Wisconsin, 2018

Winter Weather in Wisconsin, April 3 to 4, 2018

April 3 to 4, 2018 · NWS MKX · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

A low pressure area brought mixed precipitation and accumulating snow to southern WI. Areas of light freezing drizzle occurred over south central WI during the morning of April 3rd.

Where it happened

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.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
20

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 low pressure area brought mixed precipitation and accumulating snow to southern WI. Areas of light freezing drizzle occurred over south central WI during the morning of April 3rd. The precipitation eventually changed to snow for the afternoon and early evening hours. Light to moderate snow then occurred much of the evening and into the morning hours of April 4th. Several inches of snow accumulated north and west of the Milwaukee metro area, with only light accumulations in the Milwaukee metro area and counties bordering IL. Most of the vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred during the nighttime snow.

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 Apr 3, 4:25 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 4:25 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 2:24 AM CST, 3 hours 36 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

20 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Iowa

When
April 3, 6:00 AM CST to April 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Iowa forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.001, -90.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Areas of light freezing drizzle and slick roads the morning of April 3rd. Light to moderate snow for the afternoon and night with 2 to 3 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Lafayette

When
April 3, 6:00 AM CST to April 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Areas of light freezing drizzle and slick roads the morning of April 3rd. Light snow for the afternoon and night with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Green

When
April 3, 6:00 AM CST to April 4, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Green forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Areas of light freezing drizzle and slick roads the morning of April 3rd. Light snow for the afternoon and night with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Dane

When
April 3, 6:00 AM CST to April 4, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Dane forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Areas of light freezing drizzle and slick roads the morning of April 3rd. Light to moderate snow for the afternoon and night with 2 to 4 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Columbia

When
April 3, 7:00 AM CST to April 4, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Areas of light freezing drizzle and slick roads the morning of April 3rd, followed by 3 to 6 inches of snow accumulation during the afternoon and night. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Sauk

When
April 3, 7:00 AM CST to April 4, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Sauk forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Areas of light freezing drizzle and slick roads the morning of April 3rd. Light to moderate snow for the afternoon and night with 3 to 5 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When
April 3, 8:00 AM CST to April 4, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Areas of light freezing drizzle and slick roads the morning of April 3rd, followed by 4 to 7 inches of snow accumulation during the afternoon and night. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Green Lake

When
April 3, 8:00 AM CST to April 4, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Green Lake forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Areas of light freezing drizzle and slick roads the morning of April 3rd, followed by 4 to 7 inches of snow accumulation during the afternoon and night. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Dodge

When
April 3, 1:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Dodge forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to five inches of snow accumulation during the afternoon and night. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Washington

When
April 3, 1:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light to moderate snow for the afternoon and night with 2 to 4 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Ozaukee

When
April 3, 1:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light to moderate snow for the afternoon and night with 2 to 4 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Fond du Lac

When
April 3, 1:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light to moderate snow for the afternoon and night with 4 to 7 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Sheboygan

When
April 3, 1:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light to moderate snow for the afternoon and night with 4 to 6 inches of accumulation. Most vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred at night when roads became snow covered.

Winter Weather, Waukesha

When
April 3, 5:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light snow with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents.

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When
April 3, 5:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light snow with 2 to 3 inches of accumulation. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents. A tractor trailer jack-knifed near Jefferson on the highway 26 bypass.

Winter Weather, Milwaukee

When
April 3, 6:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Milwaukee forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light snow with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents.

Winter Weather, Walworth

When
April 3, 6:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Walworth forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light snow with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents.

Winter Weather, Rock

When
April 3, 6:00 PM CST to April 4, 4:00 AM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light snow with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents.

Winter Weather, Racine

When
April 3, 6:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Racine forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light snow with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents.

Winter Weather, Kenosha

When
April 3, 6:00 PM CST to April 4, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Kenosha forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light snow with around 1 inch of accumulation. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents.

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 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, April 2018

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 738867, 738868, 738869, 738870, 738858, 738860, 738865, 738866, 738859, 738861, 738862, 738863, 738864, 738872, 738877, 738871, 738873, 738874, 738875, 738876.