An area of low pressure moved from northern Minnesota to eastern Lake Superior the 14th into the 15th. Light snow began during the afternoon of the 14th and was much fluffier than expected, allowing accumulations to be a bit higher than forecast.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
An area of low pressure moved from northern Minnesota to eastern Lake Superior the 14th into the 15th. Light snow began during the afternoon of the 14th and was much fluffier than expected, allowing accumulations to be a bit higher than forecast. Some lake enhancement was also seen across northwest Wisconsin resulting in snowfall totals up to a foot in northern parts of Ashland and Bayfield counties. Otherwise, snowfall totals were generally around 6 inches or less.
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 14, 1:40 PM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Duluth MN
140 PM CST Fri Feb 14 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Accumulating snow is expected this afternoon into early
Saturday morning. A couple of inches are expected from the
Twin Ports down the I-35 corridor and eastward through NW WI.
Winter Weather Advisories are in effect.
- South Shore lake effect snow returns through the weekend with
light additional snow accumulations. Widespread flurries to
light snow possible late Saturday into Sunday.
- Bitter cold air returns through the weekend into next week
though it looks like we climb out of it towards the end of the
forecast period.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 133 PM CST Fri Feb 14 2025
A low-pressure system will bring a quick burst of several
inches of snow to parts of our forecast area. An intensifying
southwesterly jet will brush a plume of higher PWAT air across
the southern portion of our forecast area as an inverted trough
crosses from a parent low down in Missouri. This plume of
moisture from the southern plains will arrive this afternoon and
evening, leading to snowfall. However, the northern extent of
this system will run into dry air, raising questions about how
far north significant snowfall will reach with most model
soundings saturating between 3-6 PM this afternoon. Already saw
some snow on a webcam in northwest Wisconsin in some of the
first legitimate echoes on radar.
For our forecast area's southern counties (those south of the
Twin Ports), snowfall rates could reach 0.5 inches per hour
between 4 PM and midnight, especially along the I-35 corridor
and eastward. Most of the accumulation will occur in less than
12 hours, with the heaviest totals south of the Twin Ports and
across northwest Wisconsin. A Winter Weather Advisory is in
effect and includes Pine, Burnett, and Washburn counties due to
a 70% chance of at least 3 inches of snow. Light southeast to
northeast winds over Lake Superior are not expected to
significantly enhance snowfall along the North Shore, so
continuing with no advisories for Carlton, South St. Louis, or
coastal Lake counties.
Models are indicating a quick burst of northeast winds will
come down from the north across Lake Superior Saturday morning
going from calm to 25+ mph. Around this same time, snow should
taper off with light flurries persisting through Sunday as weak
disturbances pass through.
As winds shift northwesterly, cold temperatures will advect
over the lake causing instability and should produce lake-effect
snow along the South Shore. Several inches of snow are possible
through Monday, with some snow reaching further inland into
northwest Wisconsin. Persistent cold air could extend lake-
effect snow into next week.
This arctic air will bring another bout of lows potentially
below -20°F and highs struggling to rise above zero Monday-
Wednesday. Extreme Cold Watches or Warnings may be necessary.
Temperatures are expected to moderate by late February into
early March.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/...
Issued at 1133 AM CST Fri Feb 14 2025
VFR for now, but incoming snow will drop visibilities and cigs
to IFR especially at the southern TAF sites late this afternoon
and evening. Conditions should improve on the back half of the
TAF though lingering MVFR stratus is expected. Light-ish
easterly winds through the TAF period starting to get gusty late
in the TAF period.
&&
.MARINE /FOR NEAR SHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR/...
Issued at 133 PM CST Fri Feb 14 2025
An abrupt increase in winds will occur Saturday morning going
from calm to gusting to 20 to 30 knots in a short period on
Saturday morning. Small craft advisories are in effect and will
likely need to be extended into Wednesday.
For the open water discussion, refer to the NWS Marquette Area
Forecast Discussion at weather.gov/mqt.
&&
.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...Winter Weather Advisory until 3 AM CST Saturday for MNZ038.
WI...Winter Weather Advisory until 3 AM CST Saturday for WIZ006-007.
Winter Weather Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 6 AM CST
Saturday for WIZ008-009.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 4 AM Saturday to 6 AM CST Sunday for
LSZ140>146-148-150.
&&
DISCUSSION...Wolfe
AVIATION...Wolfe
MARINE...Wolfe<!doctype html>
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall across Douglas County was generally under 6 inches, but with the very fluffy nature of the snow and some lake enhancement, upwards of 6 to 8 inches were reported across the northern part of the county for the event.
Enhanced snowfall totals of 8 to 12 inches were reported across the county with the highest amounts across the northern part of the county. The fluffy nature of the snow and lake enhancement led to the higher than expected snowfall totals. The highest report was 12 inches just south of Cornucopia.
Enhanced snowfall totals of 5 to 11 inches were reported across the county with the highest amounts across the northern part of the county. The fluffy nature of the snow and lake enhancement led to the higher than expected snowfall totals. The highest report was 11.3 inches just southwest of Ashland.
Snowfall across Price County was generally under 6 inches, but with the very fluffy nature of the snow and some slight lake enhancement, the far northern part of the county received 6 to 6.5 inches of snow in a few spots near Butternut.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, February 2025
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: 1227614, 1227623, 1227627, 1227628.