North to south bands of heavy snow moved east through southern Wisconsin along a cold front from the morning into the early afternoon. The sudden reduction in visibility of less than 1/4 mile and quick snow accumulation of 1-2 inches resulted in numerous vehicle slide-offs and accidents.
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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.
North to south bands of heavy snow moved east through southern Wisconsin along a cold front from the morning into the early afternoon. The sudden reduction in visibility of less than 1/4 mile and quick snow accumulation of 1-2 inches resulted in numerous vehicle slide-offs and accidents.
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 13, 3:21 AM CST, 4 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 321 AM CST THU FEB 13 2014 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS HIGH. MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS WISCONSIN TODAY. WEAK UPPER DIVERGENCE AHEAD OF THE TROUGH AXIS. WEAK UPWARD MOTION ALREADY BY SUNRISE WITH A NARROW BAND OF MODERATE UPWARD MOTION MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND INTO THE SOUTHEAST TOWARD NOON. MAIN LIMITING FACTOR FOR PRECIPITATION IS THE INITIAL DRY MID LEVELS. NAM SHOWS SATURATION DOES OCCUR WITH THE BAND OF MODERATE UPWARD MOTION. WENT WITH LIKELY POPS MOST AREAS IN THE 15Z TO 18Z PERIOD...WITH CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH. SNOW AMOUNTS OF 1/2 TO 1 INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE FAR NORTH...TO AROUND 1/2 INCH IN MADISON AND MILWAUKEE...WITH LOWER AMOUNTS NEAR THE ILLINOIS BORDER. WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL BRING HIGHS INTO THE LOWER 30S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. THE SURFACE LOW MOVES ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES WITH WEST WINDS BEHIND THE LOW. THE AIR INITIALLY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WILL BE RATHER MILD...SO TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLOW TO FALL DURING THE EVENING. SOME CLEARING EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT AS THE LOW LEVELS DRY. WIND WILL PREVENT OPTIMAL LONG WAVE RADIATION CONDITIONS. .FRIDAY - CONFIDENCE...HIGH INFLUENCE OF POTENT SHORTWAVE WILL STAY TO OUR WEST AND SOUTH. MEANWHILE LOW LEVEL COLD POOL ACROSS THE AREA WITH 850 TEMPS IN THE NEGATIVE TEENS CELSIUS. LINGERING CYCLONIC FLOW AND COLD POOL MAY MAKE FOR A STUBBORN CLOUD SITUATION ESPECIALLY IN EASTERN/NORTHERN CWA. MOS SKY AND LOW LEVEL RH PROGS SUGGESTING THIS. .SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT - CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM BROAD ANTICYCLONIC MID LEVEL FLOW AT THE OUTSET WITH SFC/850 RIDGING. THIS ALL GIVES WAY TO A FAIRLY POTENT VORT MAX THAT TREKS FROM IA SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY SATURDAY EVENING. WEAK TO MODERATE Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE BRUSHES SRN WI. THE ECMWF IS A NICE COMPROMISE SOLUTION BETWEEN THE RATHER WEAK GFS AND STILL STRONGER LOOKING GEM SOLUTION. THIS SUGGESTS QPF NUMBERS FROM A COUPLE HUNDREDTHS IN THE NORTHEAST TO 0.10 OR SLIGHTLY MORE IN THE SOUTHWEST. SO GIVEN THE EXPECTED RATIOS...LOOKS LIKE THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR UP TO 0.5 SNOW IN THE NORTHEAST TO UP TO 2 INCHES IN THE SOUTHWEST CWA WITH THE ECMWF SCENARIO. THE LIGHT SNOW LINGERS INTO THE EVENING WITH THE DEF ZONE ON NORTH SIDE OF VORT MAX. A FEW ADDITIONAL TENTHS BEFORE THE LOW SHIFTS FURTHER AWAY. .SUNDAY - CONFIDENCE...HIGH BROAD ANTICYCLONIC FLOW DEPICTED BY THE MODELS. THERMAL TROUGH AND LINGERING SURFACE/850 RIDGING GETS SHUNTED EAST WITH TIME AS SOUTHERLY FLOW AND WAA KICK BACK IN. .SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY - CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM WAA AND MOIST ADVECTION INCREASE AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE PLAINS. 1000-500 MILLIBAR THICKNESSES INCREASE OVER 540DM AND 850 TEMPS RISE ABOVE ZERO LATER SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING AHEAD OF THE TROUGH. THIS SETUP SUPPORTS SOME MIXY PRECIP PER GOING FORECAST. THE GEM NEVER REALLY BRINGS THE WARMER AIR IN...LEAVING 850 TEMPS SUBZERO AND THICKNESSES BLO 540DM. WILL GO WITH THE CONSENSUS OF THE GFS/ECMWF WHICH SUPPORT MIXED PRECIPITATION FOR A TIME. 850 CAA TAKES HOLD MONDAY AFTERNOON WHICH SHOULD ALLOW FOR ANY LINGERING MIXED PRECIP TO CHANGEOVER TO SNOW BEFORE ENDING. .MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT - CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM COLD ADVECTION IN THE WAKE OF THE MONDAY SYSTEM PROGGD TO BE A QUICK HITTER ESPECIALLY ON THE GFS. WARM ADVECTION RETURNS FAIRLY QUICKLY HEADING INTO TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. .WEDNESDAY - CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM UPPER FLOW FROM THE SOUTHWEST. MILDER AIRMASS TAKING HOLD ON A SOUTH OR SOUTHWEST WIND. 925 TEMPS PROGGD WELL INTO THE POSITIVE NUMBERS CELSIUS. THE ALLBLEND TEMPS ARE A NICE COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE COOLER GFS AND MILDER ECMWF. SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE A RUN AT 40. GFS BRINGS A LITTLE RAIN IN WHILE THE ECMWF KEEPS IT DRY. ALLBLEND BRINGS SLGT POPS INTO THE SW CWA SO WILL GO THAT ROUTE FOR NOW. && .AVIATION/12Z TAFS/...MAINLY MVFR CIGS EARLY THIS MORNING. THEN IT LOOKS LIKE A 3 TO 4 HOUR PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW...WITH IFR VSBYS... ESPECIALLY IN NORTH AREAS FROM THE DELLS TO SHEBOYGAN. FARTHER SOUTH MAINLY MVFR VSBYS...WITH BRIEF IFR. MAY SEE JUST BRIEF MVFR VSBYS SOUTH OF MILWAUKEE. THEN MVFR CIGS THIS EVENING WITH SOME CLEARING FROM THE WEST LATE. && .MARINE...LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES TODAY. THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW SHOULD BRING GUSTY SOUTH WINDS TODAY...VEERING WEST TONIGHT AND NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY. GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE DURING MOST OF THIS PERIOD...BUT A LOW LEVEL INVERSION WILL LIMIT THE GUSTS. ICE COVERED WATERS WILL LIMIT WAVE ACTION. && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. LM...NONE. && TODAY/TONIGHT AND AVIATION/MARINE...HENTZ FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...COLLAR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 318 AM CST THU FEB 13 2014 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-140930- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 318 AM CST THU FEB 13 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST MAY BRING A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN TO THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED HOWEVER SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED. LMZ643>646-140930- 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- 318 AM CST THU FEB 13 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES WILL CAUSE GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS APPROACHING SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HENTZ WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
20 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Numerous accidents involving 17 vehicles occurred on highway 151 between mile markers 108-111. The highway was closed for several hours.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
Intermittent heavy snow resulting in a quick 1-2 inches, and sudden visibility reductions less than 1/4 mile. Hazardous travel was observed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, February 2014
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: 493020, 493021, 493029, 493044, 493045, 493050, 493022, 493023, 493025, 493026, 493032, 493049, 493051, 493052, 493053, 493035, 493046, 493047, 493048, 493054.