Wisconsin, 2015Extreme Cold in Wisconsin, January 4 to 5, 2015
January 4 to 5, 2015 · NWS GRB · 6 events in 6 counties and zones
Temperatures in the 12 below to 22 below zero range combined with west winds of 10 to 20 mph to produce dangerous wind chills during the night of January 4th and the morning of the 5th. These dangerous wind chills were mainly across parts of central and north central Wisconsin.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
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.
Temperatures in the 12 below to 22 below zero range combined with west winds of 10 to 20 mph to produce dangerous wind chills during the night of January 4th and the morning of the 5th. These dangerous wind chills were mainly across parts of central and north central Wisconsin. The wind chill dropped as low as 44 below zero at Rhinelander (Oneida Co.).
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 Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 4, 5:38 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 4, 5:38 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 4, 3:17 PM CST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
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</html>Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Vilas
- When
- January 4, 7:30 PM CST to January 5, 10:30 AM CST
- Where
- Vilas forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 46.053, -89.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The coldest wind chill recorded in Vilas County was 39 below zero at Manitowish Waters.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Langlade
- When
- January 4, 8:30 PM CST to January 5, 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Langlade forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 45.262, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The coldest wind chill recorded in Langlade County was 39 below zero at Antigo.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Oneida
- When
- January 4, 10:30 PM CST to January 5, 10:30 AM CST
- Where
- Oneida forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 45.706, -89.522 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The coldest wind chill recorded in Oneida County was 44 below zero at Rhinelander.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Marathon
- When
- January 5, 3:30 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Marathon forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 44.898, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The coldest wind chill recorded in Marathon County was 36 below zero at both Wausau and Mosinee.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lincoln
- When
- January 5, 8:30 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Lincoln forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 45.338, -89.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The coldest wind chill recorded in Lincoln County was 35 below zero at Merrill.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Oconto
- When
- January 5, 8:30 AM CST to 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Northern Oconto forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 44.999, -88.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wind chills reached at least 35 below zero at times in Oconto County.
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Damaging Winds and Strong Wind in South Carolina, January 4, 20151 death · 2 injured · $40,000 · 50 kt wind · 4 events
- Winter Storm and Avalanche in Montana, January 4 to 6, 20151 death · $3,000 · 10 events
- Tornado in Alabama, January 4, 2015$200,000 · EF2 · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Georgia, January 4, 2015$95,000 · EF1 · 11 events
- High Wind in New York, January 4, 2015$140,000 · 50 kt wind · 7 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 4, 20151 injured · $25,000 · EF1 · 8 events
- Tornado in Georgia, January 4, 20154 injured · EF1 · 2 events
- Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 4 to 6, 2015$90,000 · 3 events
- Strong Wind in New Jersey, January 4 to 5, 2015$35,000 · 12 events
- Damaging Winds in New Jersey, January 4, 2015$50,000 · 56 kt wind · 2 events
- High Wind in Wyoming, January 4 to 6, 201572 kt wind · 32 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in North Atlantic Coastal Waters, January 4, 201528 events
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: 556267, 556276, 556268, 556270, 556269, 557320.