Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 26 to 28, 2018

Name: Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 26 to 28, 2018
Start: 2018-12-26T23:00
End: 2018-12-28T19:00
Location: Wisconsin

December 26 to 28, 2018 · NWS DLH · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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: 3

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 DLH wrote it up.

Low pressure passed to the south of the area and led to a prolonged snow event that lasted parts of 3 days in the days just after Christmas. All of northeast Minnesota and the northwest corner of Wisconsin were affected by this storm. Snowfall amounts were generally in the 8 to 16 inch range, although there were pockets of higher amounts. Much of northwest Wisconsin saw snow, but they also saw rain, which considerably cut back on the snow amounts.

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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 26, 8:45 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 26, 8:45 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 26, 3:38 PM CST, 7 hours 22 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Duluth MN
338 PM CST Wed Dec 26 2018

MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-272145-
Koochiching-North St. Louis-Northern Cook/Northern Lake-
North Itasca-Central St. Louis-Southern Lake/North Shore-
Southern Cook/North Shore-North Cass-South Itasca-South Cass-
Crow Wing-Northern Aitkin-South Aitkin-Carlton/South St. Louis-
Pine-Douglas-Bayfield-Ashland-Iron-Burnett-Washburn-Sawyer-Price-
338 PM CST Wed Dec 26 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast
Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight

The first widespread major winter storm of the season will move
into central and northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin
tonight. It is expected to bring a large swath of heavy snow for
most of the region tonight through Friday. Much of the region will
get an initial round of 2 to 5 inches of snow through tonight.
Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories go into effect
for many areas by midnight. Please refer to the latest winter
weather messages, and the official forecast for more information.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday

The winter storm will continue into Friday across the region.
Much of the region can expect an additional 5 to 9 inches
Thursday morning through Friday, with areas along the Minnesota
North Shore getting an additional 10 to 12 inches. A mixture of
rain and snow though in parts of east-central Minnesota and
northwest Wisconsin, including areas near and south of Hinckley,
Hayward, and Park Falls, will mean only an additional 1 to 3
inches of snow. Storm total snowfall by the time things wind down
on Friday should be in the 8 to 12 inch range in many areas, with
heavier amounts from 12 to 16 inches along the Minnesota North
Shore, and lesser amounts from 3 to 5 inches from Pine County
eastward into parts of northwest Wisconsin. Lake effect snow
showers could persist into Saturday morning across Bayfield,
Ashland, and Iron Counties. Please refer to the latest winter
weather messages and official forecast for additional details.

Wind chills from 15 to 25 below zero are expected Friday night and
Saturday morning across parts of northeast Minnesota.

There is also a chance of light snow New Year's Eve and New Year's
Day, with another round of cold arctic air and the potential for
temperatures well below zero returning to the region just after
the New Year's Holiday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Snow spotters are requested to report precipitation type and
snowfall measurements to the National Weather Service over the
next couple of days.

LSZ121-140>148-272145-
Bayfield to Oak Point WI-Grand Portage to Grand Marais MN-
Grand Marais to Taconite Harbor MN-
Taconite Harbor to Silver Bay Harbor MN-
Silver Bay Harbor to Two Harbors MN-Two Harbors to Duluth MN-
Duluth MN to Port Wing WI-Port Wing to Sand Island WI-
Sand Island to Bayfield WI-Oak Point to Saxon Harbor WI-
338 PM CST Wed Dec 26 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Nearshore
waters of western Lake Superior.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight

Increasing easterly winds this evening and overnight will result
in building wave heights and hazardous conditions developing
across most of the western Lake Superior nearshore waters by
daybreak Thursday. Please refer to the latest marine weather
message and nearshore marine forecasts for additional details.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday

Easterly winds will shift to north/northwest and increase further
Thursday night and Friday. It is possible that parts, or all, of
the western Lake Superior nearshore waters will need to be
upgraded to a gale warning for Thursday night and Friday. In
addition, freezing spray will become increasingly likely from
Thursday night into Friday night as much colder air moves into the
region.

More information may be obtained at the following web address:
http://www.weather.gov/duluth (all lower case)

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Burnett

When: December 26, 11:00 PM CST to December 28, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Burnett forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.863, -92.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Douglas

When: December 27, 12:00 AM CST to December 28, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.464, -91.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Bayfield

When: December 27, 1:00 AM CST to December 28, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Bayfield forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.635, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, December 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: 798199, 798196, 798197.