Blizzard in Pierce, Wisconsin

Visibilities were dramatically reduced, at or below 1/4 mile for several hours, as heavy snow fell and sustained winds were 15 to 25 mph with frequent gusts over 35 mph. The 2-day snowfall reports ranged from about 10 to 15 inches throughout the county, with the highest reports being across the southern portion of the county. The DOT issued a travel advisory on Sunday due to the blizzard conditions.

A large scale spring storm brough a round of heavy snow to the Upper Mississippi Valley from Saturday, March 14th through Sunday, March 15th. The footprint of the greatest totals stretched from southeast MN into central WI, where many places saw at least a foot of snowfall. The heavy snow combined with strong northwesterly winds resulted in reduced visibilities, often at a mile or less in the heaviest hit areas. Persistent blizzard conditions were most widespread in west-central Wisconsin, severely deteriorating road conditions. This led to a widespread travel advisory issued by WISDOT for the majority of western WI, including the temporary closure of I-94 south of Eau Claire.

The highest snowfall reports were:

20.5 inches near Augusta, WI (Eau Claire).

19.0 inches in Pepin, WI (Pepin).

18.5 inches in Durand, WI (Pepin).

16.0 inches in Cadott, WI (Chippewa).

15.2 inches 7 miles S of Altoona, WI (Eau Claire).

15.0 inches in Lund, WI (Pepin).