Wisconsin
Where’s all the snow? Milwaukee, Madison had their driest Januarys on record
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.
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.
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.
About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
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