Wisconsin, 2024

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 4 to 5, 2024

December 4 to 5, 2024 · NWS DLH · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A clipper brought isolated areas of heavy snowfall to parts of the northwest Wisconsin snowbelt the 4th into the 5th. Parts of Iron County received over a foot of snow with this system thanks to lake enhancement from Lake Superior.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

A clipper brought isolated areas of heavy snowfall to parts of the northwest Wisconsin snowbelt the 4th into the 5th. Parts of Iron County received over a foot of snow with this system thanks to lake enhancement from Lake Superior. Additionally, a snow squall was observed over parts of Sawyer County during the afternoon hours of the 4th.

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 3, 5:54 PM CST, 16 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 3, 5:54 PM CST, 16 hours 6 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 3, 3:31 PM CST, 18 hours 29 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

1 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Iron

When
December 4, 10:00 AM CST to December 5, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Iron forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
46.317, -90.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake enhancement of the snowfall associated with a clipper system moving through the region led to impressive snowfall totals across northern Iron County. Areas along Highway 77 saw the highest accumulations around a foot. The highest report was 12.3 inches in Pence.

Winter Weather, Sawyer

When
December 4, 3:45 PM CST to 4:30 PM CST
Where
Sawyer forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
45.880, -91.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow Squall. Visibilities quickly dropped to around 1/4 mile or less with wind gusts to 30 mph as the squall passed over the Hayward Airport.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, December 2024

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: 1225338, 1225340.