Wisconsin Winter Climate
(December, January, and February)

News/Events/Other Temperature Heating Degree Days Precipitation Snow

Ice Frost Depth Severe Winter Weather Sunrise/Sunset Holidays

MODIS Image Courtesy of WisconsinView at Space Science & Engineering Center Larger image is available

News/Events/Other

• Winter Road Conditions and additional Travel Information for Wisconsin roads from Wisconsin DOT and across the Midwest from UW-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center [Please note that Winter Road Conditions are dependent upon season.]
• Wind Chill Chart from National Weather Service
• Interactive weather calculator from MRCC
• Survival in cold water from University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program
• The week of 15-19 November 2018 is  Winter Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin


• Many related graphs and links may be found below and on the Climate Watch and Climate Impacts pages.
• A winter travel hazard -- Dense Fog (NWSFO Milwaukee Sullivan)
  
• Winter weather information in surrounding states

  • Seasonal snowfall for the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan from NWS in Marquette for 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 snow seasons.

  • Weekly snow depth maps for Minnesota
  • Winter Weather Forecasts from NOAA/NWS Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
  • Winter Weather Terms from NOAA
  • Recent snowfall data from NWS:
    • Duluth local snow storm reports and public information statements
    • Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) local snow storm reports and public information statements
    • Marquette local snow storm reports and public information statements
• Links to winter weather pages at:
  • NWSFO Milwaukee/Sullivan
  • NWSFO La Crosse
  • NWSFO Green Bay
  • NWSFO Twin Cities
  • NWSFO Duluth
  • NWSFO Chicago
  • NWSFO Quad Cities

Temperature

• Map of Mean Winter Temperatures (1971-2000 normals)


• Long-term Variation in average winter temperatures Statewide and:
  

  Northwest	North Central	Northeast
  West Central	Central	East Central
  Southwest	South Central	Southeast



• Graph of Wisconsin's Top 20 Coldest Winters and Top 20 Warmest Winters arranged by decade
• Graphs of lowest statewide:
  • annual temperature by year
  • seasonal temperature by winter season
• Map of average lowest minimum winter temperatures (1971-2000 averages)


• Map of average number of days with zero-degree or lower minimum temperatures (1971-2000 averages)


• Temperature Data for Major Wisconsin Cities:
  

  Eau Claire	Green Bay	La Crosse
  Madison	Milwaukee	Wausau



• Long-term Variations in the Numbers of days with 0 degree or lower minimum temperatures for Major Wisconsin Cities
  

  Eau Claire	Green Bay	La Crosse
  Madison	Milwaukee	Wausau



• List of maximum number of consecutive days with zero degrees or lower temperatures for selected stations

Heating Degree Days

• State Map of Heating degree day units  (1971-2000 normals)


• Weekly summaries of total heating degrees by:
  • major city
  • population weighted by state (from Climate Prediction Center)


• Monthly summaries of total heating degrees by:
  • major city
  • population weighted by state (from Climate Prediction Center)


• Archives of last three weeks and last three months of total heating degrees


• List of weekly total heating degrees forecasts by state (from Climate Prediction Center)


• Heating Degree Data for Major Wisconsin Cities:
  

  Eau Claire	Green Bay	La Crosse
  Madison	Milwaukee	Wausau

Precipitation

• Map of Mean Winter Precipitation (1971-2000 normals)


• Long-term Variation in Average winter precipitation Statewide and:
  

  Northwest	North Central	Northeast
  West Central	Central	East Central
  Southwest	South Central	Southeast



• Precipitation Data for Major Wisconsin Cities:
  

  Eau Claire	Green Bay	La Crosse
  Madison	Milwaukee	Wausau



• Graph of Wisconsin's Top 20 Driest Winters and Top 20 Wettest Winters arranged by decade

Snow

• Current Midwest Snow Watch Maps (MRCC)
  • Snowfall for today, yesterday,...7 days ago
  • Snow depth for today, yesterday,...7 days ago


• Current snow conditions
  • Recent Snow information from the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC)
    • National Snow Analysis and Animations
    • National Interactive Snow Information
  • Other daily snow cover products from NOAA (National Ice Center)
  • Snow conditions report for recreation from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism [Note these reports are available during the season.]


• Long-term Variation in Average winter snowfall Statewide and:
  

  Northwest	North Central	Northeast
  West Central	Central	East Central
  Southwest	South Central	Southeast

• Average Snowfall
  • Monthly snowfall normals (1971-2000)
  
  
  • Statewide monthly average and departures Average Snowfall (and departures from 1971-2000 Normals for 2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons & 1981-2010 normals for 2011-12 through present)

  Actual	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
  Actual	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20
  Departure	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
  Departure	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20

  • Snowfall Data for Major Wisconsin Cities:
    

    Eau Claire	Green Bay	La Crosse
    Madison	Milwaukee	Wausau

  • Statewide maps of annual number of days of 1-inch, 3-inch, 5-inch, and 10-inch snow cover (1971-2000 normals)


• Snow climatology from the Midwestern Regional Climate (for 1981-2010)
  • Dates of Earliest first snow for Midwestern stations
  • Dates of Median first snow for Midwestern stations
  • Dates of Latest first snow for Midwestern stations


• Snowfall maps of Wisconsin (from NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan): Normal Seasonal Snowfall and
  

  Winter 1996-97	Winter 1997-98	Winter 1998-99	Winter 1999-2000	Winter 2000-01
  Winter 2001-02	Winter 2002-03	Winter 2003-04	Winter 2004-05	Winter 2005-06
  Winter 2006-07	Winter 2007-08	Winter 2008-09	Winter 2009-10	Winter 2010-11
  Winter 2011-12	Winter 2012-13	Winter 2013-14	Winter 2014-15	Winter 2015-16
  Winter 2016-17

• Long-term Variation in statewide and divisional average snowfall for winter season Statewide and:
  

  Northwest	North Central	Northeast
  West Central	Central	East Central
  Southwest	South Central	Southeast



• Seasonal snowfall data for Major Wisconsin Cities:
  

  Eau Claire	Green Bay	La Crosse
  Madison	Milwaukee	Wausau



• Graphs of Wisconsin's Top 20 Least Snowy Winters and Top 20 Most Winters arranged by decade
• Hemispheric Snow maps and other snow data from Global Snow Lab (Rutgers University)

Ice

• NOAA Great Lakes Ice Atlas (1973-2002)


• Madison Lakes Ice Summary


• Wisconsin Lake Ice Duration

Frost Depth

• Wisconsin Frost Depths
  • Daily Comprehensive Morning Summary (see list at end of daily summaries from early November through spring thaw)
    For more information on the NWS Frost Depth Network, see "Climatology of Frozen Ground in Wisconsin" from B. Hahn, Milwaukee/Sullivan NWSFO , or
  • Map from Climatological Analysis of Historical Frost Depth/Frozen Ground Data in Wisconsin through 2015/2016 winter -- From Milwaukee Sullivan National Weather Service Office 2018
  • Maps of Midwest soil temperature-frost depth from North Central River Forecast Center (only available during this season)

Severe Winter Weather

• Severe Winter Weather Climatology (1982/83 - 2016/17)
  from NWS Field Office Milwaukee/Sullivan
  

  Winter Storms	Blizzards
  Ice Storms	Extreme Cold
  All Winter Events



• History of Major Ice Storms in Wisconsin since 1972
  (Courtesy of NWS Field Office Milwaukee/Sullivan
  Worst Winter Storms in the State of Wisconsin since 1881
  (Courtesy of NWS Field Office Milwaukee/Sullivan
  
• Wind Chill Climatology for the North Central States
  by Todd Rieck and Seth Binau, NWSFO, La Crosse
  (An 11-page pdf file, including maps and tabulated data)
   

Sunrise/Sunset

• Time of sunrise on: 21 December, 21 January, and 21 February.
  


• Time of sunset on: 21 December, 21 January, and 21 February.
  


• Duration of sunshine on: 21 December, 21 January, and 21 February.
  

Holidays

• Christmas: Check the probability of a White Christmas across Wisconsin and the nation (National Climatic Data Center).