Wisconsin, 2023

Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, March 11 to 13, 2023

March 11 to 13, 2023 · NWS GRB · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A prolonged heavy snow event occurred from Saturday evening (3/11) through early Monday morning (3/13) as a low pressure system tracked through the western Great Lakes. A band of heavy snow developed across north-central, central and east-central Wisconsin Sunday afternoon (3/12) and lasted through early Monday morning (3/13).

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
14

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 GRB wrote it up.

A prolonged heavy snow event occurred from Saturday evening (3/11) through early Monday morning (3/13) as a low pressure system tracked through the western Great Lakes. A band of heavy snow developed across north-central, central and east-central Wisconsin Sunday afternoon (3/12) and lasted through early Monday morning (3/13). Snowfall amounts were generally 8 to 13 inches where the heaviest snow setup across the area.

The highest snowfall amounts included 13.2 inches near Northland (Waupaca Co.), 12.5 inches in Denmark (Brown Co.), 12.4 inches near Nutterville (Marathon Co.), 12.3 inches in Wittenberg (Shawano Co.) as well as near Weston (Marathon Co.), 12 inches in Merrill (Lincoln Co.), 11.5 inches northwest of Rhinelander (Oneida Co.) as well as Rosholt (Portage Co.), and 11 inches near Wausau (Marathon Co.).

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Vilas

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Vilas forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.053, -89.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Vilas County included 9 inches near Lac du Flambeau and 8 inches in Arbor Vitae.

Heavy Snow, Oneida

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Oneida forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.706, -89.522 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Oneida County included 11.5 inches northwest of Rhinelander, 10.5 inches in Rhinelander as well as Minocqua, and 10 inches in Lake Tomahawk as well as Hazelhurst.

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.338, -89.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Lincoln County included 12 inches in Merrill, 9.5 inches in Heafford Junction, and 9.3 inches in Tomahawk.

Heavy Snow, Langlade

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Langlade forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
45.262, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Langlade County included 10 inches in Antigo and 8.3 inches in Summit Lake.

Heavy Snow, Marathon

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Marathon forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.898, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Marathon County included 12.4 inches near Nutterville, 12.3 inches near Weston and 11 inches near Wausau.

Heavy Snow, Shawano

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Shawano forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.789, -88.765 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Shawano County included 12.3 inches in Wittenberg, 9 inches near Split Rock, and 8.8 inches in Birnamwood.

Heavy Snow, Portage

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Portage forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.476, -89.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Portage County included 11.5 inches in Rosholt, 10.6 inches near Blaine, 10.1 inches near Polonia, 9.7 inches near Rudolph, and 9.3 inches in Stevens Point.

Heavy Snow, Waupaca

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Waupaca forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.470, -88.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Waupaca County included 13.2 inches near Northland and 8.4 inches near Iola.

Heavy Snow, Waushara

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Waushara forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.113, -89.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Waushara County included 9.5 inches in Wild Rose and 8.4 inches near Auroraville.

Heavy Snow, Outagamie

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Outagamie forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.416, -88.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Outagamie County included 9 inches in Appleton and 7.9 inches near New London.

Heavy Snow, Brown

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.474, -87.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Brown County included 12.5 inches in Denmark, 9.9 inches in Ashwaubenon, and 9 inches in Suamico as well as in Wrightstown.

Heavy Snow, Winnebago

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Winnebago forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.069, -88.645 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Winnebago County included 8.5 inches in Neenah and 6.5 inches in Oshkosh.

Heavy Snow, Calumet

When
March 11, 9:00 PM CST to March 13, 5:00 AM CST
Where
Calumet forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.082, -88.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Calumet County included 7.5 inches in Chilton and 7 inches in Brillion.

Heavy Snow, Manitowoc

When
March 11, 11:00 PM CST to March 13, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Manitowoc forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.091, -87.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The highest snowfall totals across Manitowoc County included 10.3 inches in Spring Valley and 8 inches in Kiel.

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, March 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: 1075865, 1075866, 1075867, 1075868, 1075869, 1075870, 1075872, 1075873, 1075874, 1075876, 1075877, 1075879, 1075880, 1075881.