Cold air moved into northern Wisconsin as a strong low pressure system departed and high pressure over the Plains moved toward the region. Low temperatures on the morning of January 30th were mainly in the -15 F to -30 F range and wind chills mostly -35 to -55.
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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.
The episode as NWS GRB wrote it up.
Cold air moved into northern Wisconsin as a strong low pressure system departed and high pressure over the Plains moved toward the region. Low temperatures on the morning of January 30th were mainly in the -15 F to -30 F range and wind chills mostly -35 to -55. Temperatures across the area remained below zero throughout the day on the 30th. Schools and many businesses closed, public transportation suspended or curtailed service, and the U.S. Postal Service even suspended deliveries due to the bitter cold.
Several locations set or tied their records for the coldest daytime high temperatures on January 30th including: Appleton (Outagamie Co.); Manitowoc (Manitowoc Co.); Marshfield (Wood Co.); Merrill (Lincoln Co.); Oshkosh (Winnebago Co.); Wausau (Marathon Co.); and Wisconsin Rapids (Wood Co.).
Record low temperatures were tied or broken on the morning of the 31st at Appleton, Green Bay (Brown Co.), Marshfield, and Oshkosh.
Several locations set or tied their records for the coldest daytime high temperatures on January 31st including: Antigo (Langlade Co.); Appleton; Manitowoc; Marshfield; Oshkosh; Stevens Point (Portage Co.); Sturgeon Bay (Door Co.); and Wisconsin Rapids.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
The low temperature in Green Bay on the morning of January 31st was -26 degrees. This tied the record for the date, previously set in 1899.
The high temperature in Appleton on January 30th was -10 degrees, breaking the previous record of -4, set in 1996, for the coldest daytime high. The low temperature in Appleton on the morning of January 31st was -26, breaking the previous record low for the date of -22, set in 1996.
The high temperature in Oshkosh on January 30th was -11 degrees, breaking the previous record of -7, set in 1951, for the coldest daytime high. The low temperature in Oshkosh on the morning of January 31st was -26, tying the record low for the date that was set in 1918.
The high temperature in Marshfield on January 30th was -15 degrees, breaking the previous record of -6, set in 1951, for the coldest daytime high. The high temperature in Wisconsin Rapids on January 30th was -11 degrees, breaking the previous record of -3, set in 1951, for the coldest daytime high.
The low temperature in Marshfield on the morning of January 31st was -30, tying the record low for the date that was set in 1918.
The high temperature in Wausau on January 30th was -14 degrees, breaking the previous record of -12, set in 1899, for the coldest daytime high. The low temperature near Evergreen was -34 on the morning of January 31st.
The high temperature in Manitowoc on January 30th was -12 degrees, tying the record for the coldest daytime high, set in 1899. The low temperature in Manitowoc was -23 on the morning of January 31st.
The high temperature in Merrill on January 30th was -5 degrees, tying the record for the coldest daytime high, set in 1907. The low temperature at Tomahawk was -36 on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature at Manitowish Waters was -35 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature at Rhinelander was -31 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature near Crandon was -29 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature in Florence was -26 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature in Antigo was -28 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature at Wausaukee was -24 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature near Crivitz was -26 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature near Keshena was -28 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature near Mountain was -35 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature in Suring was -30 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature near Forestville was -22 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature near Bowler was -30 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature near Plover was -30 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature southwest of New London was -28 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature in Kewaunee was -20 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature near Poy Sippi was -32 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
The low temperature in both Chilton and Brillion was -23 degrees on the morning of January 31st.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, January 2019
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: 801364, 801366, 801367, 801368, 801369, 801370, 801371, 801372, 801373, 801374, 801375, 801376, 801535, 801536, 801537, 801538, 801539, 801540, 801541, 801542, 801543, 801544, 801545, 801546.