Snowfall history / Milwaukee
Milwaukee snowfall history: biggest storms and recent winters
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, the official National Weather Service station for Milwaukee, recorded 43.2 in of snow in winter 2025-26, which is 5.5 inches below the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 48.7 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 ranged from 28.6 in (2021-22) to 56.1 in (2018-19). These are totals at one station, and snowfall varies across the Milwaukee area.
Updated October 6, 2026. By Weather Decision Solutions. All guides
Milwaukee snowfall over the last three winters at Milwaukee Mitchell
Each winter is counted from July 1 to June 30. The totals are National Weather Service observations at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, added up day by day.
| Winter | Snowfall at Milwaukee Mitchell | NOAA 1991-2020 normal | Compared with normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 32.6 in | 48.7 in | 16.1 in below |
| 2024-25 | 30.3 in | 48.7 in | 18.4 in below |
| 2025-26 | 43.2 in | 48.7 in | 5.5 in below |
The normal is the NOAA 1991-2020 average season snowfall for the same station. Over the ten winters from 2016-17 through 2025-26, Milwaukee Mitchell averaged 41.3 in a season.
The biggest Milwaukee snowstorms of the last ten winters
These are the five largest storms at Milwaukee Mitchell from winter 2016-17 through winter 2025-26. Each total is the heaviest three-day stretch of a storm, taken from daily observations, with no day counted twice. A storm that fell in one or two days shows the days it snowed.
| Rank | Dates | Snowfall at Milwaukee Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb. 12-14, 2025 | 11.8 in |
| 2 | Jan. 11-13, 2024 | 11.6 in |
| 3 | Mar. 12-14, 2017 | 11.2 in |
| 4 | Mar. 9-11, 2023 | 11.2 in |
| 5 | Mar. 25-26, 2023 | 9.8 in |
This is a ten-winter window, not the full record. For earlier storms, the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan office keeps longer histories. For the latest winter across major cities, see winter 2025-26 snowfall totals by city.
Why Milwaukee snowfall varies across the metro
Lake Michigan adds snow near the Milwaukee shore in some storms and not in others. NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan explains that the predominant winter wind is from the northwest, so lake-effect snow does not often reach the western shore of the lake, perhaps three to six times in a typical winter. The bands are narrow, and accumulations can vary from a trace to several inches over a short distance.
A storm in March 2017 shows the difference. The office reported that snow totals averaged 10 to 15 inches near the lake, with a few places in Racine County above 20 inches, and tapered to 3 to 4 inches from around Madison west. Milwaukee measured 11.2 inches for the storm and Madison 4.2. That storm is in the biggest-storms table below.
Mitchell International sits south of downtown, so its record shows the winter at one spot in a metro where a lake-enhanced storm can look very different a few miles inland.
How to get the snow total for a specific Milwaukee address
A Free Snow Report calculates the total for the street address and storm dates you enter, from nearby stations and trained observers, and emails it as two PDFs.
- Open the request page and verify your email. There is no password.
- Enter the street address, then pick the storm dates. One storm per report, up to three days, within the last ten years, and the last day must be at least two days ago.
- Get the Verified Report and the Full Report by email.
Each verified email gets three free reports. After that, a report is $39, and a ZIP pass covers many reports in one ZIP code for 12 months. Details are on the pricing page.
About these numbers
All station totals come from the official National Weather Service record for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, read through the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Where the preliminary climate report and the final archive differ by a few tenths on one day, this page uses the final archive. They are totals at one station. They are not an estimate for an address, and they are not a certified copy of the record. For certified copies, NOAA NCEI sells them through its data certification service.
Questions people ask
How much snow did Milwaukee get last winter?
At Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, the official National Weather Service station, winter 2025-26 (July 1 to June 30) brought 43.2 in of snow. That is 5.5 inches below the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 48.7 in. Snowfall changes across the metro, so a given neighborhood can differ from the station.
What are the Milwaukee snowfall totals by year?
At Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport: 2023-24 32.6 in, 2024-25 30.3 in and 2025-26 43.2 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 averaged 41.3 in, from 28.6 in (2021-22) to 56.1 in (2018-19). For other years, use NWS NOWData or NOAA Climate Data Online.
What was the biggest snowstorm in Milwaukee in the last ten years?
At Milwaukee Mitchell, the largest three-day totals from 2016-17 to 2025-26 were Feb. 12-14, 2025 (11.8 in), Jan. 11-13, 2024 (11.6 in), Mar. 12-14, 2017 (11.2 in). This page covers those ten winters only. For earlier decades, use the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan office.
What is the normal annual snowfall in Milwaukee?
The NOAA 1991-2020 normal at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is 48.7 in a season. The last ten winters averaged 41.3 in.
Does Milwaukee get lake-effect snow?
Sometimes. NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan says the predominant winter wind is from the northwest, so lake-effect snow reaches the western shore of Lake Michigan only perhaps three to six times in a typical winter. When it does, it can add a lot near the shore, as in March 2017, when totals averaged 10 to 15 inches near the lake and 3 to 4 inches from around Madison west.
Does the Milwaukee Mitchell total apply to my address in the Milwaukee area?
Not exactly. It is one measurement at one site. Snow can differ by several inches across a metro area in the same storm, depending on terrain, distance from water and where bands set up. For a specific property, a report for the street address calculates the total for that spot.
How do I find out how much snow fell at my address in Milwaukee?
Request a Free Snow Report at freesnowreport.com/request. Enter the street address and the storm dates, and the total for that spot arrives by email as two PDFs. Each verified email gets three free reports, then a report is $39 or a ZIP pass covers many.
Where do these Milwaukee snowfall numbers come from?
They are official National Weather Service observations at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, read from the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Normals are the NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
Sources
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers: ACIS station data (official National Weather Service records)
- National Weather Service: daily climate data (used to check season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: daily summaries archive (second check on season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
- National Weather Service: NOWData climate data
- National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan office
- National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan: lake effect snow on the western shore
- National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan: March 2017 winter storm and focused lake effect
- National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan: snow climatology
- NOAA NCEI: Climate Data Online