WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — If it’s felt like there’s been a record amount of snow this week, that’d be a correct assumption!
Several records were broken in the past day due to well over a foot of snowfall in Central Wisconsin. WAOW News Nine Meteorologist Sam Kuffel says Tuesday set a record for the most snowfall in one day for Wausau. “Yesterday we picked up in Wausau 15.7 inches of snow. We got dumped on and that was our largest one-day snowstorm ever in Wausau history! The old one was only 13 inches from 1908.”
While multiple records were broken in Wausau, Kuffel says several other cities in the area broke records as well. “We did break the daily snowfall record for February 12th as well. That was only 7 inches so we almost doubled that. And we weren’t the only city in Central Wisconsin that did break a record yesterday. Merrill, Rhinelander, Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, and Antigo all broke records yesterday.”
A low-pressure system across most of the Midwest is to blame for the record amounts of snowfall this week. Kuffel explains the large moisture system led to more continuous snowfall than usual.
“The upper low-pressure level system with that was strengthening right over Wisconsin. And since this was a very large system it was pulling a lot of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. So we had almost an inch of liquid that fell yesterday. Rhinelander had over an inch of liquid that translated to all that snow. So when we have a system that really stays together across the United States, it pulls in that moisture from the South. Which makes it so we just continue to see snow all day long. Since the system wasn’t really moving out of the area, it was just moving closer it kept us under that snow shield for pretty much most of the day.”
And with all the snowfall over the past week, another record could be broken. Kuffel says the area is close to breaking the record for most snowfall in an entire month.
“So far we’ve had 35 inches of snow in February. And that’s a new record, snowiest February we’ve ever had on record. And all but a half inch of that has fallen in the last week. And that is actually our third snowiest month of all time in Wausau. The snowiest month we’ve ever had, December 2008 when we had 37.6 inches. So we still have half the month to go. We only need pretty much 2 and a half more inches of snow to have the snowiest month of all time in Wausau history.”
Weather patterns will be quiet down for now in the area. But some snow is predicted for Thursday and Sunday. Most of Sunday’s snow will stay towards Southern Wisconsin.
Kuffel does remind those in the area that Wisconsin usually gets more snow in March than February so don’t expect to see those snow banks disappearing anytime soon.
