By Sunday, Dec. 9, Milwaukee had gone 280 consecutive days without measurable snowfall (defined as 0.1 inches or more of snow). That set the all-time record long streak for no snow in Milwaukee’s weather history. By the time you read this article, the streak will have continued into its 288th day — an amazing way to approach the end of a truly unusual, and in many ways, unsettling year of weather in our state.
The last time Milwaukee had measurable snow was on March 4, 2012, when nine-tenths of an inch fell. That same storm was our only snowstorm of the year in Madison last year that dropped more than 3 inches The latest date for the first measurable snow in a winter season in Milwaukee’s history is Dec. 26, 1888 when one-tenth of an inch of snow fell. The latest first 1-inch or greater snowfall was on Jan. 20, 1889 (the same winter) when 3.5 inches of snow finally fell.
Madison’s all-time longest snowless streak, surprisingly longer than Milwaukee’s, is 295 days and stretched from Feb. 6 to Nov. 28, 1902. This year we only got to 246 days as one-tenth of an inch of snow fell on Nov. 6.
The latest date for the first measurable snow in a winter season in Madison’s history is Dec. 15, 1999 when one-tenth of an inch of snow fell. The latest first 1-inch or greater snowfall was on Dec. 23, 2001. This year, we aren’t challenging any of those records.
