A surge of relatively warm and moist air aloft led to the development of light to moderate snow during the morning rush hour with 1-3 inches accumulating. Roads became snow covered and numerous slide-offs and accidents occurred, especially in the Madison area and the Milwaukee Metropolitan area.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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 surge of relatively warm and moist air aloft led to the development of light to moderate snow during the morning rush hour with 1-3 inches accumulating. Roads became snow covered and numerous slide-offs and accidents occurred, especially in the Madison area and the Milwaukee Metropolitan area. Two indirect deaths occurred with vehicle mishaps in Dane County. Since this was the first snow event for the season, motorists may not have been cautious enough.
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 Nov 25, 3:39 AM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 339 AM CST MON NOV 25 2013 .TODAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM TO HIGH REGIONAL RADARS SHOW SNOW ACROSS IOWA RAPIDLY EXPANDING TO THE NORTHEAST TOWARD SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. THE SETUP HASN/T CHANGED. WE ARE SEEING A RAPID RETURN OF MOISTURE COUPLED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF A DECENT MID LEVEL TROF FROM THE NORTHWEST. DEEP SATURATION OCCURS OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING. THE MODEL SOUNDINGS /MORE THE NAM THAN THE GFS/ CONTINUE TO SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A SPRING GREEN TO MADISON TO SHEBOYGAN LINE EARLY THIS MORNING...THEN DRIFTING SOUTHEAST AS THE DENDRITE REGION DRIES OUT ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE MAIN PRECIP AREA. THE SNOW SHOULD BE ARRIVING IN MADISON BY 5 TO 6 AM AND IN THE MILWAUKEE AREA BY 8-ISH. STILL ONLY LOOKING AT AROUND 1 INCH OF ACCUMULATION...MAINLY SOUTH OF A MADISON TO MILWAUKEE LINE...WITH AMOUNTS TAPERING OFF TO THE NORTH. THE MORNING COMMUTE COULD BE TRICKY IN SPOTS...ESPECIALLY IF WE SEE SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE. ON A SIDE NOTE...BUT RATHER NOTABLE...THE GFS AND TO A LESSER DEGREE THE ECMWF...WERE WAY OFF ON INITIALIZING THE 2M DWPNTS ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. THE GFS WAS ACTUALLY OFF BY 15 TO 20 DEGREES F...BUT RECOVERS QUICKLY BY LATE MORNING. THIS SHOULD HAVE SOME IMPACT ON IT/S QPF GIVEN THAT IT WOULD IMPLY SATURATION WOULD TAKE LONGER. THE GEM IS DOING BETTER AND HAS SOME OF THE HIGHER QPF. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THIS CAREFULLY. .TONIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...HIGH THINGS DRY OUT...BUT ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL BE SLIDING THROUGH THE AREA...SETTING US UP FOR ANOTHER COLD DAY ON TUESDAY. .TUESDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM A SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY...AND LATEST MODELS ARE SHOWING A LITTLE MORE STRENGTH TO THE WAVE. SEEMS LIKE ENOUGH MOISTURE AND LIFT FOR AT LEAST FLURRIES...MAYBE EVEN ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS. DECIDED TO THROW A SMALL POP IN THERE...WITH THE BEST CHANCE DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. TEMPS ALOFT WILL BE COLD ADVECTING THOUGH THE DAY AND SKIES TURNING MOSTLY CLOUDY...SO WILL SEE HIGH TEMPS ONLY GET TO THE UPPER 20S MOST PLACES. .WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE RIGHT THROUGH THANKSGIVING AND INTO THE WEEKEND. LOOKS DRY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK...WITH A WEAK WAVE POSSIBLY BRINGING A LITTLE LIGHT SNOW OVER THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION/12Z TAFS/...SNOW SPREADING IN QUICKLY THIS MORNING WILL BRING MVFR CIGS/VSBYS WITH BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE DURING THE PEAK SNOWFALL. THE SNOW SHOULD REACH KMSN BY 11-12Z THIS MORNING AND KMKE BY 14Z. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 INCH ARE EXPECTED. THE ACCUMULATING SNOW SHOULD GENERALLY LAST ABOUT 4 HOURS WITH SOME LINGERING LIGHT FLURRIES FOR A FEW HOURS LONGER. EXPECT THE STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS TO CONTINUE. THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE FOR SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE...MAINLY IN THE KMSN AREA...ESPECIALLY AFTER THE MAIN AREA OF SNOW SLIPS OFF TO THE SOUTH AND EAST. VFR CONDITIONS RETURN TO KMSN BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON AND AT KMKE BY EARLY EVENING. && .MARINE...STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TODAY AS A POTENT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKS JUST NORTH OF LAKE SUPERIOR THIS MORNING. AS THE LOW PULLS AWAY...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RELAX...DIMINISHING THE WINDS AND WAVES THIS EVENING. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THIS EVENING. A FEW GALE GUSTS TO 35KTS ARE POSSIBLE. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS BACK UP ON TUESDAY AND CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. ANOTHER SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS LATER TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR LMZ643>646. && TODAY/TONIGHT AND AVIATION/MARINE...DAVIS TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...DDV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 328 AM CST MON NOV 25 2013 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-260930- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 328 AM CST MON NOV 25 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD QUICKLY ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN THIS MORNING...HITTING THE MADISON METRO AREA AT THE HEART OF THE MORNING RUSH HOUR. THE SNOW SHOULD REACH THE MILWAUKEE METRO AREA BY ABOUT 8 AM. ONLY ABOUT AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED...BUT VISIBILITIES COULD DROP TO 1/2 MILE FOR A TIME. ROADS MAY BECOME SLIPPERY. THERE IS ALSO A SMALL THREAT FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE. THESE FIRST SNOWFALLS OF THE SEASON OFTEN CATCH MANY MOTORISTS OFF GUARD...EVEN WITH THESE SMALL ACCUMULATIONS. TAKE YOUR TIME AND BE ALERT WHILE TRAVELING THIS MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED IN THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS. LMZ643>646-260930- 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- 328 AM CST MON NOV 25 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKING JUST NORTH OF THE GREAT LAKES THIS MORNING WILL BRING SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS THROUGH MID EVENING AS STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS GENERATE LARGE WAVES...ESPECIALLY TOWARD OPEN WATER. A FEW GALE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY BRISK NORTH WINDS FOLLOWING BEHIND THE LOW AND A TRAILING COLD FRONT MAY CAUSE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS AGAIN LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY. DAVIS WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 357 AM CST MON NOV 25 2013 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-251200- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MONTELLO...BERLIN...FOND DU LAC... SHEBOYGAN...BARABOO...PORTAGE...WISCONSIN DELLS...BEAVER DAM... WEST BEND...PORT WASHINGTON...DODGEVILLE...MADISON...JEFFERSON... LAKE MILLS...WAUKESHA...BROOKFIELD...MILWAUKEE...DARLINGTON... MONROE...JANESVILLE...BELOIT...ELKHORN...LAKE GENEVA...RACINE... KENOSHA 357 AM CST MON NOV 25 2013 ...SNOW SPREADING INTO THE AREA THIS MORNING... SNOW WILL SPREAD QUICKLY ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN THIS MORNING...REACHING THE MADISON METRO AREA BY AROUND 6 AM...AND MILWAUKEE BY 8 AM. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD ONLY REACH ABOUT 1 INCH. HOWEVER...VISIBILITIES AT TIMES COULD DROP TO AROUND 1/2 MILE. THIS WILL BE OCCURRING DURING PARTS OF THE MORNING COMMUTE. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST BY MID TO LATE MORNING. THIS IS THE FIRST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON DURING A BUSY TRAFFIC TIME...SO MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT AND USE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING THIS MORNING. ROADS COULD BECOME SLIPPERY... ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND LESS TRAVELED ROADS. DAVIS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A Cooperative Observer reported 3.6 inches of snow in Dodgeville.
A Cooperative Observer reported 3.0 inches of snow in Darlington.
A Cooperative Observer reported 1.8 inches of snow in Brodhead.
Dane County Regional Airport reported 1.5 inches of snow. There were dozens of vehicle run-offs, accidents, and a few rollovers. Two people were killed in vehicle mishaps with snow covered roads a contributing factor.
The National Weather Service office 4 miles southeast of Sullivan reported 1.6 inches of snowfall.
A trained spotter reported 1.1 inches in Beaver Dam.
Cooperative Observers reported 1.5 inches of snow in West Bend and Jackson.
A Cooperative Observer reported 1.5 inches of snow in Waukesha.
A Cooperative Observer reported 0.9 inches of snow in Elkhorn.
A trained spotter reported 2.0 inches of snow in Cedarburg.
A Cooperative Observer reported 1.1 inches of snow in Milwaukee.
The Public reported around one half inch to one inch across Racine County.
The Public reported around one half inch to one inch across Kenosha County.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Dane | 2013-11-25 | 26 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Winter Weather, Dane | 2013-11-25 | 51 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
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, November 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: 483790, 483791, 483792, 483793, 483794, 483796, 483797, 483798, 483799, 483800, 483801, 483802, 483803.