Low pressure tracked from the mid-Mississippi Valley to the central Great Lakes from Wednesday afternoon (3/19) through Wednesday night. A band of frontogenesis on the northwest side of the low produced heavy snow with northerly winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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 GRB wrote it up.
Low pressure tracked from the mid-Mississippi Valley to the central Great Lakes from Wednesday afternoon (3/19) through Wednesday night. A band of frontogenesis on the northwest side of the low produced heavy snow with northerly winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph.
Some of the highest snowfall totals included 9 inches in Athelstane (northern Marinette Co.) as well as Crivitz (southern Marinette Co.), 8.8 inches in Marshfield (Wood Co.), 8.7 inches in Hatley (Marathon Co.), 8.2 inches in Ephraim (Door Co.), 8 inches in Mountain (northern Oconto Co.) as well as Sister Bay (Door Co.) and Ellison Bay (Door Co.), and 7.7 inches in Stevens Point (Portage Co.).
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 Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 19, 5:49 AM CST, 4 hours 11 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Green Bay WI 649 AM CDT Wed Mar 19 2025 Updated aviation portion for 12Z TAF issuance .KEY MESSAGES... - A potent spring storm will impact the region this afternoon through late tonight, bringing heavy snow to central, north- central, and far northeast WI, and rain changing to sleet and snow elsewhere later today into tonight. A few thunderstorms are also possible this afternoon and evening. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories have been issued across the entire forecast area. - Strong northeast to north winds gusting to 30 to 45 mph may produce pockets of blowing snow in open areas this afternoon and tonight. The combination of wet, heavy snow and strong winds could cause tree damage and produce sporadic power outages as well. Hazardous travel conditions are expected region-wide, though poor conditions may not reach the eastern Fox Valley and lakeshore areas until after the evening commute. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 427 AM CDT Wed Mar 19 2025 Short Term...Today...Tonight...and Thursday Models trends continue to show a southeast shift in the heavier QPF and a quicker changeover to snow from NW to SE with the incoming system, which has necessitated changes to the winter weather headlines. In general, Vilas county has been downgraded to an advisory due to less snowfall, another tier of counties has been upgraded to a warning on the southeast flank of the previous warnings, and advisories have been posted for the rest of the Fox Valley and lakeshore counties. Not much happening across the forecast area right now, as dry air was preventing precipitation development. Widespread mid-level clouds covered the region, with some low stratus observed over northern WI. A potent upper low was lifting northeast through KS, and a 987 mb surface low was headed toward southern Lake Michigan. WV imagery showed an impressive deformation zone setting up, with the enhanced southern edge (which was producing thundersnow in parts of NW KS and SE NE) poised to bisect GRB CWA from C into far NE WI later this afternoon/evening. This matches up well with location of the highest (60-90%) SPC HREF probabilities of 1+ inch/hr snowfall rates from C into NE WI during the mid-afternoon through early evening. The main snowband is now forecast to extend from MFI-AUW-AIG to just south of IMT. Amounts have been lowered over the far northwest, with Vilas County seeing the biggest dropoff. Snowfall amounts have gone up in our southeast counties, enough to support at least Winter Weather Advisories in the Fox Valley and lakeshore areas. A few counties, especially southern Marinette and Door, were pushed into a warning, given a combination of 4 to 6 inches of snow and blowing/drifting with 35 to 45 mph winds. Widespread hazardous travel conditions are expected, and the combination of heavy, wet snow and strong winds could result in tree and power line damage and sporadic power outages. The snow will taper off from west to east during the late evening and early overnight hours, but strong winds will maintain a blowing and drift snow threat through late tonight. Clearing skies and gradually decreasing winds can be expected on Thursday, with highs only reaching the upper 30s and lower 40s. Long Term...Thursday Night Through Tuesday The main highlights from this forecast period revolve around precip trends associated with two systems progged to move across the region on Friday and Sunday into Monday. Friday System...A positively tilted trough will bring the first chance for precipitation in the long-term forecast between late Friday afternoon and late Friday night. To start, p-type will be rain in the southeast portion of the forecast area with snow in the northwest portion of the forecast area. By the late evening, the p- type will transition to all snow before quickly exiting before daybreak Saturday. Given this system will be rather weak, moving quickly, and contain little moisture, impacts are anticipated to be minor. In fact, NBM probabilities for measurable snow (0.1") are roughly 10-25% across the forecast area with the highest probs in northern Vilas County and the Door Peninsula. Sunday-Monday System...The second system (Sunday morning through Monday night) looks to be a bit more potent with a negatively tilted trough and the surface low becoming tightly wound as it moves over the Upper Mississippi Valley region. That being said, strong low- level winds will lift and feed Gulf moisture into the system and bring the potential for higher QPF and therefore higher snowfall amounts with this system compared to the Friday system. Many details still need to be ironed out over the coming days, but will continue monitor this system as NBM probabilities for snowfall indicate 30- 60% for 3+" and even 15-40% for 6+" with the highest probabilities across the Northwoods. && .AVIATION...for 12Z TAF Issuance Issued at 631 AM CDT Wed Mar 19 2025 Precipitation and widespread low cloud development had been delayed a bit longer than previously thought, but low clouds covered most of NC WI at TAF issuance. Precipitation and some thunderstorms were approaching from Iowa. Flight conditions will deteriorate to MVFR mid to late morning as more widespread precipitation finally arrives ahead of an approaching strong low pressure system. Heavier precipitation and IFR/LIFR conditions will arrive this afternoon, with heavy snow impacting areas from central into far NE WI, and rain changing to sleet/snow in eastern WI during the late afternoon and early evening. Thunderstorms may accompany the heavier precipitation, but will hold off on mentioning in the TAFs until they are closer and timing/location/trends are more certain. The snow will taper off from west to east during the evening and overnight hours, but strong north winds gusting to 25 to 40 kts may generate some blowing and drifting snow well into the night. Pockets of LLWS will arrive this morning and persist through much of the TAF period. Surface winds were already quite gusty in parts of the Fox Valley at issuance time, but more widespread strong NE-N winds will impact the region this afternoon and tonight. && .GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 10 PM CDT this evening for WIZ005. Winter Storm Warning from 1 PM this afternoon to 1 AM CDT Thursday for WIZ010>013-018>021-030-031-035-036-073. Winter Storm Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 7 AM CDT Thursday for WIZ022. Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 1 AM CDT Thursday for WIZ037-038-045-048-074. Winter Weather Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 7 AM CDT Thursday for WIZ039-040-049-050. && DISCUSSION.....Kieckbusch/Kruk AVIATION.......Kieckbusch
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Green Bay WI 436 AM CDT Wed Mar 19 2025 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-200945- Vilas-Oneida-Forest-Florence-Northern Marinette County-Lincoln- Langlade-Menominee-Northern Oconto County-Door-Marathon-Shawano- Wood-Portage-Waupaca-Outagamie-Brown-Kewaunee-Waushara-Winnebago- Calumet-Manitowoc-Southern Marinette County- Southern Oconto County- 436 AM CDT Wed Mar 19 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north-central and northeast Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A potent spring storm will impact the region this afternoon through late tonight, bringing a swath of heavy snow to parts of central, north central, and far northeast Wisconsin, and rain changing to sleet and snow elsewhere later this afternoon into tonight. A few thunderstorms are also possible this afternoon and evening, and thundersnow may be possible at times. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories have been issued across the entire forecast area. Strong northeast to north winds gusting to 30 to 45 mph will produce pockets of blowing and drifting snow in open areas this afternoon and tonight. A combination of wet, heavy snow and strong winds will also likely cause tree and power line damage and produce sporadic power outages as well. Hazardous travel conditions are expected regionwide, though poor conditions may not reach the eastern Fox Valley and lakeshore areas until after the evening commute. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday There is a chance of accumulating snow later Sunday into Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are urged to relay snow accumulations and peak wind reports to the National Weather Service in Green Bay later today into tonight. LMZ521-522-541>543-200945- The Bay of Green Bay south of a line from Cedar River MI to Rock Island Passage-Lake Michigan from Washington Island to Sheboygan- 436 AM CDT Wed Mar 19 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northwest Lake Michigan and the waters of Green Bay. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Northeast to north gales are expected later this morning through tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Northerly gale force gusts will continue early Thursday. Kieckbusch/Kruk
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The highest snowfall totals across Wood County included 8.8 inches in Marshfield, 7 inches in Hewitt, and 6.5 inches in Port Edwards.
The highest snowfall totals across Marathon County included 8.7 inches in Hatley, 7.5 inches in Evergreen, and 6.8 inches in Stratford.
The highest snowfall totals across Shawano County included 7.2 inches near Birnamwood and 7 inches near Tilleda as well as in Pulcifer.
The highest snowfall totals across Portage County included 7.7 inches in Stevens Point and 7 inches in Junction City, Custer, and Plover.
The highest snowfall total in Waupaca County was 7.5 inches south of Tigerton.
The highest snowfall totals across Door County included 8.2 inches in Ephraim, 8 inches in Sister Bay and Ellison Bay, and 7.5 inches in Egg Harbor.
The highest snowfall total in Lincoln County was 6.8 inches near Merrill.
The highest snowfall totals across Langlade County included 7.1 inches near White Lake and 6 inches in Antigo.
Snowfall totals were 6 to 8 inches across Menominee County.
The highest snowfall totals across northern Oconto County included 8 inches in Mountain and 7 inches in Lakewood.
The highest snowfall totals across northern Marinette County included 9 inches in Athelstane, 7.5 inches in Amberg, and 7.2 inches in Wausaukee.
The highest snowfall totals across southern Marinette County included 9 inches in Crivitz and 7 in Middle Inlet.
The highest snowfall total in Florence County was 6 inches in Aurora.
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, March 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1232741, 1232738, 1232740, 1232742, 1232743, 1232746, 1232726, 1232727, 1232731, 1232732, 1232735, 1232737, 1232724.