County Hazards

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Winter in Douglas County, Wisconsin

163 winter storms and snow events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Winter Storm, Winter Weather, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Ice Storm, Lake-Effect Snow, Sleet.

163 events · 0 deaths recorded · peak month December · county share of state 1.6%

Winter event locations in and around Douglas County. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.

Douglas County, Wisconsin, has 163 winter events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 31 different years.

December is the busiest month, with 37 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 108 events against 55 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 1.6% of the 10,237 winter events recorded in Wisconsin; its 12.5 per 100 square miles compares with 18.9 statewide.

Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.

Compared with Wisconsin

MeasureDouglas CountyWisconsinUS
Winter events since 195016310,237287,339
Per 100 square miles12.518.98.1
Per 10,000 residents36.917.48.7
Deaths recorded01382,509
Busiest monthDecemberJanuaryJanuary

By year

195019882026
Winter events recorded in Douglas County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
28
Feb
30
Mar
29
Apr
16
May
2
Jun
0
Jul
0
Aug
0
Sep
0
Oct
2
Nov
19
Dec
37
Winter events in Douglas County by month of occurrence, all years.

Recorded events

All 163 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
3 Apr 2026Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
12 Mar 2026Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
17 Feb 2026Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
15 Jan 2026Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
28 Dec 2025Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
29 Nov 2025Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
25 Nov 2025Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Mar 2025Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
14 Feb 2025Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2025Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Jan 2025Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
11 Jan 2025Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Mar 2024Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
30 Oct 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Apr 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Apr 2023Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
16 Mar 2023Heavy Snow—$330K———Forecast zone
11 Mar 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
6 Mar 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Mar 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Feb 2023Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
22 Feb 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Feb 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
3 Jan 2023Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Dec 2022Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
14 Dec 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
29 Nov 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
17 Nov 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
6 Apr 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
5 Mar 2022Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
21 Feb 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
18 Feb 2022Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
4 Jan 2022Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
26 Dec 2021Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Dec 2021Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
5 Dec 2021Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Nov 2021Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
29 Dec 2020Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 2020Heavy Snow—$10K———Forecast zone
14 Nov 2020Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
10 Nov 2020Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
28 Mar 2020Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
17 Jan 2020Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
11 Jan 2020Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
9 Dec 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
30 Nov 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Nov 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 May 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
8 May 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
9 Mar 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
20 Feb 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
12 Feb 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
6 Feb 2019Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
31 Dec 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Dec 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
14 Apr 2018Blizzard—————Forecast zone
31 Mar 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
5 Mar 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Feb 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Feb 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Feb 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Feb 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
14 Jan 2018Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Oct 2017Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Mar 2017Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
25 Dec 2016Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
16 Dec 2016Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Mar 2016Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
26 Dec 2015Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 2015Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
10 Nov 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Apr 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
3 Apr 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Mar 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
17 Mar 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
20 Feb 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Jan 2014Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Dec 2013Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Dec 2013Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Dec 2013Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Apr 2013Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
11 Apr 2013Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
10 Feb 2013Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
22 Nov 2012Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
28 Feb 2012Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Nov 2011Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Apr 2011Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Mar 2011Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
30 Jan 2011Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
20 Dec 2010Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
29 Nov 2010Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Nov 2010Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Jan 2010Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
7 Jan 2010Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
8 Dec 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
10 Mar 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
2 Feb 2009Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Dec 2008Blizzard—————Forecast zone
10 Apr 2008Blizzard—————Forecast zone
1 Apr 2008Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
31 Mar 2008Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 2007Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
4 Dec 2007Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Dec 2007Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
3 Apr 2007Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Mar 2007Blizzard—————Forecast zone
24 Feb 2007Blizzard—————Forecast zone
12 Mar 2006Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Mar 2006Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Feb 2006Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Jan 2006Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Dec 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Nov 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Feb 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Jan 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
12 Jan 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Jan 2005Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
30 Dec 2004Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
25 Jan 2004Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Jan 2004Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
15 Dec 2003Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Nov 2003Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Apr 2003Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
4 Apr 2003Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Mar 2003Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
17 Dec 2002Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
7 Mar 2002Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Feb 2002Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
20 Feb 2002Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
26 Nov 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
11 Mar 2001Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Feb 2001Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
8 Feb 2001Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
29 Jan 2001Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
21 Dec 2000Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
18 Dec 2000Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Nov 2000Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
15 Mar 2000Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
15 Feb 2000Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
23 Nov 1999Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
8 Mar 1999Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
16 Feb 1999Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 1999Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
2 Jan 1999Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Jan 1998Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
8 Jan 1998Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
29 Dec 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Dec 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Mar 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Jan 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
10 Jan 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Jan 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
30 Dec 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
18 Dec 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
14 Dec 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
12 Apr 1996Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
23 Mar 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
26 Feb 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
28 Jan 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
17 Jan 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Jan 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone

Questions and answers

How many winter events has Douglas County had?

163 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of winter storms and snow became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.

When was the last recorded winter event in Douglas County?

3 Apr 2026 (Ice Storm). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging winter event recorded in Douglas County?

The heavy snow of 16 Mar 2023, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $330K.

How does Douglas County compare with Wisconsin for winter?

12.5 events per 100 square miles against 18.9 statewide; the county holds 163 of the state's 10,237 recorded events.

Provenance

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Winter hub and the county page.