Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 30 to 31, 2019

Name: Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 30 to 31, 2019
Start: 2019-12-30T03:00
End: 2019-12-31T02:00
Location: Wisconsin

December 30 to 31, 2019 · NWS GRB · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A low pressure system lifted north through the Great Lakes region, bringing 6 to 10 inches of snow to portions of north-central, central, and far northeast Wisconsin. ).

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
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Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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 GRB wrote it up.

A low pressure system lifted north through the Great Lakes region, bringing 6 to 10 inches of snow to portions of north-central, central, and far northeast Wisconsin.

Some of the higher snowfall totals included 10.0 inches near Land O' Lakes (Vilas Co.) as well as Phelps (Vilas Co.), 8.9 inches in Rhinelander (Oneida Co.), 8.5 inches in Pittsville (Wood Co.), 8.2 inches in Washington Island (Door Co.), and 7.5 inches in Wausau (Marathon 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 Dec 29, 11:49 PM CST, 3 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 29, 11:49 PM CST, 3 hours 11 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 29, 3:04 PM CST, 11 hours 56 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

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Vilas

When: December 30, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Vilas forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.053, -89.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals in Vilas County included 10.0 inches near Land O' Lakes as well as Phelps, 8.8 inches in Eagle River, and 8.1 inches in Presque Isle.

Heavy Snow, Oneida

When: December 30, 3:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Oneida forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 45.706, -89.522 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals in Oneida County included 8.9 inches in Rhinelander and 7.8 inches in Lake Tomahawk.

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When: December 30, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 45.338, -89.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall total in Lincoln County was 7.3 inches in Rice Reservoir.

Heavy Snow, Langlade

When: December 30, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Langlade forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 45.262, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals in Langlade County included 7.1 inches in Summit Lake and 7 inches in Antigo.

Heavy Snow, Marathon

When: December 30, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Marathon forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.898, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals in Marathon County included 7.5 inches in Wausau, 7.1 inches near Dancy as well as Spencer, 7.0 inches near Knowlton, and 6.8 inches near Weston.

Heavy Snow, Wood

When: December 30, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Wood forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.455, -90.042 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals in Woods County included 8.5 inches in Pittsville, 7.1 inches near Kellner, and 7.0 inches in Wisconsin Rapids as well as Nekoosa.

Heavy Snow, Portage

When: December 30, 6:00 AM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Portage forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.476, -89.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals in Portage County included 6.5 inches in Stevens Point as well as Amherst.

Heavy Snow, Door

When: December 30, 8:00 AM CST to December 31, 2:00 AM CST
Where: Door forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.838, -87.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals in Door County included 8.2 inches in Washington Island and 7.0 inches near Ephraim.

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 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, December 2019

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: 863539, 863541, 863542, 863545, 863546, 863551, 863554, 863538.