Winter Storm — Menominee, Wisconsin

2011-03-22 to 2011-03-23 · Menominee, Wisconsin

Wider weather episode

A low pressure system that moved across northern Illinois from Iowa received plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The abundant Gulf moisture allowed the late-season storm to produce plenty of heavy, wet snow and occasional thundersnow across parts of central and northeast Wisconsin on March 22nd-23rd. During the two-day period, many locations received more than a foot of snow. Lightning from the storm destroyed a house in Marathon County.

The high water content of the snow caused more problems than would normally be expected with storms having similar snowfall totals. In Marathon County, a squad car was stuck in the snow for three hours on the 23rd, and two plow trucks that tried to push it free also became stuck. Plows in Marathon County not only became stuck in the snow, but several broke down mechanically attempting to clear the snow from the road. A buildup of hardened snow caused a freight car to derail behind a paper mill in Rhinelander (Oneida Co.) on the afternoon of the 23rd. The weight of the snow from this storm caused the roof to collapse at a consignment shop on the west side of Green Bay (Brown Co.) on the evening of March 28th.

Some of the highest snowfall totals from across the area included 18.8 inches at Shawano (Shawano Co.), 18.0 inches at Irma (Lincoln Co.), 17.8 inches at Green Bay, 17.0 inches at Peshtigo (Marinette Co.) and Oconto (Oconto Co.), 16.0 inches at Casco (Kewaunee Co.), 14.8 inches at Rhinelander, 14.6 inches near Laona (Forest Co.), 14.5 inches at Sturgeon Bay (Door Co.), 13.5 inches near Big Falls (Waupaca Co.) and 12.1 inches at Mosinee (Marathon Co.).

The 17.8 inches of snow that fell in Green Bay was the most from a single storm in more than 120 years. It was also the third highest storm total since Green Bay weather records began in 1886.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 288355. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.