO THE SNOW TOTAL AMOUNTS...EXCEPT TO ACCOUNT FOR
THE HEAVY SNOW THIS AFTERNOON. WENT WITH CONSENSUS QPF...ALTHOUGH A
BIT HIGH ALONG THE LAKE. DIDN/T TOTALLY DISCOUNT THIS THOUGH WITH
FRICTIONAL CONVERGENCE AND 850MB/LAKE TEMP DIFFERENCES AROUND 10
DEGREES GIVE OR TAKE.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE HIGH.

WE FINALLY BEGIN TO SEE THE LOW EXIT TO THE EAST WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...WITH ANY LINGERING CHANCES OF SNOW DIMINISHING FROM WEST
TO EAST. WILL GO DRY ON THURSDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE STARTING TO
TAKE HOLD. CLOUDS SHOULD ALSO BEGIN TO CLEAR.

.THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM.

NORTHEAST WINDS AND A COOLER AIRMASS...SO WILL HAVE A SMALL CHANCE
FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS IN THE SOUTHEAST. WILL KEEP THIS
SMALL CHANCE GOING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...THEN DRY.

.SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS HIGH.

A GREAT STRETCH HERE WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION. NORTH
WINDS WILL BRING SOME COOLER TEMPERATURES...BUT NOT TOO FAR FROM
NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.

.MONDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS LOW TO MEDIUM.

THE GFS AND THE ECMWF SHOW A WEAK LOW APPROACHING FROM THE
NORTHWEST ON MONDAY...POSSIBLY SPREADING SOME LIGHT SNOW IN HERE
EITHER LATE MONDAY OR MONDAY NIGHT.

&&

.AVIATION/00Z TAFS/...

BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWEST THROUGH
THE AREA. MSN SHOULD SEE MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW A LITTLE AFTER 22Z.
EXPECTING HEAVIEST SNOW THROUGH MAYBE 02Z OR 03Z. THINKING SITES TO
THE EAST...MKE...ENW...AND UES...WILL SEE THE MOST HEAVY SNOW...AND
COULD SEE MODERATE SNOW FOR A LONGER TIME PERIOD AS WELL. WILL
LIKELY STILL SEE BELOW ALTERNATE MINIMUM VISIBILITIES WITH THE LIGHT
SNOW OVERNIGHT THOUGH. ALSO...SNOW RATIOS WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT
INTO TOMORROW AND WILL ALLOW FOR MORE BLOWING SNOW AND DRIFTING SNOW
LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...REDUCING VISIBILITIES FURTHER.

COULD SEE BELOW ALTERNATE MINIMUM CEILINGS DURING PERIOD OF MODERATE
TO HEAVY SNOW AS WELL. EXPECTING THE CEILINGS TO IMPROVE TO IFR ONCE
SNOW LIGHTENS UP...BUT NOT CERTAIN THEY WILL.

&&

.MARINE...

THE GALE WARNING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDNIGHT. ONCE THAT
EXPIRES...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED. SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND AS BRISK
NORTHERLY WINDS WILL RESULT FROM A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN
THE VERY SLOWLY DEPARTING LOW TO THE EAST AND HIGH PRESSURE
WORKING IN FROM THE WEST.

&&

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ062>072.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST
     WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ052-059-060.

LM...GALE WARNING UNTIL 12 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR LMZ643>646.

&&

TONIGHT/WEDNESDAY AND AVIATION/MARINE...MEB
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...DAVIS

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 26, 3:40 PM CST, 20 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
340 PM 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-
340 PM CST TUE FEB 26 2013

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN THROUGH NOON ON WEDNESDAY.  TRAVEL THIS
EVENING WILL BE HAZARDOUS...ESPECIALLY IN THE MILWAUKEE METRO AREA
AND POINTS SOUTH.

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK FROM THE OHIO VALLEY TO
SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MODERATE TO SOMETIMES
HEAVY SNOW THIS EVENING WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT. 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-
340 PM CST TUE FEB 26 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT DUE TO STRONG NORTHEAST
WINDS. WHEN THAT WARNING EXPIRES...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL GO
INTO EFFECT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY
DUE TO LARGE WAVES FROM A PERSISTENT NORTHERLY WIND BETWEEN LOW
PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES AND HIGH PRESSURE PUSHING IN
FROM THE NORTHWEST.

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 26, 2:39 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 26, 2:44 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 26, 3:09 PM CST, 51 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 26, 3:43 PM CST, 17 minutes 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

10 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM CST
Where: Marquette forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Green Lake

When: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM CST
Where: Green Lake forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Sauk

When: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM 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: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM 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: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM 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, Iowa

When: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM 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, Jefferson

When: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM 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, Lafayette

When: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM 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: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM 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: February 26, 4:00 PM CST to February 27, 10:45 AM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.671, -89.072 (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 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, February 2013

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 437454, 437455, 437456, 437457, 437458, 437459, 437460, 437461, 437462, 437463.