Sustained winds of 30-35 mph and wind gusts between 45 and 50 mph affected the eastern sections of Southeast Wisconsin on January 18th. These winds were the related to a low pressure tracking across northern Wisconsin which pulled a strong warm front through southern Wisconsin during the late morning to early afternoon hours.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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.
Sustained winds of 30-35 mph and wind gusts between 45 and 50 mph affected the eastern sections of Southeast Wisconsin on January 18th. These winds were the related to a low pressure tracking across northern Wisconsin which pulled a strong warm front through southern Wisconsin during the late morning to early afternoon hours. The resulting low-level mixing allowed downward momentum transfer from a 50-60 knot low-level jet down to the surface. Newspaper articles reported scattered power outages as wind-broken tree limbs impacted power-lines.
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 18, 10:37 AM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1037 AM CST FRI JAN 18 2013
.AVIATION/18Z TAFS/...SURFACE LOW SHIFTING EAST FROM ND. VIS/IR
IMAGERY SHOWS MID/HIGH CLOUDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE THIS
AFTERNOON. PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENING AND INCREASING 925
MILLIBAR WIND SPEEDS WILL RESULT IN INCREASING SSW WINDS THIS
AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. LOW PASSES TO OUR NORTH AND
NORTHEAST SATURDAY. SW WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE WEST AND INCREASE
MARKEDLY IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING IN COLD ADVECTION REGIME. WINDY
CONDITIONS WILL LAST INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. WILL KEEP CEILINGS VFR
INTO SATURDAY THOUGH WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR POTENTIAL STRATUS
WITHIN COLD ADVECTION. LOW LEVEL RH PROGS SUGGESTING WE MAY SEE
SOME DROP IN FROM THE NORTH.
PC
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 316 AM CST FRI JAN 18 2013/
TODAY AND TONIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM TO HIGH
UPSTREAM STRONG LOW TO MID LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION TAPING INTO
HIGHER PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES GREATER THAN ONE QUARTER INCH AND
GREATER COLUMN HUMIDITY OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. AREAS OF -SN
SPREADING RAPIDLY FROM EAST CENTRAL MN INTO WEST CENTRAL WI. SHOULD
BEGIN SNOWING IN KLSE SHORTLY. IMPRESSIVE 850-700 LAYER Q-VECTOR
CONVERGENCE EXCEEDING -20 UNITS SWEEPS ACROSS NORTHERN CWA THROUGH
MID-MORNING WITH FRONTOGENETICAL ENHANCED FORCING IN THIS LAYER AS
WELL. SLOPING FRONTOGENESIS TAPS BRIEFLY INTO DENDRITIC GROWTH LAYER
FOR 1-2 HOURS IN THE NORTH. WL CONTINUE HIGH POPS SWEEPING
ACROSS THE NORTHERN CWA THIS MRNG. SNOW LIQUID RATIOS ESTIMATED
AROUND 16 TO 1 SHOULD RESULT IN AROUND 1 INCH IN THE FAR
NORTH...WITH AROUND ONE HALF INCH IN THE NEXT TIER OF COUNTIES SWD
POSSIBLE FROM NORTHERN SAUK TO OZAUKEE COUNTY. LIKELY A PERIOD OF
LIGHT SNOW FARTHER SOUTH FROM KMSN TO KMKE AND KRAC...BUT NOT LIKELY
TO LIQUID MEASURE IN THESE AREAS...SO KEPT CHC POPS IN THESE AREAS
AND WILL UPDATE ACCORDINGLY EARLY THIS MRNG. WL ISSUE SPS FOR SLICK
ROADS IN NORTH THIS MRNG.
NOT IMPOSSIBLE A BRIEF PERIOD OF -ZL MAY OCCUR AS PRECIP WINDS DOWN
LATER THIS MRNG IN THE NORTH AS MID LEVELS BEGIN TO DRY OUT BUT
ENHANCED LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AND DIRECTIONAL SHEAR ASSOCIATED WITH
WMFNT MOVE THROUGH. DUE TO LOW CONFIDENCE...WL LEAVE OUT FOR NOW.
STRONG WARM FRONT WILL SHIFT NORTH OF THE AREA BY EARLY AFTERNOON.
LOW LEVEL MIXING WILL ALLOW STRONG WIND GUSTS TO REACH THE
SURFACE...LIKELY REACHING 30 TO 35 KTS. AFTERNOON TEMPS ALSO
LIKELY TO REACH THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S WITH LITTLE SNOW COVER.
LINGERING BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING AND THICKENING CLOUDS OVERNIGHT FROM
ANOTHER WEAKER PUSH OF WARM AIR ADVECTION AND MID-LEVEL SHORT WAVE
WILL KEEP OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES MILD.
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM TO HIGH
WILL SEE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS CONTINUE SATURDAY AHEAD OF AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT. SHOULD SEE HIGHS CRACK AT LEAST 40 MOST
PLACES. COULD BE A FEW FLURRIES NORTHEAST IN THE MORNING...BUT
OTHERWISE LOOKS LIKE A DRY FRONTAL PASSAGE...WITH THE FRONT
PUSHING THROUGH BY EVENING. VERY STRONG COLD ADVECTION TO THEN
OCCUR IN THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH 925 MB TEMPS
FALLING AROUND 15C. COULD SEE SOME FLURRIES WITH THE INITIAL PUNCH
OF COLD AIR IN THE EVENING.
WILL BE BREEZY DURING THE DAY SATURDAY...POSSIBLY TURNING WINDY IN
THE EVENING AS THE COLDER AIR BLASTS IN. WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO
WATCH POTENTIAL FOR WIND ADVISORY...AS SOUNDINGS DO SHOW GUSTS TO 40
KNOTS POSSIBLE. OFTEN DIFFICULT TO GET WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA AT
NIGHT...BUT A GOOD COLD ADVECTION EVENT LIKE THIS MIGHT DO THE
TRICK. WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS MOST PLACES
BY MORNING...WIND CHILLS WILL LIKELY GET PRETTY COLD...FALLING TO
THE -5F TO -15F RANGE.
COULD SEE SOME LIGHT SNOW SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS A SHORTWAVE QUICKLY
DROPS THROUGH THE NORTHWEST FLOW. PER OVERLAP AMONG MODELS...LOOKS
LIKE BEST CHANCE FOR SOME FLAKES WOULD BE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST
FORECAST AREA. WILL BE A CHILLY DAY...WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING INTO THE
LOW OR MID TEENS. WINDS WILL REMAIN ON THE BREEZY SIDE...SO GOOD
CHANCE WIND CHILLS WILL BE STUCK NEAR OR BELOW ZERO THROUGH THE DAY.
MORE COLD ADVECTION EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY BEHIND THE
EXITING SHORTWAVE. WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE -10F TO
-20F RANGE SUNDAY NIGHT...AND -15F TO -25F MONDAY NIGHT. WITH HIGHS
ONLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS MONDAY...WIND CHILLS MAY NOT GET ABOVE
-10F DURING THE DAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY...GOING TO BE A VERY COLD
STRETCH OF WEATHER LATE IN THE WEEK INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM
TEMPS WILL MAYBE GET A COUPLE DEGREES MILDER TUESDAY THAN ON
MONDAY...ALONG WITH LIGHTER WINDS AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES
OVERHEAD. WILL NOT FEEL A GREAT DEAL BETTER THOUGH...WITH WIND
CHILLS PROBABLY STILL REMAINING BELOW ZERO THROUGH THE DAY.
LOOKS PRETTY QUIET WEDNESDAY TOO...AS HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY HEADS
EASTWARD. MAY SEE HIGHS JUMP A GOOD 10 DEGREES FROM TUESDAY...AS
SOUTHERLY WINDS DEVELOP BY THE END OF THE DAY ON THE BACK SIDE OF
THE HIGH. LOOKS LIKE WIDESPREAD WIND CHILLS ABOVE ZERO BY MID OR
LATE MORNING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE SATURDAY EVENING. NOT QUITE A
HEAT WAVE.
SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ON THURSDAY AS MODELS CURRENTLY
SUGGESTING LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN WISCONSIN BY
EVENING. THIS SETUP WOULD ACTUALLY PULL QUITE A BIT OF MILDER AIR
INTO THE AREA...WITH HIGHS POSSIBLY BACK INTO THE 30S. WOULD
PROBABLY BE SOME PRECIP...WENT WITH RAIN/SNOW FOR NOW DUE TO CURRENT
MODEL SOLUTIONS AND LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY THIS FAR OUT.
AVIATION/12Z TAFS/...
BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS THIS MRNG AS AREAS OF -SN ASSOCIATED WITH
STRONG WARM AIR ADVECTION SWEEP RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTHERN WI. EXPECT
MORE WIDESPREAD -SN TO REMAIN NORTH OF TAF SITES. CLOUDS WILL THIN
LATER THIS MRNG AS WARM FRONT SHIFTS NORTH OF THE REGION. WIND GUSTS
THIS AFTN LIKELY TO REACH 30-35KTS. THICKER MID-LEVEL CLOUDS LIKELY
TO RETURN TONIGHT AHEAD OF STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE IN THE
NORTHERN PLAINS.
MARINE...
RAPIDLY TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN LAKE MI
LATER THIS MRNG AND AFTN AS LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS OVER THE NORTHERN
PLAINS. INCREASING SOUTH WINDS THIS MORNING WILL VEER TO THE
SOUTHWEST. AFTERNOON LOW LEVEL MIXING OVER THE SHORE AREAS EXPECTED
TO TAP INTO STRONG LOW LEVEL WINDS RESULTING IN OCCASIONAL WIND
GUSTS EXCEEDING 33 KTS. HENCE WL CONTINUE GALE WARNING THIS
AFTERNOON. SOUTHWEST WINDS AND WAVE HEIGHTS LIKELY TO REMAIN AT
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS FOR A TIME TONIGHT.
SECOND STRONGER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE
NORTHERN GREAT LAKES AS IT FURTHER DEEPENS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS LIKELY ON SATURDAY AS LOW
PRESSURE DEEPENS. THIS LOW WILL DRAG A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT ACROSS
LAKE MI SATURDAY AFTN/EVE. STRONG LOW LEVEL COLD AIR ADVECTION IS
LIKELY IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT AND WILL RESULT IN GALE FORCE GUSTS
TO 40KTS SATURDAY NIGHT ALONG WITH AN INCREASED THREAT OF FREEZING
SPRAY. A GALE WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR SATURDAY NIGHT.
&&
.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...NONE.
LM...GALE WATCH FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR
LMZ643>646.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR LMZ643>646.
&&
TODAY/TONIGHT AND AVIATION/MARINE...MBK
SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...DDVHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1200 PM CST FRI JAN 18 2013 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-191000- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 1200 PM CST FRI JAN 18 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NORTHWEST WINDS IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL USHER MUCH COLDER AIR INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN SATURDAY NIGHT. THE COLD AIR WILL LINGER OVER THE AREA THROUGH TUESDAY. WIND CHILLS WILL TUMBLE TO BETWEEN 10 AND 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO SUNDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY...AND BETWEEN 15 AND 25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED IN THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS HOWEVER SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED. LMZ643>646-191000- 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- 1200 PM CST FRI JAN 18 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A RAPIDLY TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RESULT IN BLUSTERY SOUTHWEST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON. OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED. HENCE THE GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. WINDS AND WAVES WILL LIKELY REMAIN AT SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS FOR A TIME TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY STRONG LOW PRESSURE MOVING THROUGH THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WILL CAUSE WINDS TO APPROACH GALE FORCE LEVELS SATURDAY NIGHT. A GALE WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR SATURDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE WINDS AND WAVES WILL REACH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS FROM TIME TO TIME SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY. THE THREAT FOR FREEZING SPRAY WILL INCREASE OVER THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK AS MUCH COLDER AIR SETTLES OVER LAKE MICHIGAN. WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
In addition to the peak wind gust at McKinley Marina, sustained winds of 31 mph (27 knots) and 30 mph (26 knots) were reported in successive hours at General Mitchell International Airport.
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, January 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: 430525, 430526, 430527, 430530, 430532, 430533, 430534.