Wisconsin, 2015

Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 3, 2015

January 3, 2015 · NWS MKX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A large area of freezing drizzle developed during the evening hours over eastern Wisconsin, and resulted in numerous vehicle slide-offs.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.

A large area of freezing drizzle developed during the evening hours over eastern Wisconsin, and resulted in numerous vehicle slide-offs.

What forecasters said that day

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 3, 3:54 PM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 3, 3:54 PM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 3, 4:55 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
455 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-042300-
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
455 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

LOOK FOR SNOW TO MOVE INTO THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT...LINGERING
INTO SUNDAY...AS LOW PRESSURE PASSES BY TO THE SOUTHEAST. SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY. IN
ADDITION...BLUSTERY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP
OVERNIGHT...CAUSING AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW INTO SUNDAY MORNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

MORE ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...AS
LOW PRESSURE PASSES TO THE SOUTH OF WISCONSIN. SNOWFALL OF 3 TO 5
INCHES IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

BITTERLY COLD AIR WILL SETTLE OVER THE REGION ON SUNDAY...AND
LINGER THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP
TO 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO SUNDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WIND CHILL ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. HOWEVER...SNOW AND ICE
REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED.

LMZ643>646-042300-
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-
455 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GOES INTO EFFECT LATE TONIGHT...AS
NORTHWEST WINDS PICK UP BEHIND STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING...AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES INTO
SOUTHERN CANADA. A FEW GUSTS TO GALE FORCE WILL BE POSSIBLE ON
SUNDAY TOWARD THE OPEN WATERS.

REM/WOOD
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Dodge

When
January 3, 6:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Dodge forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

Winter Weather, Washington

When
January 3, 6:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When
January 3, 6:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

Winter Weather, Rock

When
January 3, 6:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

Winter Weather, Fond du Lac

When
January 3, 7:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

Winter Weather, Sheboygan

When
January 3, 7:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

Winter Weather, Ozaukee

When
January 3, 7:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

Winter Weather, Waukesha

When
January 3, 7:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

Winter Weather, Walworth

When
January 3, 7:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Walworth forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A coating of ice on the roads from freezing drizzle.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, January 2015

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 546927, 546935, 546936, 546937, 546928, 546930, 546931, 546932, 546933.