Winter Storm — Eau Claire, Wisconsin

2011-03-22 to 2011-03-23 · Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Event narrative

A period of sleet and snow fell on the onset of the precipitation, with some heavy snowfall rates around midnight. Several reports of snowfall were observed by cooperative and supplemental observers across the county. By the time the snow tapered off to flurries, locally 11 inches fell. The snowfall, sleet, a period of freezing rain and strong wind combined such that a 2000 foot television tower collapsed. Ice chunks from the tower were at least four inches thick. The tower was located in eastern Eau Claire County near Fairchild.

Wider weather episode

A powerful storm system developed across the central Plains late Monday evening, and moved northeast across the Midwest and slowed down.

Copious amounts of moisture moved northward across Minnesota and developed a band of heavy rainfall and scattered thunderstorms the morning of Tuesday March 22nd. Some of the rainfall began to mix with sleet by the afternoon across portions of west central Wisconsin. The mixture of sleet, snow and patches of freezing rain, switched over to all snow by Tuesday evening, and became heavy at times during the night. Some areas had winds around 35 mph.

Portions of west central Wisconsin, from Osceola to Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, and Ladysmith, received locally 6 to 11 inches of snow before it tapered off Wednesday morning.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 302602. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.