If you’ve noticed a lack of snow for skiing and other winter activities in Wisconsin this winter, there’s new data to prove that observation: Milwaukee and Madison had their driest Januarys on record.
Milwaukee saw about 3.1 inches of snow in January, compared to its normal 14.9 inches. That’s about 12 inches fewer than typical. There was a smidgen of rainfall — 0.14 inches — which is about an inch and a half fewer than normal.
Most snow that fell in Milwaukee last month was in trace amounts. The largest single-day snowfall was Jan. 22, but only 1.3 total inches fell that day.
Why is Wisconsin getting so little snow this winter? It’s partly because snow systems are tracking further north or south and missing Wisconsin, explained National Weather Service meteorologist Taylor Patterson.
“A lot of people here have been talking about how if you look at a satellite for snow, Minnesota has snow, Illinois and Michigan do. There’s a bit of a bubble in some parts of the Midwest, where we don’t really have a lot,” she said.
January 2025 also tied for the driest on record for Madison — the other was in 1903. Madison received about 1.9 inches of snowfall, also about 12 inches fewer than the normal 13.7 inches. The city got around 0.10 inches of rain, compared to a normal 1.47 inches.
“Back when a lot of the Gulf Coast had their snow event, that was more snow than we saw. So, it’s been an interesting winter, for sure,” Patterson said.
More: These surprising cities have gotten more snow than Milwaukee this winter
Low precipitation can increase fire risk from lack of snowpack. Last year, wildfires started in Wisconsin earlier than normal because much of the state did not have snow by February.
There were a couple brush fires in Wisconsin last week, including in Blue Mounds on Jan. 30 and in Suamico on Jan. 28, which burned about 12 acres. The lack of snow caused the ground to become drier than usual, Suamico’s fire chief said.
More: Climate change is warming our winters. How are Wisconsin ski hill operators adapting?
What’s the temperature, precipitation outlook for February in Wisconsin?
Temperatures in Milwaukee and Madison for January, however, were around or a little below the normal amounts. That’s despite both cities setting a high temperature record on Jan. 30 at 56 degrees in Milwaukee and 57 degrees in Madison.
The Climate Prediction Center’s monthly outlook doesn’t provide a strong indication whether February will have temperatures at, above or below normal in Wisconsin. But there is a slight chance for above-normal precipitation.
But if the dry conditions persist, that could cause issues. “If we continue to see no precipitation, (that) could lead to the return of some drought conditions come spring,” Patterson said.
Meanwhile, the goats at the Milwaukee County Zoo didn’t see their shadows on Groundhog Day, predicting an early spring, rather than six more weeks of winter.
We’ll leave it to you whether to trust the weather service forecast or the goats.
More: Wisconsin’s 2024 climate review: A year of unprecedented weather, and record highs and lows
