Cold/Wind Chill — Douglas, Wisconsin

2016-12-18 · Douglas, Wisconsin

Event narrative

An elderly couple were found dead from exposure to the cold weather in a remote part of Superior, Wisconsin. A utility worker found Richard Ellison, 82, and Shirley Johnson, 70, on their deck around 10:30 am on Wednesday December 21st. They were last seen running errands the previous Sunday, December 18th. It appeared the couple misplaced their house keys and were unable to get into their home. The nearest neighbor was a half-block away, but few people live in that part of town. It was unclear why the couple did not seek shelter in their vehicle or attempt to seek help at their neighbor's home. It was particularly cold on Sunday into early Monday, with the recorded high temperature on Sunday being only 1 degree, and the Monday morning low temperature -8 degrees. It warmed up significantly the rest of the week with high temperatures in the 30s and lows in the teens to round 20 degrees.

Wider weather episode

An elderly couple was found dead from exposure to the cold in a remote part of Superior, Wisconsin. A utility worker found them on their deck around 10:30 am on Wednesday December 21st. They were last seen running errands and at a local tavern the previous Sunday, December 18th. They left the tavern at 8:10 pm and it is presumed that they went home. It appeared the couple misplaced their house keys and were unable to get into their home, although a rarely used side door was unlocked. The nearest neighbor was a half-block away, but few people live in that part of town. It was unclear why the couple did not seek shelter in their vehicle or attempt to seek help at their neighbor's home. House and car keys were found underneath the man and another set was found 6 feet from the couple on the sidewalk. Both victims had alcohol in their systems. Relatives suspect that both victims were suffering from some dementia. It was particularly cold on Sunday into early Monday, with the recorded high temperature on Sunday being only 1 degree, and the Monday morning low temperature -8 degrees. It warmed up significantly through the remainder of the week with high temperatures in the 30s and lows in the teens and around 20 degrees.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 670462. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.