Duluth, Minnesota – Snow has defined the winter season across northern Wisconsin, especially along the Lake Superior shoreline, where repeated lake-effect systems have delivered some of the state’s highest snowfall totals. From late September through early February, deep snowpack and frequent plowing have been routine across the Northwoods.
According to the National Weather Service and NOAA’s National Snowfall Analysis, northern Wisconsin has recorded between 2 and 10 feet of snow since Sept. 30. The highest seasonal totals are concentrated along the South Shore near Lake Superior, where cold northwest flow has repeatedly generated intense lake-effect snow bands.
Communities including Superior, Ashland, Bayfield, and Hurley sit near the upper end of the range, with snowpack persisting for much of the winter. Travel has been frequently impacted on U.S. 2, Highway 13, and rural county roads, where visibility can drop quickly during lake-effect bursts.
Farther inland, places such as Rhinelander, Eagle River, and Minocqua have also seen several feet of snow, enough to support winter recreation but also create extended periods of slick driving conditions. Central and southern Wisconsin, including Eau Claire, Madison, and Milwaukee, have generally seen lower seasonal totals, with fewer lake-enhanced events reaching that far south.
WisDOT continues to remind drivers that snow conditions can change rapidly near Lake Superior, even outside organized storm systems. With winter still ongoing, additional lake-effect and synoptic snow events could continue to add to seasonal totals, and more advisories may be issued as conditions evolve.
