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Wisconsin winters across the decades — snow and all

History repeats itself. So do winter storms, and our feelings about them

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Winter scene with a man and young boy shoveling snow from a sidewalk after a heavy snowfall, circa 1925 in Milwaukee.
Winter scene with a man and young boy shoveling snow from a sidewalk after a heavy snowfall, circa 1925 in Milwaukee. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images
ice in the Twin Ports
A winter storm could bring up to 20 inches of snow by Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, in the Duluth-Superior area. Around a quarter-inch of ice layers trees in the Twin Ports. Danielle Kaeding/WPR

Hello again, Old Man Winter.

As we dig ourselves out from an onslaught of icy, chunky, heavy snow topped with inches and inches of more white fluff, it’s easy to feel a bit tortured.

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But our irritation can turn on a dime as the glistening trees catch our eyes and the whiteness of the snow lights up dark evenings. It’s so magical!

But, then we have to drive somewhere. And there’s the threat of power outages.

Frigid winter weather has hit portions of Wisconsin hard these past few weeks, with areas of central Wisconsin currently under a blizzard warning that threatens dangerous windchill, whiteouts and wind gusts. In these conditions, frostbite can occur in as few as 10 minutes.

On Thursday, Gov. Tony Evers declared an energy emergency in case freezing temperatures and snow interfere with fuel delivery and power outages leave people without heat.

As of late morning Friday, the entirety of Wisconsin was enduring negative temperatures, with the coldest at -12 degrees in Marshfield and Park Falls. Friday night, temperatures drop in some parts of the state to nearly -30 or -40 degrees. Southeast Wisconsin and Fox Valley are experiencing power outages as of 11 a.m. Friday.

Though there has not been as much snow as initially predicted, conditions on the road are treacherous as high winds cause blowing snow.

According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the first record of winter here was made by fur traders in the mid-1600s, who wrote of suffering, a frozen earth and “the severity of the cold.”

Still tracks.

As you take a respite from the howling winds, check out these photographs of Wisconsin’s winters through the decades:

Cars buried in the snow, 1925, Wisconsin Historical Society
Cars buried in the snow, 1925. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images
Three vehicles drive on a snow covered road during snowy conditions. The two cars in the distance can hardly be seen.
Drivers travel slowly on snowy roads Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022 in Milton, Wis. Angela Major/WPR


Winter scene of a Milwaukee residential street corner with snow at night, circa 1953. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images


A winter scene with excited children on a toboggan, circa 1975. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images

Winter scene with a cluster of trees with limbs, some bowed down, covered with heavy snow, 1941. Wisconsin Historical Society
Winter scene with a cluster of trees with limbs, some bowed down, covered with heavy snow, 1941. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images
Snow and ice covers window panes
The Duluth-Superior area is seeing a wintry mix and could get up to 20 inches of snow before night falls on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. Danielle Kaeding/WPR


Winter scene with Lawrence College students tobogganing at Rib Mountain near Wausau, circa 1949. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images


Winter scene of an unplowed, snowy Butler Street, with tire tracks and snow-covered trees, circa 1910. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images

Winter scene with men clearing a pathway through mounds of snow, New Richmond, 1916. Wisconsin Historical Society
Winter scene with men clearing a pathway through mounds of snow, New Richmond, 1916. Wisconsin Historical Society
Winter vista across the Wisconsin River, with ice-coated trees, circa 1930
Winter vista across the Wisconsin River, with ice-coated trees, circa 1930. Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images


Winter scene with two children leaning against a snowman, circa 1947. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images


Winter scene with two women walking in the snow on Wisconsin Avenue at Ninth Street, Milwaukee, circa 1962. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images

Elevated winter scene of snow-covered road through Keshena, Wisconsin. There are horse-drawn vehicles and pedestrians, and a church is in the background, circa 1902.
Elevated winter scene of snow-covered road through Keshena, Wisconsin. There are horse-drawn vehicles and pedestrians, and a church is in the background, circa 1902. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society 
A layer of snow covers the seat of a playground swing in a neighborhood.
Snow accumulates on a swing at the beginning of a winter storm Thursday, Dec. 22, in Janesville, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

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