The first major winter storm of the 2015-2016 winter season for the region produced a swath of 8 to 14 inches of snow across parts of central and northeast Wisconsin as a low pressure system moved from Arkansas to southern Lake Michigan. Much of the snow fell in just eight hours.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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 GRB wrote it up.
The first major winter storm of the 2015-2016 winter season for the region produced a swath of 8 to 14 inches of snow across parts of central and northeast Wisconsin as a low pressure system moved from Arkansas to southern Lake Michigan. Much of the snow fell in just eight hours. In addition to the snow, sleet fell in parts of east-central Wisconsin and thundersnow was reported at several locations, including Green Bay and the Lake Michigan shoreline. The heavy, wet snow caused numerous vehicles to become stranded across Green Bay and the Fox Valley. Two unoccupied vehicles that were stuck in the snow on railroad tracks were later hit by trains (one in the Green Bay area and the other in Appleton).
Winds were very gusty across the area, mostly 35 to 45 mph, causing blowing and drifting of the newly fallen snow that created blizzard conditions in Brown County and Outagamie County. The highest reported gusts included 61 mph at Algoma (Kewaunee Co.), 54 mph at Green Bay (Brown Co.) and 53 mph near Marinette (Marinette Co.).
Some of the heaviest snow accumulations included: 14.6 in New London (Waupaca Co.); 13.5 near Two Rivers (Manitowoc Co.), in De Pere (Brown Co.), and near Ephraim (Door Co.); and 13.2 inches in Green Bay (Brown Co.). The storm total in Green Bay made it the fourth greatest December snowstorm on record for the city.
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 Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 28, 2:24 PM CST, 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 224 PM CST MON DEC 28 2015 FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR ROUTINE AFTERNOON FORECAST ISSUANCE .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY ISSUED AT 224 PM CST MON DEC 28 2015 THE LATEST RAP ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE/RADAR IMAGERY SHOW A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING NORTH-NORTHEAST OVER MISSOURI. STRONG MOISTURE TRANSPORT AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM IS FUNNELING GULF OF MEXICO MOISTURE INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS CREEPING NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND THE SOUTHERN FOX VALLEY. MIXED PRECIP MOVED INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN EARLIER THIS MORNING...BUT HAVE NOT SEEN A MIXED PRECIP OB NORTH OF I-94 YET. NORTHEAST WINDS HAVE BEEN GRADUALLY INCREASING AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS...WITH SOME GUSTS APPROACHING 40 KTS ALONG THE LAKE SHORE. AS THE LOW MOVES CLOSER TO THE REGION AND PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO ADVANCE NORTHWARD...IMPACTS FROM HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS ARE THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS. TONIGHT...LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE NORTHEAST FROM WEST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS TO CENTRAL LAKE MICHIGAN. THIS TRACK IS SLIGHTLY TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE TRACK GIVEN BY THE MAJORITY OF GUIDANCE YESTERDAY. AS A RESULT...THERMAL PROFILES CONTINUE TO SHOW A COOLER LOOK LIKE THE PREVIOUS SHIFT MENTIONED. OBSERVATIONS ALSO BEAR OUT THIS TREND. ADDITIONALLY...STRONG MOISTURE TRANSPORT AND PWATS APPROACHING 1 INCH WILL SHIFT NORTHEAST AHEAD OF THE LOW OVER SOUTHERN TO NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. CONSEQUENTLY...THE SHORTER TERM GUIDANCE INCLUDING THE SREF/CONSSHORT/RAP HAVE INCREASED QPF AMOUNTS OVER NORTHEAST WISCONSIN SUBSTANTIALLY...AND HAVE FOLLOWED SUIT IN THE FORECAST. THE END RESULT WAS A INCREASE OF SNOW AMOUNTS OVER CENTRAL TO NORTHEAST WISCONSIN INTO THE 8-12 INCH RANGE. FAR NORTH- CENTRAL WI CONTINUES TO LOOK TO SEE THE LOWEST AMOUNTS IN THE REGION...MORE LIKE IN THE 3-5 INCH RANGE. THE STORM WILL LIKELY PEAK DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS...WHERE AN 1+ INCH SNOW FALL RATES AND WINDS TO 45 MPH WILL CREATE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES. A BLIZZARD WARNING MAY BE NEEDED IF VISIBILITIES REMAIN SUSTAINED BELOW A QUARTER MILE DESPITE THE EXPECTED WET SNOW FLAKES...THAT TEND TO STICK TOGETHER RATHER THAN BREAK UP IN STRONG WINDS. SOME SLEET MAY MIX WITH THE SNOW OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WI LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING...BUT DO NOT THINK IT WILL HURT SNOWFALL ACCUMS MUCH. THE SNOW WILL TRAIL OFF FROM SW TO NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT. PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY WORK IN WITH THE SNOWFLAKES LATE AS ICE CRYSTALS ARE LOST ALOFT. TUESDAY...THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SHIFT EAST OVER LAKE HURON. DESPITE THE LOW MOVING AWAY...A TRAILING SHORTWAVE COMBINED WITH LOW LEVEL CYCLONIC FLOW SHOULD KEEP LIGHT SNOW IN THE FORECAST FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL WORK IN THE WITH SNOW AT TIMES WHEN POCKETS OF DRY AIR MOVE IN ALOFT. AN ADDITIONAL HALF TO ONE INCH OF ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S NORTH TO LOW 30S SOUTH. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY ISSUED AT 224 PM CST MON DEC 28 2015 SPLIT FLOW TO CONT FROM THE ERN PACIFIC ACROSS THE CONUS... HOWEVER THE NRN STREAM TO BECOME MORE DOMINANT THIS WEEK...THUS PREVENTING ANY SRN STREAM SYSTEMS FROM IMPACTING THE GREAT LAKES. A BUILDING UPR RDG INTO WRN CANADA WL RESULT IN A NW FLOW ALOFT ACROSS WI WITH SNOW CHCS LIMITED TO WEAK CLIPPER-TYPE SYSTEMS OR LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHWRS FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. TEMPS WL AVERAGE AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL...MAINLY DUE TO ABOVE NORMAL MIN TEMPS. A LINGERING SFC BOUNDARY OVER SRN WI...COUPLED WITH THE PASSAGE OF A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE...MAY BE ENUF TO KEEP AT LEAST A SMALL POP IN THE FCST THRU MOST OF TUE NGT. FCST SOUNDINGS INDICATE DRIER AIR ALOFT...THUS A POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE RATHER THAN JUST LIGHT SNOW. THE TRACK OF THE SHORTWAVE WOULD FAVOR NRN WI WITH A HIGHER POP WITH MORE SNOW IN THE EVENING BEFORE MIXING WITH THE FREEZING DRIZZLE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD REMAIN UNDER AN INCH WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ANY ICING. MAY NEED TO DROP MIN TEMPS A COUPLE OF DEGS WHICH WOULD BRING READINGS INTO THE MID-TEENS NORTH...AROUND 20 TO THE LWR 20S SOUTH. MODELS CONT TO SEND ANOTHER SRN STREAM SYSTEM INTO THE GREAT LAKES ON WED. THIS SYSTEM (COMPRISED OF A WEAK SFC LOW/NEGATIVELY-TILTED SHORTWAVE TROF) IS MUCH WEAKER/MUCH LESS MOISTURE AVAILABLE THAN ITS PREDECESSOR. THEREFORE...WHILE MOST OF NE WI WL SEE LIGHT SNOW ON WED...ACCUMULATIONS WL BE MINOR WITH MOST LOCATIONS ONLY RECEIVING ONE-HALF INCH OR LESS. MAX TEMPS TO RANGE FROM THE MID TO UPR 20S NORTH...UPR 20S TO AROUND 30 DEGS SOUTH. AS AN UPR RDG BEGINS TO BUILD INTO WRN CANADA...A DOWNSTREAM POSITIVE-TILTED UPR TROF WL DEVELOP FROM CNTRL CANADA SW TO THE CNTRL ROCKIES WED NGT. MODELS STILL SHOW PLENTY OF LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE OVER WI AND WITH WEAK PIECES OF ENERGY TRAVERSING THE AREA...CANNOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT A FEW SNOW SHWRS OR SCT FLURRIES SOMEWHERE OVER NE WI. UNDER MAINLY CLOUDY SKIES...LOOK FOR MIN TEMPS TO RANGE FROM 10-15 NORTH...15-20 SOUTH. THIS POSITIVELY- TILTED UPR TROF IS FCST TO SHIFT EAST AND APPROACH THE WRN GREAT LAKES LATE ON THU. WI TO ESSENTIALLY RESIDE IN AN AREA DEVOID OF ANY LIFT OR FORCING AS MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVES AND JET STREAKS PASS EITHER TO OUR NORTH (ONTARIO) OR SOUTH (OHIO RIVER VALLEY). THEREFORE...ANTICIPATE MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS FOR THU WITH MAX TEMPS IN THE UPR TEENS TO LWR 20S CNTRL WI...MIDDLE 20S ERN WI. AS THIS UPR TROF DEPARTS NE WI THU NGT...A NW FLOW ALOFT IS LEFT IN ITS WAKE WHICH WL THEN PERSIST OVER THE REGION INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. SEVERAL IMPULSES ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE SE THRU THIS FLOW OVER WI (ONE ON FRI...ONE ON SAT AND A THIRD ON SUNDAY)...HOWEVER WITH LITTLE MOISTURE AVAILABLE...IT WL BE DIFFICULT TO GENERATE MUCH PCPN. THE THIRD PIECE OF ENERGY APPEARS TO BE THE STRONGEST OF THE THREE AND MAY BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE OUT A FEW SNOW SHWRS OR FLURRIES OVER THE FCST AREA. A BIGGER FCST HEADACHE MAY BE LAKE EFFECT POTENTIAL FOR N-CNTRL WI FRI THRU SUNDAY. TRAJS DO NOT LOOK FAVORABLE UNTIL SAT NGT AT THE EARLIEST AND EVEN WHEN WINDS DO BECOME FAVORABLE...DELTA-T VALUES ARE FCST TO ONLY BE IN THE LWR TEENS. THUS...LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHWRS DO NOT LOOK LIKE A MAJOR ISSUE AT THIS TIME. BY MON...THE WEAKENING CANADIAN UPR RDG TO RESIDE OVER THE CNTRL CONUS WITH A SPRAWLING SFC HI BUILDING INTO WI. THESE FEATURES SHOULD KEEP OUR WEATHER QUIET WITH TEMPS GOING SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL FOR SUNDAY AND MON. && .AVIATION...FOR 18Z TAF ISSUANCE ISSUED AT 1113 AM CST MON DEC 28 2015 A LARGE AND STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FROM THE CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDDAY TUESDAY. A LARGE PRECIPITATION SHIELD WILL SURGE NORTHWARD AHEAD OF THE LOW...REACHING THE SOUTHERN FOX VALLEY BY 19Z AND NORTHERN WI BETWEEN 00Z-02Z. A MIXTURE OF SNOW AND SLEET IS LIKELY FROM SUE TO ISW SOUTHWARD. STRONG GUSTY NE WINDS UP TO 40 KTS WILL CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE NEW SNOW. AS THE SNOW WINDS DOWN LATE TONIGHT...FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL MIX IN WITH THE SNOW THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. WINDS WILL ALSO DIMINISH TOMORROW MORNING. && .GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR WIZ045-048>050. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY FOR WIZ030-031- 035>040. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST TUESDAY FOR WIZ005-010>013-018>022-073-074. && SHORT TERM.....MPC LONG TERM......AK AVIATION.......MPC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 254 PM CST MON DEC 28 2015 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-292100- VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE COUNTY-LINCOLN- LANGLADE-MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO COUNTY-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO- WOOD-PORTAGE-WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO- CALUMET-MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE COUNTY- SOUTHERN OCONTO COUNTY- 254 PM CST MON DEC 28 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA FROM TONIGHT AS A MAJOR WINTER STORM IMPACTS THE REGION. NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL BE PRESENT OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN AT TIMES THROUGH THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS. A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL WILL LIKELY TO CONTINUE TUESDAY AS THE SNOW DIMINISHES TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS AND AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE. SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY DUE TO A LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOW AND SLEET TOTALS FROM TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. LMZ521-522-541>543-292100- THE BAY OF GREEN BAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WASHINGTON ISLAND TO SHEBOYGAN- 254 PM CST MON DEC 28 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE WATERS OF GREEN BAY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT EAST TO NORTHEAST GALES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTH. NEAR STORM FORCE GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. MPC/AK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
247 PM CST MON DEC 28 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0246 PM SNOW PLOVER 44.45N 89.53W
12/28/2015 M1.2 INCH PORTAGE WI CO-OP OBSERVER
PEAK WIND GUST OF 41 MPH
&&
BERSCHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 winter storm, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm total snowfall near Amberg was 7.0 inches, and gusty winds caused blowing and drifting snow.
Storm total snowfall at Peshtigo was 10.0 inches, and winds gusted to 53 mph near Marinette.
Storm total snowfall near Ephraim was 13.5 inches, and a wind gust of 39 mph was recorded near Potawatomi State Park.
Storm total snowfall near Wausau was 6.2 inches, and winds gusted as high as 36 mph near Moon.
Storm total snowfall near Cecil was 10.6 inches, and winds at the Shawano Airport gusted as high as 35 mph.
Storm total snowfall near Marshfield was 10.0 inches, and winds gusted to 39 mph at Marshfield.
Storm total snowfall in Stevens Point was 8.9 inches, and winds gusted to 44 mph at Plover.
As much as 14.6 inches of snow fell at New London, and wind gusts were as high as 47 mph in the town of Scandinavia.
Storm total snowfall in Wautoma was 13.0 inches and winds gusted to 43 mph at the Wautoma Municipal Airport.
Storm total snowfall in Oshkosh was 11.7 inches, and winds gusted to 46 mph at the airport in Oshkosh.
Storm total snowfall in Brillion was 12.0 inches, and winds gusted as high as 42 mph in Sherwood.
As much as 13.5 inches of snow fell near Two Rivers, and winds gusted as high as 39 mph at the Manitowoc County Airport.
Storm total snowfall in De Pere was 13.5 inches, and the official measurement at the National Weather Service was 13.2 inches. Winds gusted as high as 54 mph at Austin Straubel International Airport.
Storm total snowfall in Appleton was 12.2 inches, and winds gusted as high as 45 mph near Combined Locks.
Storm total snowfall in Kewaunee was 12.0 inches, and winds there gusted as high as 48 mph.
Storm total snowfall near Pulaski was 11.4 inches, and winds gusted to 37 mph at the airport in Oconto.
Heavy snow fell and winds in excess of 30 mph at times caused blowing and drifting snow.
Heavy snow fell and winds in excess of 30 mph at times caused blowing and drifting snow.
Storm total snowfall near Antigo was 6.5 inches, and winds at the airport in Antigo gusted as high as 37 mph.
Heavy snow fell and winds in excess of 30 mph at times caused blowing and drifting snow.
Storm total snowfall at Aurora was 7.8 inches, and gusty winds caused blowing and drifting snow.
Heavy snow with sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph, and gusts from 50 to 60 mph, produced blizzard conditions in and around Green Bay.
Heavy snow with sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph, and gusts near 50 mph, produced blizzard conditions in Appleton and the Fox Cities.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, December 2015
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: 611962, 611965, 611968, 611971, 611972, 612015, 612016, 612018, 612019, 612021, 612022, 612024, 612025, 612026, 612028, 612087, 612088, 612090, 612091, 612092, 612093, 609026, 612027.