Lake-Effect Snow — Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2017-03-12 to 2017-03-13 · Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Event narrative

Eight to thirteen inches of snow accumulation. Numerous slide-offs and chain-reaction accidents. Overall, there were 59 crash calls and 68 disabled vehicles during the daylight hours. Four older men collapsed and died while shoveling or snow blowing.

Wider weather episode

A significant lake effect snowstorm occurred over eastern WI with snowfall totals of 1 to 2 feet. Hundreds of vehicles were involved in accidents and slide-offs including several large chain-reaction accidents on I-41 and I-43 on March 13th. No deaths occurred and only a small number of injuries were reported. Portions of the Interstates were closed for hours for cleanup and removal. There were 5 deaths in southeast WI when older men collapsed while shoveling or snow blowing. Some schools and local governments closed during the afternoon of March 13th due to the heavy snow. Several inches of snow also fell over south central WI during this time due to a low pressure area that tracked from the central Great Plains through the Ohio River Valley.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 681638. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.