Cold/Wind Chill in Wisconsin

Events

1,012

Deaths

91

Injuries

40

Damage

$161,000

• Cold in Wisconsin, December 25 to 31, 20176 deaths · 20 eventsBitterly cold air and wind chill temperatures prevailed over southern WI from Christmas Day through January 6th. Wind chill temperatures of 20 below to 34 below zero occurred at times with low temperatures below zero for most nights.
• Cold in Wisconsin, February 1 to 4, 19964 deaths · 18 injured · 20 eventsThe episode of extreme cold, which started in late January, 1996, continued through the first four days of February across Southcentral and Southeast Wisconsin.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Wisconsin, January 12 to 17, 20244 deaths · 28 eventsBrisk westerly winds following the passage of strong low pressure brought an arctic air mass to southern Wisconsin. Several days and nights of dangerous wind chill temperatures were observed. Warming centers were opened in many cities and some schools were delayed or cancelled.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 1 to 6, 20183 deaths · 20 eventsBitterly cold air and wind chill temperatures prevailed over southern WI from Christmas Day through January 6th. Wind chill temperatures of 20 below to 34 below zero occurred at times with low temperatures below zero for most nights.
• Cold in Wisconsin, December 21 to 22, 20082 deaths · 7 injured · 20 eventsYet another bitter cold air mass pushed across southern Wisconsin in the wake of a winter storm. West winds of 13 to 17 knots (15 to 20 mph) with gusts to 26 to 35 knots (30 to 40 mph) generated wind chills of -20 to -34.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 2 to 7, 20182 deaths · 24 eventsSubzero low temperatures, highs mainly in the single digits, and wind chills in the 20 below to 34 below zero range were common during the first week of January. Two people died in the cold.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 30, 19962 deaths · 20 eventsAfter the previous day's ground blizzard, very cold arctic air poured into Southern Wisconsin on northwest winds of 10 to 25 mph. Wind chills dropped to 35 to 45 below zero.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Wisconsin, January 27 to 29, 20142 deaths · 20 eventsAnother arctic cold wave affected southern Wisconsin during this period. West to northwest winds of 10-20 mph with the passage of an arctic cold front brought wind chill temperatures of 20 below to 38 below zero Fahrenheit beginning the early morning of January 27th, and not…
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 24, 20092 deaths · 2 eventsNorthwest winds between a departing cold front and an approaching high pressure system brought much colder air into the area.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 3, 20142 deaths · 2 eventsArctic air and winds of 5 to 10 mph resulted in wind chill temperatures ranging mainly from 15 below to 30 below zero across southern Wisconsin.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 31, 20232 deaths · 2 eventsArctic high pressure brought a cold airmass over northeast Wisconsin during the morning hours on Tuesday (1/31) with air temperatures of 5 to 25 below zero. Light winds of 5 to 10 mph allowed wind chills to fall to 15 to 35 below zero during the morning hours on Tuesday (1/31).
• Cold in Wisconsin, December 18, 20162 deaths · 1 eventAn elderly couple was found dead from exposure to the cold in a remote part of Superior, Wisconsin. A utility worker found them on their deck around 10:30 am on Wednesday December 21st. They were last seen running errands and at a local tavern the previous Sunday, December 18th.
• Cold in Wisconsin, December 13, 20242 deaths · 1 eventTwo probable deaths from hypothermia occurred in Milwaukee during a brief period of arctic air.
• Cold in Wisconsin, February 1 to 5, 19961 death · 22 eventsAt least 20 record low temperatures were set across Central and Northeast Wisconsin during the early part of February as a frigid arctic air mass remained entrenched across the area.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 19 to 20, 20081 death · 20 eventsVery cold air with temperatures of -5F to +5F combined with northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph generated low wind chill values of -20F to -30 F across south-central and southeast Wisconsin.
• Cold in Wisconsin, December 18 to 19, 20161 death · 20 eventsArctic air plunged into southern WI in the wake of a snowstorm and arctic cold front. Ambient air temperatures dropped well below zero the morning of Dec. 19th. Wind chill temperatures dropped to 20 to 35 below zero. One death due to hypothermia was reported.
• Cold in Wisconsin, February 1 to 4, 19961 death · 9 eventsExtremely cold air settled over the region on January 31st, and continued through February 4th. The cold peaked the morning of February 2nd when a new record low temperature of 35 below zero was set in Eau Claire.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 15 to 16, 20091 death · 9 eventsThe upper level pattern the second week of January had a very strong long-wave trough across the Great Lakes region that basically caused significant arctic air to invade the upper Midwest.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 9, 19961 death · 1 eventCold temperatures around the freezing mark resulted in a hypothermia death of an elderly man in Elkhorn. He apparently fell out of his wheelchair and could not get back into it.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 18, 19961 death · 1 eventCold temperatures in the single digits resulted in a hypothermia death of an elderly Elkhorn man.
• Cold in Wisconsin, November 30, 19971 death · 1 eventAn elderly women did from environmental cold-weather hypothermia, based on medical reports. She was found dead on her driveway. Air temperatures during the morning hours were in the mid to upper 30s.
• Cold in Wisconsin, November 30, 19971 death · 1 eventAn elderly women died from environmental cold-weather hypothermia based on medical reports. She was found dead on her home's driveway. Outside temperatures during the morning were in the mid to upper 30s.
• Cold in Wisconsin, December 7, 20061 death · 1 eventIn the wake of a major winter storm on December 1st, cold weather settled in over southern Wisconsin, with daily temperature averages well below normal.
• Cold in Wisconsin, February 1, 20071 death · 1 eventDuring the pre-dawn hours of February 1, 2007, cold air started to pour into south-central and southeast Wisconsin on southwest to west winds of 8 to 13 knots (9 to 15 mph). Air temperatures were in the 18-19F range along with snow flurries.
• Cold in Wisconsin, January 25, 20081 death · 1 eventVery cold air settled in over southeastern Wisconsin on January 25th and was a significant factor in the death of a 44-year-old women in the City of Kenosha. She died from exposure after her vehicle struck a tree.

Cold/Wind Chill everywhereEvery kind of event in Wisconsin

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.