Heavy snow fell over most of South-central Wisconsin and northwest portions of Southeast Wisconsin as low pressure followed a favored track from southern Missouri to eastern Lower Michigan during the day on January 30th. Moderate to briefly intense snowfall occurred with snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches measured generally along and northwest of a Lafayette County to Sheboygan County line.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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.
Heavy snow fell over most of South-central Wisconsin and northwest portions of Southeast Wisconsin as low pressure followed a favored track from southern Missouri to eastern Lower Michigan during the day on January 30th. Moderate to briefly intense snowfall occurred with snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches measured generally along and northwest of a Lafayette County to Sheboygan County line. Peak snow amounts included 10 in Reedsburg (Sauk Co.) and Poynette (Columbia Co.), 9.1 in Berlin (Green Lake Co.), and 9 in Westfield (Marquette Co.). Increasing northwest winds behind the low produced areas of blowing and drifting snow as wind gusts reached 30 to 35 mph (26 to 29 knots). Numerous accidents and spin-offs were reported by area law enforcement officials. Meteorologically, deep forcing with sloped frontogenesis and strong layer Q-vector convergence, combined with some convective instability in and above the dendritic growth zone, fueled the moderate to briefly heavy snowfall intensities.
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 30, 3:25 AM CST, 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
325 AM CST WED JAN 30 2013
.TODAY AND TONIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM TO HIGH.
SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING A NICE SWIRL AND BAROCLINIC LEAF
ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONG MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE OVER KANSAS EARLY
THIS MORNING. THIS FEATURE SLIDES RIGHT INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN BY
MID DAY. SFC CYCLOGENESIS IS RESULTING IN A SECONDARY LOW
DEVELOPING ALONG THE COLD FRONT OVER SOUTHERN MISSOURI AT THIS
TIME. IT/S CENTRAL PRESSURE IS ALREADY AT 995MB AND IS PROGD TO
DEEPEN AS IT MOVES INTO EASTERN LOWER MICHIGAN BY THIS EVENING.
THIS TRACK TAKES IT JUST SOUTH OF CHICAGO WHICH IS A GOOD TRACK
FOR SNOW ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA.
PLENTY OF DEEP FORCING WITH THIS SYSTEM AND EVEN SOME CONVECTIVE
POTENTIAL WITHIN THE 600-450MB LAYER...ALSO THE START OF THE DGZ.
NOT CONVINCED WE/LL SEE THUNDER TODAY...BUT IT HIGHLIGHTS A MORE
INTENSE SNOWFALL POTENTIAL. THE QPF AND MOISTURE PROFILES STILL
SUPPORT OUR TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 6-8 INCHES IN THE WARNING
AREA. GIVEN THAT THIS IS A FAST MOVING SYSTEM...THIS SNOW SHOULD
COME DOWN AT A PRETTY GOOD PACE.
THE SNOW AMOUNT FORECAST IS COMPLICATED ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF
OF THE FCST AREA SINCE SOME OF THE QPF WILL BE LIQUID. TRANSITION
ZONES ARE ALWAYS A CHALLENGE. BY 6 AM THIS MORNING THE SOUTHEAST
WILL STILL BE TRANSITIONING OVER TO SNOW...MILWAUKEE WILL PROBABLY
TAKE UNTIL 9 AM TO GO OVER TO SNOW. SHOULD BE MAINLY SNOW WEST OF
A SHEBOYGAN TO JANESVILLE OR MONROE LINE.
THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL BE THIS MORNING...THEN TAPERING OFF BY
MID AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL ALSO PICK UP FROM THE NORTHWEST CAUSING
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. EXPECT THE SNOW TO COME TO A RAPID END
DURING THE EARLY EVENING WITH FLURRIES THROUGH THE NIGHT. TEMPS
WILL FALL HARD ALL DAY. STANDING WATER FROM THE HEAVY RAINFALL
YESTERDAY WILL FREEZE. LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS.
.THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM TO
HIGH.
SHORT TERM MODELS SHOWING 500MB SHORTWAVE TROUGH SLIDING
SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE REGION THURSDAY...WITH NORTHWESTERLY FLOW
LINGERING THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. AT THE SURFACE...COLD
AIR ADVECTION CONTINUES THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH BRISK NORTHWEST
WINDS AND TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT. AREA FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOWING
SOME MOISTURE LINGERING THURSDAY...WITH WEAK UPWARD VERTICAL
MOTION ON THE NAM. GFS SHOWS NO UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION.
NAM/ECMWF SHOW VERY LIGHT QPF THURSDAY...WITH THE GFS/CANADIAN
DRY. GIVEN PASSING SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND SOME MOISTURE
AVAILABLE...WILL CONTINUE LOW END POPS FOR LIGHT SNOW THURSDAY.
LEFT FLURRIES FOR THURSDAY EVENING IN THE SOUTHEAST
COUNTIES...WITH SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LINGERING IN THE DENDRITE
ZONE.
COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO THE AREA THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT. 925MB TEMPERATURES IN THE 15 TO 20 DEGREE BELOW
ZERO RANGE THURSDAY FALL INTO THE 20 TO 25 BELOW ZERO RANGE
THURSDAY NIGHT...LINGERING INTO FRIDAY. HIGHS THURSDAY WILL
REMAIN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS WEST...TO 10 TO 15 ABOVE EAST. LOWS
SHOULD FALL BELOW ZERO ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH HIGHS
STRUGGLING TO REACH DOUBLE DIGITS FRIDAY.
COMBINATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES AND WINDS THURSDAY WILL LEAD TO
WIND CHILLS IN THE 2 TO 12 BELOW ZERO RANGE THURSDAY. THE COLDEST
VALUES WILL BE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING...WITH WIND
CHILLS OF 20 TO 25 BELOW ZERO. THESE VALUES WILL REQUIRE A WIND
CHILL ADVISORY IN LATER FORECASTS.
WARM AIR ADVECTION THEN MOVES INTO THE AREA FRIDAY AND FRIDAY
NIGHT. AREA FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A TOP DOWN MOISTENING OF THE
AIR COLUMN FRIDAY NIGHT. GFS SHOWING SOME WEAK LOW LEVEL
FRONTOGENESIS RESPONSE FRIDAY NIGHT. BEST QPF REMAINS JUST
SOUTHWEST OF THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...THOUGH LIGHT QPF DOES CROSS
PORTIONS OF THE AREA. KEPT POPS FOR LIGHT SNOW GOING FOR FRIDAY
NIGHT.
.SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM.
ECMWF/GFS MODELS SHOW A 500MB VORTICITY MAXIMUM SLIDING SOUTHEAST
AND CLIPPING THE AREA LATER SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT.
ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW REMAINS NORTHEAST OF THE AREA...WITH A COLD
FRONT MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT. LIGHT QPF
SEEN ON BOTH MODELS...WITH AREA GFS FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOWING
DECENT LOW TO MID LEVEL MOISTURE PROFILES TAPPING DENDRITE ZONE.
UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION IS MODEST AT BEST. CONTINUES LOWER END POPS
FOR LIGHT SNOW SATURDAY...LINGERING SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE EAST.
HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS PASSES THROUGH THE REGION
SUNDAY...BRINGING QUIET WEATHER. ECMWF/GFS THEN SHOW ANOTHER LOW
AND ASSOCIATED 500MB SHORTWAVE TROUGH SLIDING SOUTHEAST THROUGH
THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. WARM AIR ADVECTION AHEAD OF
THE LOW SUNDAY NIGHT ALSO BRINGS SOME UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION.
GFS FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW SOME MOISTURE...BUT NOT A FULL
SATURATION...SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. LIGHT QPF ON MODELS DURING
THIS TIME. KEPT LOW END POPS FOR MONDAY IN THE NORTHEAST HALF OF
THE AREA FOR NOW...AS MOISTURE IS QUESTIONABLE FURTHER TO THE
SOUTHWEST.
TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY MODERATE THROUGH THE WEEKEND...RISING
INTO THE 30S MONDAY...WITH MILDER AIR MOVING INTO THE REGION.
TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN NEAR NORMAL INTO TUESDAY.
&&
.AVIATION/12Z TAFS/...WINTER AVIATION CONDITIONS RETURN TODAY.
MADISON WILL BE SEEING SNOW BY 12Z THIS MORNING...BECOMING HEAVY
AT TIMES THIS MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN SLOWLY
TAPERING OFF DURING THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT IFR CONDITIONS INTO THE
EARLY EVENING...LIFTING TO MVFR CIGS TONIGHT.
MILWAUKEE/KENOSHA/WAUKESHA WILL SEE A WINTRY MIX TRANSITION OVER
TO ALL SNOW BY 15Z THIS MORNING. THEN SNOW WITH IFR CONDITIONS
INTO THE EVENING. LIKE MADISON...CIGS WILL LIKELY LIFT TO MVFR
LEVELS ONCE THE SNOW DIMINISHES.
ALL SITES WILL SEE WINDS INCREASE TODAY WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW FROM NORTHWEST WINDS IMPACTING AIRPORT OPERATIONS. THOSE
WINDS WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT.
&&
.MARINE...A WINDY PERIOD FOR MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.
GUSTY WNW WINDS WILL BE PREVALENT. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN
EFFECT THROUGH MIDDAY FRIDAY. HIGHEST WAVES WILL BE TOWARDS OPEN
WATER WITH THE PERSISTENT OFFSHORE FLOW. IN ADDITION...FREEZING
SPRAY IS EXPECTED AT TIMES GIVEN THE FLOW AND COLDER
TEMPERATURES...BUT NO HEADLINE AT THIS TIME.
&&
.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR WIZ046-047-
056-057-062-063-067-068.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR WIZ059-
060-064-065-069-070.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING FOR WIZ066-071-072.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR WIZ051-052-
058.
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST FRIDAY FOR LMZ643>646.
&&
TODAY/TONIGHT AND AVIATION/MARINE...DAVIS
THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...WOODHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1133 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-310545- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 1133 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...LATE TONIGHT OCCASIONAL RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE BY MORNING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. AS TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING...UNTREATED WET ROADWAYS WILL BEGIN TO TURN ICY AND SLIPPERY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN WITH A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. SNOW...WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES UNDER WINDY CONDITIONS...IS EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA ON WEDNESDAY WITH 2 TO 5 INCHES IN THE ADVISORY AREA. BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PLUNGE AN ARCTIC AIR MASS INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED BUT SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED. LMZ643>646-310545- 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- 1133 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...LATE TONIGHT A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL CAUSE NORTHWEST WINDS TO INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 KNOTS LATER TONIGHT. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GOES INTO EFFECT LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONTINUES IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDDAY FRIDAY. BRISK NORTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP WITH A COLDER AIR MASS MOVING INTO THE REGION BETWEEN DEPARTING LOW PRESSURE TO THE EAST AND ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. FREEZING SPRAY IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX KAVINSKY
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1001 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 PM FLOOD 4 N KENOSHA AIRPORT 42.66N 87.93W
01/29/2013 KENOSHA WI LAW ENFORCEMENT
LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED STREET FLOODING AT THE
INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS KR AND H ON RACINE COUNTY LINE.
&&
MBKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1013 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1013 PM HEAVY RAIN COMO 42.61N 88.50W
01/29/2013 M1.21 INCH WALWORTH WI TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL RAINFALL.
&&
MBKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1145 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1143 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 SW MADISON 43.03N 89.45W
01/29/2013 M2.25 INCH DANE WI TRAINED SPOTTER
24 HOUR TOTAL.
&&
WOODPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1204 AM CST WED JAN 30 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 SE SULLIVAN 42.98N 88.55W
01/30/2013 M2.06 INCH JEFFERSON WI OFFICIAL NWS OBS
24 HOUR TOTAL.
&&
WOODPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1232 AM CST WED JAN 30 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM HEAVY RAIN WEST ALLIS 43.01N 88.03W
01/30/2013 M1.63 INCH MILWAUKEE WI TRAINED SPOTTER
24 HOUR TOTAL.
&&
WOODThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
A co-operative observer in Westfield reported total snow accumulations of 9.0 inches.
A co-operative observer in Reedsburg reported total snow accumulations of 10.0 inches.
A co-operative observer 3 miles south of Berlin reported total snow accumulations of 9.1 inches.
A co-operative observer in the Dodgeville reported total snow accumulations of 7.0 inches.
A co-operative observer in Darlington reported total snow accumulations of 6.5 inches.
A co-operative observer in Taycheedah/St. Peters area reported total snow accumulations of 8.5 inches.
A co-operative observer in Poynette reported total snow accumulations of 10.0 inches.
A co-operative observer in the town of Westford reported total snow accumulations of 7.7 inches.
A co-operative observer 8 miles southwest of Madison reported total snow accumulations of 7.5 inches.
The public in an unincorporated area in the northwest corner of Green County estimated total snow accumulations of 6.0 inches.
A co-operative observer in an unincorporated area in the northwest corner of Sheboygan County estimated total snow accumulations of 6.0 inches.
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: 430770, 430780, 430771, 430786, 430792, 430772, 430781, 430784, 430790, 430795, 430778.