Wisconsin, 2023

Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, April 16 to 17, 2023

April 16 to 17, 2023 · NWS ARX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A large storm system impacted Wisconsin from the evening of Saturday, April 15th into Sunday night, April 16th. Initially, rain and thunderstorms spread through southern Wisconsin before switching over to snow during the morning hours of Sunday, April 16th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
9

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 ARX wrote it up.

A large storm system impacted Wisconsin from the evening of Saturday, April 15th into Sunday night, April 16th. Initially, rain and thunderstorms spread through southern Wisconsin before switching over to snow during the morning hours of Sunday, April 16th. Heaviest snowfall occurred in central Wisconsin during the day Sunday, April 16th, where snowfall totals were 22.5 near Longwood (Clark County) and 22.0 near Black River Falls and Northfield (Jackson County). Many trees were beginning to leaf out following record breaking warmth the week prior, and the heavy snow load resulted in tree damage and power outages. The large amount of precipitation associated with this storm greatly impacted flooding along the Mississippi, Black, and Yellow Rivers and ultimately resulted in the Governor of Wisconsin issuing a State of Emergency declaration on April 16.

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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 16, 11:29 AM CST, 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 11:29 AM CST, 1 minute before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 16, 3:19 AM CST, 8 hours 11 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
419 AM CDT Sun Apr 16 2023

MNZ088-096-WIZ017-029-032>034-041>044-053>055-061-171100-
Winona-Houston-Taylor-Clark-Buffalo-Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse-
Monroe-Juneau-Adams-Vernon-Crawford-Richland-Grant-
419 AM CDT Sun Apr 16 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast
Minnesota and southwest into central Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Heavy, wet snow accumulations are expected tonight into early
Monday morning with 6 to 12 inches of accumulations expected
within the heaviest snow band. The snow combined with winds
gusting 40 to 50 mph will lead to hazardous travel. A Winter
Storm Warning is in effect.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday

Flooding along the Mississippi River has begun for northern sites.
Flooding will spread from north to south over the course of the new
week and continue for several weeks.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

No action needed.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

No webinar is scheduled.

IAZ008-009-018-019-171100-
Mitchell-Howard-Floyd-Chickasaw-
419 AM CDT Sun Apr 16 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Iowa and northeast Iowa.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected today through Monday. A
Wind Advisory is in effect.

Light, slushy snow accumulations near an inch expected today and
tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Snow reports would be appreciated Today into Monday morning.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

No webinar is scheduled.

IAZ010-011-029-030-MNZ079-086-087-094-095-171100-
Winneshiek-Allamakee-Fayette-Clayton-Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Mower-
Fillmore-
419 AM CDT Sun Apr 16 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Iowa
and southeast Minnesota.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Slushy snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible today
into tonight with winds gusting 40 to 50 mph. A Winter Weather
Advisory is in effect.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday

Flooding along the Mississippi River has begun for northern
sites. Flooding will spread from north to south over the course
of the new week and continue for several weeks.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Snow reports would be appreciated Today into Monday morning.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

No webinar is scheduled.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 16, 7:10 AM CST, 4 hours 20 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

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Buffalo

When
April 16, 11:30 AM CST to April 17, 4:45 AM CST
Where
Buffalo forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.380, -91.754 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 5 to 9 inches of snowfall across parts of Buffalo County. The highest reported total of 12 inches was recorded near Marshland.

Heavy Snow, Trempealeau

When
April 16, 11:30 AM CST to April 17, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Trempealeau forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.304, -91.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 8 to 12 inches of snowfall across Trempealeau County. The highest reported total of 17.0 inches was recorded near Ettrick.

Heavy Snow, Clark

When
April 16, 12:00 PM CST to April 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Clark forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.735, -90.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 12 to 18 inches of snowfall across parts of Clark County. The highest reported total of 22.5 inches was recorded near Longwood.

Heavy Snow, Jackson

When
April 16, 12:00 PM CST to April 17, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.319, -90.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 12 to 19 inches of snowfall across parts of Jackson County. The highest reported total of 22 inches was recorded near Northfield and Black River Falls.

Heavy Snow, La Crosse

When
April 16, 12:00 PM CST to April 17, 9:00 AM CST
Where
La Crosse forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.907, -91.115 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 12 to 18 inches of snowfall across parts of La Crosse County. The highest reported total of 20.5 inches was recorded in Mindoro.

Heavy Snow, Monroe

When
April 16, 12:30 PM CST to April 17, 12:15 PM CST
Where
Monroe forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.946, -90.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 8 to 12 inches of snowfall across Monroe County. The highest reported total of 16 inches was recorded in Sparta.

Heavy Snow, Vernon

When
April 16, 12:30 PM CST to April 17, 11:30 AM CST
Where
Vernon forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.594, -90.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 6 to 8 inches of snowfall across Vernon County. The highest reported total of 10.5 inches was recorded near Westby.

Heavy Snow, Juneau

When
April 16, 1:30 PM CST to April 17, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Juneau forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.924, -90.114 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 6 to 10 inches of snowfall across parts of Juneau County. The highest reported total of 11 inches was recorded in New Lisbon.

Heavy Snow, Taylor

When
April 16, 2:00 PM CST to April 17, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Taylor forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.212, -90.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Volunteer public observers reported 8 to 12 inches of snowfall across Taylor County. The highest reported total of 20 inches was recorded near Hannibal.

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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, April 2023

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: 1096034, 1096035, 1096036, 1096037, 1096038, 1096039, 1096040, 1096041, 1096042.