Winter Storm — Southern Oconto, Wisconsin

2016-02-02 to 2016-02-03 · Southern Oconto, Wisconsin

Event narrative

The highest storm total snowfall in southern Oconto County was 7.5 inches at Suring.

Wider weather episode

A winter storm impacted most of the area during the afternoon and evening hours of February 2nd as a strong low pressure system moved from the central Plains to northern Lower Michigan, then continued northeast to western Quebec.

Five to eight inches of snow fell in about 6 hours during the afternoon of the 2nd. Blustery east and northeast winds gusted to around 35 mph as the storm system passed to the south. The wet, heavy snow was accompanied by lightning and thunder in Manitowoc County and Calumet County. Some freezing rain and mixed precipitation also fell across parts of central and east central Wisconsin. The highest snowfall totals from the storm included 7.6 inches southwest of Big Falls (Waupaca Co.), 7.5 inches in the Wautoma area (Waushara Co.) and near Suring (Oconto Co.), 7.2 inches near Wisconsin Rapids (Wood Co.) and near Pulcifer (Shawano Co.), and 7.0 inches near Plover (Portage Co.).

An additional 1 to 3 inches of snow fell across the Fox Valley and lakeshore counties on the 3rd as an upper level disturbance moved across the state.

Snow moved into Vilas County on the afternoon of the 2nd, and continued through the morning of the 3rd due to lake effect snow showers behind the departing surface low pressure system. Highest snowfall totals in Vilas County included 7.8 inches at Lac du Flambeau, and 7.0 inches at Rest Lake and near Manitowish Waters.

New daily snowfall records were set for February 2nd at Appleton (Outagamie Co.), Stevens Point (Portage Co.), and Sturgeon Bay (Door Co.), each breaking their previous record by at least an inch.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 614374. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.