...............DURING THE FALL AND WINTER.................
WE BEGIN TO SEE COLD POLAR AIR PUSHING FARTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE
COUNTRY DURING THE FALL SEASON.  WEATHER SYSTEMS WHICH FORM ALONG
THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN COLD AIR TO THE NORTH AND WARM AIR TO THE SOUTH
OCCASIONALLY DEVELOP INTO MAJOR WINTER STORMS. WISCONSIN/S LOCATION
PLACES IT RIGHT IN THE PATH OF SOME OF WINTER/S WORST STORMS.

-SUCH STORMS ARE USUALLY LARGE AND INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS
COVERING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SQUARE MILES.

...............WHERE WINTER STORMS DEVELOP.................
MAJOR WINTER STORMS THAT AFFECT WISCONSIN USUALLY DEVELOP HUNDREDS OR
THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY FROM THE STATE...SOMETIMES AS FAR AWAY AS
JAPAN OR ASIA.

-THEY THEN MIGRATE ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND ENTER THE
WESTERN UNITED STATES...CROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND
EVENTUALLY RE-DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL OR SOUTHERN GREAT
PLAINS. THE STORMS THEN TAKE AIM ON THE MIDWEST.

...............WINTER STORM PRECIPITATION..................
PRECIPITATION WITH MOST WINTER STORMS FALLS TO THE EAST AND NORTH OF
THE STORM/S CENTER.  AS A RESULT...A STORM MOVING FROM THE PLAINS
INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS WILL KEEP WISCONSIN IN THE AREA OF GREATEST
PRECIPITATION FOR THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME.

-AS THE STORM MOVES EAST OF THE BADGER STATE... POLAR AIR
IS OFTEN DRAWN IN FROM CANADA. WIND AND COLD AIR FROM THE
NORTH SOMETIMES COMBINE TO CAUSE WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES TO
REACH 20 BELOW TO 50 BELOW ZERO.

-TYPICAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN A WINTER STORM USUALLY RANGE FROM
6 TO 12 INCHES. DURING SOME WINTERS...A POWERFUL STORM MAY
DEPOSIT AS MUCH AS 20 TO 30 INCHES OVC A 2-DAY PERIOD...WITH
DRIFTS OF 4 TO 8 FEET.

-THE PRECIPITATION CAN ALSO REDUCE VISIBILITIES THAT MAKE IT
DIFFICULT FOR MOTORISTS TO SEE VEHICLES IN FRONT OF THEM.

..........INFLUENCE OF LAKE MICHIGAN AND LAKE SUPERIOR............
AS COLD AIR FLOWS OVER THE UNFROZEN WATERS OF LAKE SUPERIOR AND LAKE
MICHIGAN IT PICKS UP ADDITIONAL MOISTURE. THE RESULTANT LAKE-EFFECT
SNOW SHOWERS THAT CAN BE LOCALLY HEAVY...OFTEN FALLING AT THE RATE
OF 2 TO 4 INCHES PER HOUR. THE FAR NORTHERN WISCONSIN COUNTIES AND
THE EASTERN TIER OF COUNTIES ARE MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE LAKE-
EFFECT SNOWS.

-PARTS OF THE GOGEBIC RANGE IN IRON COUNTY FROM UPSON TO HURLEY
HAVE AN AVERAGE WINTER SNOWFALL OF 135 TO 165 INCHES.

-AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM...THE SOUTHERN TIER OF
COUNTIES AVERAGE 35 TO 40 INCHES EACH WINTER SEASON.

...............FREQUENCY AND TYPES OF WINTER STORM EVENTS............
ON AVERAGE...SOUTHERN WISCONSIN EXPERIENCES ABOUT TWO OR THREE
MAJOR WINTER EVENTS EACH WINTER...WHILE NORTHERN WISCONSIN AVERAGES
ABOUT 6 STORM EVENTS.

-THE EVENT COULD BE HEAVY SNOW...BLIZZARDS...ICE STORMS...HEAVY
SLEET...OR A COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING.

...............BEST MONTHS FOR WINTER STORMS.................
MAJOR WINTER EVENTS USUALLY OCCUR FROM MID-NOVEMBER THROUGH MID-
APRIL. HOWEVER...ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF WISCONSIN A WINTER STORM
IS POSSIBLE DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER...AND LATE APRIL INTO EARLY
MAY. JANUARY IS THE MOST FAVORED MONTH FOR THEIR OCCURRENCE ACROSS
THE STATE.
...............WISCONSIN SNOWFALL RECORDS....................
A SUMMARY OF WISCONSIN STATE SNOWFALL AND TEMPERATURE RECORDS
INCLUDE...
26.0 INCHES...GREATEST DAILY SNOWFALL...NEILLSVILLE/CLARK CO.
DEC 27 1904

31.0 INCHES...GREATEST SINGLE STORM...SUPERIOR/DOUGLAS CO.
OCT 31 - NOV 3 1991

60.0 INCHES...DEEPEST SNOW ON GROUND...HURLEY/IRON CO.
JAN 30 1997

103.5 INCHES...GREATEST MONTHLY TOTAL...HURLEY/IRON CO.
JAN 1997

139.4 INCHES...GREATEST SEASONAL NORMAL SNOWFALL FOR THE
30-YEAR PERIOD OF 1971-2000...GURNEY/IRON CO.

165.3 INCHES...GREATEST SEASONAL NORMAL SNOWFALL FOR THE
14-YEAR PERIOD OF 1987-2000...HURLEY/IRON CO.

301.8 INCHES...GREATEST SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTAL...
HURLEY/IRON CO. 1996-97

-55F...........RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR WISCONSIN NEAR
COUDERAY /SAWYER CO./ SET ON
FEBRUARY 2TH AND 4TH IN 1996.

...WHAT ABOUT THOSE WIND CHILLS...
THE DANGER OF COLD AIR IS MORE INTENSE IN WINTER WHEN THE WIND IS
BLOWING.  STRONG WINDS CAUSE A PRONOUNCED INCREASE IN THE CHILLING
EFFECT OF LOW TEMPERATURES.

-IN A 5 MPH WIND...A TEMPERATURE OF ZERO BECOMES THE EQUIVALENT
OF 11 BELOW ZERO.

-INCREASE THOSE WINDS TO 30 MPH AND THE EFFECT WOULD BE EQUAL TO
A FRIGID MINUS 26 DEGREES.

PROTECTION AGAINST FROST BITE IS NECESSARY IN THIS TYPE OF WIND
DRIVEN COLD. REMEMBER...EXPOSED SKIN CAN FREEZE IN A MATTER OF
MINUTES.

...YOUR VEHICLE AS A LIFE SAVER...
YOUR VEHICLE CAN BE A LIFE SAVER IF YOU ARE TRAPPED ON THE ROAD IN A
WINTER STORM.  MAKE SURE YOUR CAR IS WINTERIZED FOR THE SEASON.

-MAKE SURE THAT BRAKES... LIGHTS...THE BATTERY...EXHAUST/HEATER
CONNECTIONS...THE DEFROSTER...AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ALL IN
GOOD WORKING ORDER.

-MAKE CERTAIN YOUR GASOLINE TANK IS FULL BEFORE CROSSING OPEN
COUNTRY.

-IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT ABOUT ROAD CONDITIONS TRY...WHEN
POSSIBLE...TO TRAVEL IN A CONVOY WITH OTHER VEHICLES.



...WINTER STORM KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE...
A WINTER STORM KIT IN YOU CAR TRUNK CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE IF YOU ARE
CAUGHT IN A MAJOR WINTER STORM.

-THIS KIT SHOULD INCLUDE TIRE CHAINS...BOOSTER CABLES...
A SHOVEL...SAND...FLASHLIGHT...MATCHES...A FIRST AID KIT...
EMERGENCY HIGH CALORIE RATIONS...WATER...AND CERTAINLY
EXTRA CLOTHING AND BLANKETS.

-KEEP YOUR CAR RADIO TUNED FOR THE LATEST WINTER STORM
INFORMATION...OR BETTER YET...CARRY A NOAA WEATHER ALL HAZARDS
RADIO WITH YOU.



...IF YOUR VEHICLE IS STUCK IN THE SNOW...
DON/T LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IF YOU ARE MAROONED IN A WINTER STORM.  IF A
BLIZZARD TRAPS YOU WHILE DRIVING...STAY IN YOUR CAR AND WAIT FOR
HELP.

-YOUR BEST CHANCES FOR SURVIVAL ARE WHEN YOU STAY WITH YOUR
VEHICLE. YOU CAN EASILY GET LOST IN THE STORM.

-RUN THE ENGINE SPARINGLY TO KEEP WARM...BUT BE SURE TO OPEN A
DOWNWIND WINDOW SLIGHTLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS ON.

-KEEP THE EXHAUST PIPE CLEAR OF SNOW.

-TIE A COLORED CLOTH TO THE RADIO ANTENNA DURING THE DAY.

-AT NIGHT...TURN ON THE DOME LIGHT TO SIGNAL RESCUERS.



...USING COMMON SENSE...
USE COMMON SENSE AND DON/T VENTURE OUT IN A STORM UNLESS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY.

-MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH FOOD AND BEVERAGES IN YOUR HOUSE
BEFORE THE STORM HITS.

-IF YOU HAVE TO GO OUT...DRESS WARMLY...ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR
HANDS...FEET AND FACE. A HAT AND PAIR OF GLOVES WILL HELP KEEP
YOUR BODY WARM.

-WEARING MULTIPLE LAYERS OF CLOTHES WILL ALSO KEEP THE BODY
WARM.

-AVOID OVER-EXERTION...IT IS HARD WORK WALKING IN DEEP SNOW AND
HIGH WINDS.



...THE WORST DRIVING CONDITIONS...
SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS IN WINTER STORMS OCCUR
WITH FREEZING RAIN.

-FREEZING RAIN OCCURS WHENEVER SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE AT OR
BELOW 32 DEGREES AND RAIN FREEZES UPON IMPACT TO EXPOSED
OBJECTS.

-IF A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ICE ACCUMULATES...THE CONDITION IS
KNOWN AS AN ICE STORM. THESE STORMS MAKE DRIVING OR WALKING
EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS.

-THE DANGER IN ICE STORMS IS EVEN GREATER IF STRONG WINDS
ACCOMPANY THE STORM CAUSING TREE LIMBS AND WIRES TO FALL AND
IMPERIL TRAFFIC. DURING THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS...AVOID
TRAVEL IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.



...DON/T FORGET ABOUT DENSE FOG...
ANOTHER VERY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITION IS DENSE FOG.

-WHILE DENSE FOG CAN OCCUR IN EVERY MONTH SOMEWHERE IN
WISCONSIN...IT IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS IN WINTER WHEN IT CAN
PERSIST FOR MANY HOURS...OR EVEN A DAY OR TWO.

-THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REPORTS THAT AN
AVERAGE OF ABOUT 1200 VEHICLE ACCIDENTS OCCUR EACH YEAR ACROSS
WISCONSIN DURING DENSE FOG EPISODES. THESE ACCIDENTS RESULT IN
AN YEARLY AVERAGE OF ABOUT 15 DEATHS AND 700 INJURIES.

-MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN WHILE DRIVING THROUGH DENSE FOG...
TURN THEIR HEADLIGHTS ON...AND INCREASE THEIR TRAILING
DISTANCE BEHIND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THEM.