Low pressure moved from northwestern Iowa to northern Lake Michigan on March 5th, spreading an area of freezing rain and snow across much of northwestern Wisconsin ahead of a warm front. Freezing rain moved in during the early morning hours of the 5th and lingered into the evening before transitioning over to snow overnight and tapering off the morning of the 6th.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 DLH wrote it up.
Low pressure moved from northwestern Iowa to northern Lake Michigan on March 5th, spreading an area of freezing rain and snow across much of northwestern Wisconsin ahead of a warm front. Freezing rain moved in during the early morning hours of the 5th and lingered into the evening before transitioning over to snow overnight and tapering off the morning of the 6th. Ice accumulations of 0.25 to nearly 0.40 were reported across northwest Wisconsin with the highest report being 0.38 near Moquah, most of which fell in around six hours. Additionally, snowfall of up to 5 to 7 inches fell during the latter half of the storm with 7.5 accumulating near Washburn.
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 Feb 28, 11:42 PM CST, 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Duluth MN 1142 PM CST Mon Feb 28 2022 .DISCUSSION...(This evening through Sunday) Issued at 313 PM CST Mon Feb 28 2022 Summary: The first clipper in a series of clippers is passing through the region with light snow across northern MN. This system will quickly exit this evening with some lingering light snow for the South Shore. Clippers continue through mid week with light accumulations expected. A breif reprieve and some sunny skies will return Thursday before a stronger system starts to make its presence known. Long range models continue to suggest a Colorado Low will track towards Lake Superior as we head into the weekend. If models stay consistent then we will likely see a wintry mix with some impactful snowfall. A clipper system is currently passing through northern MN this afternoon bringing some light snow accumulations. There have been brief bursts of heavier snow across the Borderlands with visibilities dropping to less than a mile. The track of this system has been slightly further north than previously anticipated. Look for the clipper to quickly exit this evening with some northwesterly winds filtering in on the backside. These winds may generate some lingering snow showers for the South Shore. Upper level ridging over the desert southwest will continue to produce northwesterly flow aloft over the Northland. Several more chances for clippers will impact the region through mid week. Tomorrow, the moisture plume and best forcing looks to be mostly to our south but cannot fully rule out some activity south of Highway 2. Some models are hinting at some loss of ice crystals aloft which could lead to freezing drizzle mixing in. Regardless, total snow accumulations will be light and ice will be negligible. The last clipper looks to move through Wednesday. While this one does have a little better forcing to work with the overall lack of moisture will once again keep snow accumulations light. Surface high pressure builds in Thursday to end the series of clippers. Arctic air remains north of the International Border with highs hovering around upper teens and twenties. Highs will then climb into the 20s and 30s for Friday. The quiet weather will be brief as our long range models continue to converge on a wintry system heading into the weekend. The latest guidance is showcasing a baroclinic zone setting up out ahead of the approaching low that could bring precipitation in as early as Thursday night. The main event still looks to enter Saturday as the Colorado low tracks toward Lake Superior. Precipitation type will be a challenge with this system as the low will bring an influx of warm air in the lower levels. It's still too soon to venture a guess as to rain/ice/snow amounts as everything is still in flux. The GEFS and NAEFS ensembles do highlight anomalous amounts of moisture moving into the region. Both are advertising precipitable water above the 90th percentile for this time of year. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Tuesday night) Issued at 1130 PM CST Mon Feb 28 2022 Periods of MVFR conditions from the departing system and the incoming system for Tuesday. Light snow showers are expected at our southern terminals, and MVFR or brief IFR visibilities are possible with heavier snow showers. However, there is not enough confidence to include reduction of visibilities in the TAFs. VFR conditions should return after the clipper passes Tuesday afternoon. && .MARINE... Issued at 313 PM CST Mon Feb 28 2022 Light northerly winds continue for the next 48 hours gradually bouncing between northeast and northwest at times. Overall speeds will remain less than 15 kts. Several clippers will move through the Lake with minimal snow expected through midweek. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DLH 16 30 15 25 / 10 10 40 20 INL 5 25 3 18 / 10 10 40 10 BRD 18 32 18 27 / 20 30 60 10 HYR 17 35 17 30 / 10 20 40 30 ASX 17 31 17 28 / 20 10 30 30 && .DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. LS...None. && DISCUSSION...Britt AVIATION...Kossen MARINE...Britt
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Duluth MN 322 PM CST Mon Feb 28 2022 MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-011130- Koochiching-North St. Louis-Northern Cook/Northern Lake- North Itasca-Central St. Louis-Southern Lake/North Shore- Southern Cook/North Shore-North Cass-South Itasca-South Cass- Crow Wing-Northern Aitkin-South Aitkin-Carlton/South St. Louis- Pine-Douglas-Bayfield-Ashland-Iron-Burnett-Washburn-Sawyer-Price- 322 PM CST Mon Feb 28 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight Look for a weak clipper system to arrive late tonight into the Brainerd Lakes region with some light snow. Patchy freezing drizzle may occur, which would lead to a slippery morning commute. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Another clipper system Tuesday night through Wednesday, and Thursday night through Friday bringing light snow accumulations. A potentially stronger system this weekend could bring shovelable snow. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Snow spotters are requested to report precipitation type, and measurements of snow or ice accumulations to the National Weather Service. Spotters and the public can also report precipitation type with the free M-PING smartphone app. LSZ121-140>148-150-011130- Bayfield to Oak Point WI-Grand Portage to Grand Marais MN- Grand Marais to Taconite Harbor MN- Taconite Harbor to Silver Bay Harbor MN- Silver Bay Harbor to Two Harbors MN-Two Harbors to Duluth MN- Duluth MN to Port Wing WI-Port Wing to Sand Island WI- Sand Island to Bayfield WI-Oak Point to Saxon Harbor WI- Outer Apostle Islands Beyond 5 NM from Mainland- 322 PM CST Mon Feb 28 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Lake Superior and the Nearshore waters of western Lake Superior. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. GSF More information may be obtained at the following web address: http://www.weather.gov/duluth (all lower case)
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 ice storm, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice accumulations of a quarter of an inch were reported near Shell Lake.
Ice accumulations of a quarter of an inch were reported in a time period of around six to eight hours in the Hayward area at the beginning of the storm. Jump River Electrical Cooperative reported approximately 500 customers without power during the height of the storm due to downed lines from the ice and trees/branches falling onto lines.
Ice accumulations of a quarter of an inch were reported near Webster.
Bayfield County had some of the worst impacts from the storm with almost 0.40 of ice acumulation reported near Moquah followed by 7.5 of snow at nearby Bayfield during the latter half of the storm. The nearly 0.40 of ice accumulation fell in a six hour period at the start of the storm.
Ice accumulation of 0.30 inches was reported in Mellen during the storm.
Ice accumulations up to 0.30 inches was reported in the Ironwood area by the time the storm ended.
Snowfall of around 5 followed about a hundreth of an inch of ice accumulation early in the storm near Solon Springs.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, March 2022
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: 1013889, 1013890, 1013888, 1013885, 1013886, 1013887, 1013884.