National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

The same low pressure system that produced a major blizzard over the central/southern Plains on March 26-28th that produced up to 28 inches of snow in south central Kansas, tracked northeast from southeast Missouri to southeast Lower Michigan overnight on March 28th and during the morning of the 29th.  After a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain over portions of southern Wisconsin during the evening of the 28th, precipitation turned to all snow by the early morning hours of the 29th.  Dozens of accidents were reported around the interstate system during the onset of the precipitation.

Forecasted snow amounts before the event were in the 6-12 inch range over southeast Wisconsin, but because the storm tracked a tad further to the southeast than models had indicated, the heaviest snow was confined to the southeast corner of the state...near Racine and Kenosha.  Snow totals there ranged from 6 to 8.5 inches with a general 2 to 4 inches over the remainder of southern Wisconsin.   In addition, while the heaviest precipitation fell over southern Wisconsin, areas along I-94 from Sullivan to Waukesha remained sleet well into the evening hours on the 28th.  Between 1/2 inch and 1 inch of sleet fell there.  If that had been snow, locations in this area would have recieved 3 to 5 inches more of snow. 

Trained spotters called in thundersnow reports around 6 am near the city of Racine.  Winds gusted in excess of 40 mph near Lake Michigan, making for near blizzard conditions at times. 

Below is a map showing the snowfall amounts as reported by coop observers.  The map shows totals as of 7 am, but snow continued through late morning, likely producing another 1-2 inches in some places.

Below is a list of the higher reports submitted by coop observers and storm spotters.

INCHES  LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           TIME
 ------  -----------------------  --  --------------   -------
  8.30   2 NE STURTEVANT          WI  RACINE           1150 AM
  8.00   1 S ROCHESTER            WI  RACINE           1016 AM
  7.00   PADDOCK LAKE             WI  KENOSHA          0639 AM
                 SNOWFALL OF 7.0 INCHES WITH 1.50 INCHES
                 LIQUID /NOT ALL FROM SNOW/.
  6.50   CALEDONIA                WI  RACINE           0700 AM
  6.30   4 SW KENOSHA             WI  KENOSHA          0700 AM
                 SNOWFALL OF 6.3 INCHES WITH 1.24 INCHES OF
                 LIQUID /NOT ALL FROM SNOW/.
  6.00   RACINE                   WI  RACINE           0700 AM
                 SNOWFALL OF 6.0 INCHES AND 1.77 INCHES OF
                 LIQUID /NOT ALL FROM SNOW/.
  6.00   UNION GROVE              WI  RACINE           0700 AM
  6.00   2 NW FRANKLIN            WI  MILWAUKEE        0700 AM
  5.10   1 SW MILWAUKEE INTERNAT  WI  MILWAUKEE        1135 AM
                 COLLEGE AND 13TH.
  5.00   MILWAUKEE INTERNATIONAL  WI  MILWAUKEE        0100 PM
  5.00   BURLINGTON               WI  RACINE           0700 AM
  4.20   WEST ALLIS               WI  MILWAUKEE        0700 AM
  4.10   2 NE DARLINGTON          WI  LAFAYETTE        0700 AM
  3.30   NWS SULLIVAN/MILWAUKEE   WI  JEFFERSON        0100 PM
  3.30   1 N WATERTOWN            WI  DODGE            1105 AM
  3.30   3 SE PALMYRA             WI  JEFFERSON        0820 AM
                 3.0 INCHES OF SNOW WITH 0.3 INCH OF SLEET AND
                 0.1 INCH OF ICE. TOTAL LIQUID EQUIVALENT OF
                 0.41 INCH.
  3.20   2 NE MADISON             WI  DANE             0100 PM
  3.00   2 NE GLENDALE            WI  MILWAUKEE        1159 AM
  3.00   OREGON                   WI  DANE             0900 AM
  3.00   JACKSON                  WI  WASHINGTON       0630 AM
                 SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION OF 3 INCHES WITH 1/10
                 INCH OF ICE. SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN CURRENTLY
                 FALLING.

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