Wisconsin, 2020

Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 29 to 30, 2020

December 29 to 30, 2020 · NWS DLH · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

An upper level trough deepened as it pivoted across Minnesota late on the 29th into the 30th and its associated surface low brought widespread snowfall to the region. Despite the strong dry air that was originally in place, the column of air saturated quickly allowing more accumulating snow then originally expected.

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.

An upper level trough deepened as it pivoted across Minnesota late on the 29th into the 30th and its associated surface low brought widespread snowfall to the region. Despite the strong dry air that was originally in place, the column of air saturated quickly allowing more accumulating snow then originally expected. Overall, snow totals yielded 3-6 inches with locally higher amount upwards of 12 inches across the Bayfield Peninsula where lake enhancement occurred.

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 29, 3:01 PM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 29, 3:01 PM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 29, 4:29 PM CST, 31 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

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Burnett

When
December 29, 5:00 PM CST to December 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Burnett forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.863, -92.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Douglas

When
December 29, 7:00 PM CST to December 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.464, -91.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Bayfield

When
December 29, 7:00 PM CST to December 30, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Bayfield forecast zone
Reported by
Public
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

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, December 2020

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 933706, 933704, 933705.