Wisconsin, 2020

Winter Weather in Wisconsin, February 12 to 13, 2020

February 12 to 13, 2020 · NWS MKX · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Snow accumulation of 1-3 inches and snow covered roads. The snow began in the early evening of February 12th for portions of southern WI with relatively light winds at the time.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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
15

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.

Snow accumulation of 1-3 inches and snow covered roads. The snow began in the early evening of February 12th for portions of southern WI with relatively light winds at the time. However, the passage of an arctic front from the late evening into the early morning hours made for gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph, blowing and drifting snow, reduced visibility, and continued hazardous travel. Some vehicle slide-offs and accidents occurred from the evening into the next morning. A two-vehicle accident closed all southbound lanes of I/39/90/94 just north of highway 60 in southern Columbia County for approximately 2 hours during the early morning.

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 Feb 12, 5:58 PM CST, 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 12, 5:58 PM CST, 2 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 12, 3:57 PM CST, 2 hours 3 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

15 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Dane

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 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 accumulation of 1-2 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Dodge

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 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 accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Green

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Green forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulation of 1-2 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Jefferson

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 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 accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Kenosha

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Kenosha forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Milwaukee

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Milwaukee forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Ozaukee

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulation of 1-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Racine

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Racine forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Rock

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Walworth

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Walworth forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Washington

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 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 accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Waukesha

When
February 12, 6:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 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 accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Fond du Lac

When
February 12, 10:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 AM 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 accumulation of 2-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Sheboygan

When
February 12, 10:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 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 accumulation of 1-3 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.

Winter Weather, Columbia

When
February 12, 11:00 PM CST to February 13, 10:00 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 accumulation of 1-2 inches. Gusty north winds of 25 to 35 mph with some blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility. A two-vehicle accident closed all southbound lanes of I/39/90/94 just north of highway 60 in southern Columbia County for approximately 2 hours during the early morning.

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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, February 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 868649, 868650, 868652, 868653, 868654, 868655, 868656, 868657, 868658, 868660, 868661, 868662, 868651, 868659, 868647.