Wisconsin, 2019

Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 30 to 31, 2019

December 30 to 31, 2019 · NWS MKX · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A strong low pressure area over the northern Great Lakes spread a swath of accumulating snow across southern WI. Roads became snow covered and slippery with some drifting snow via the brisk winds.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 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
12

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 strong low pressure area over the northern Great Lakes spread a swath of accumulating snow across southern WI. Roads became snow covered and slippery with some drifting snow via the brisk winds. There were many vehicle slide-offs and accidents reported on highway 16 in Jefferson and Waukesha Counties during the evening, as well as Interstate 94 east of Madison to Waukesha. A lesser number of vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred over the remainder of southern WI.

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 Dec 30, 5:24 AM CST, 5 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 30, 5:24 AM CST, 5 hours 36 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 30, 3:28 AM CST, 7 hours 32 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

12 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Ozaukee

When
December 30, 11:00 AM CST to December 31, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.

Winter Weather, Washington

When
December 30, 11:00 AM CST to December 31, 2:15 AM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations around 3 inches.

Winter Weather, Dodge

When
December 30, 11:30 AM CST to December 31, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Dodge forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches.

Winter Weather, Sheboygan

When
December 30, 11:45 AM CST to December 31, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 2 to 3 inches.

Winter Weather, Fond du Lac

When
December 30, 1:30 PM CST to December 31, 12:30 PM 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)

Snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches.

Winter Weather, Columbia

When
December 30, 2:15 PM CST to December 31, 1:30 AM CST
Where
Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 2 to 3 inches.

Winter Weather, Green Lake

When
December 30, 2:15 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Green Lake forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 3 to 4 inches.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When
December 30, 2:15 PM CST to December 31, 12:15 AM CST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 4 to 5 inches.

Winter Weather, Dane

When
December 30, 7:00 PM CST to December 31, 2:30 AM CST
Where
Dane forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When
December 30, 7:15 PM CST to December 31, 2:30 AM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches. Many vehicle slide-offs and accidents on highway 16 and I-94.

Winter Weather, Waukesha

When
December 30, 7:30 PM CST to December 31, 2:45 AM CST
Where
Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations 2 to 3 inches. Many vehicle slide-offs and accidents on highway 16 and I-94.

Winter Weather, Sauk

When
December 30, 9:00 PM CST to December 31, 1:15 AM CST
Where
Sauk forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.

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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 863713, 863716, 863705, 863715, 863707, 863702, 863708, 863711, 863703, 863709, 863717, 863714.