Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Wisconsin, November 20 to 21, 2015

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Wisconsin, November 20 to 21, 2015
Start: 2015-11-20T14:45
End: 2015-11-21T16:32
Location: Wisconsin

November 20 to 21, 2015 · NWS MKX · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 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: 16

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 strengthening polar trough and front brought heavy snow to southern Wisconsin, mainly along and south of a line from Lone Rock to Milwaukee. Lake enhanced snow contributed to the overall snow totals over far southeast Wisconsin. Snow totals ranged from 5 to 18 inches with the heaviest totals in the counties bordering Illinois. Wet, heavy snow brought branches down onto electrical wires causing power outages mainly in the counties bordering Illinois where the heaviest snow fell. Vehicle slide-offs and accidents were prevalent.

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 Nov 20, 10:23 AM CST, 4 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 20, 10:23 AM CST, 4 hours 22 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 20, 11:21 AM CST, 3 hours 24 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm, 5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Lafayette

When: November 20, 2:45 PM CST to November 21, 9:15 AM CST
Where: Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Six to thirteen inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Iowa

When: November 20, 4:00 PM CST to November 21, 9:55 AM CST
Where: Iowa forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.001, -90.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four to nine inches of snow with the highest totals in the southern portion of the county.

Winter Weather, Sauk

When: November 20, 4:24 PM CST to November 21, 6:30 AM CST
Where: Sauk forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to three inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Green

When: November 20, 4:35 PM CST to November 21, 9:30 AM CST
Where: Green forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eleven to sixteen inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Rock

When: November 20, 4:45 PM CST to November 21, 2:28 PM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nine to eighteen inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Dane

When: November 20, 5:25 PM CST to November 21, 11:12 AM CST
Where: Dane forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to nine inches of snow with the heaviest totals in the southern portion of the county.

Winter Storm, Walworth

When: November 20, 5:35 PM CST to November 21, 3:35 PM CST
Where: Walworth forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Seven to eleven inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Kenosha

When: November 20, 6:00 PM CST to November 21, 4:32 PM CST
Where: Kenosha forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Six to ten inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Racine

When: November 20, 6:00 PM CST to November 21, 4:32 PM CST
Where: Racine forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Seven to nine inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Jefferson

When: November 20, 6:20 PM CST to November 21, 12:55 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four to ten inches of snow with the heaviest totals in the southern portion of the county.

Winter Storm, Waukesha

When: November 20, 6:50 PM CST to November 21, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to eight inches of snow with the highest totals in the southern portion of the county.

Winter Weather, Columbia

When: November 20, 7:30 PM CST to November 21, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to three inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Dodge

When: November 20, 8:15 PM CST to November 21, 11:35 AM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two to four inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Milwaukee

When: November 20, 8:45 PM CST to November 21, 3:58 PM CST
Where: Milwaukee forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four to seven inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Washington

When: November 20, 9:35 PM CST to November 21, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two to five inches of snow with the heaviest totals in the southern portion of the county.

Winter Weather, Ozaukee

When: November 20, 11:14 PM CST to November 21, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to five inches of snow with the highest totals in the southern portion of the county.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, November 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 606172, 606166, 606184, 606165, 606176, 606164, 606178, 606170, 606175, 606168, 606179, 606181, 606182, 606173, 606185, 606183.