Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Manitowoc, WI

KEY MESSAGES

- A historic winter storm will impact the region tonight through Monday. Heavy snow, mixed precip, and strong winds will create blizzard conditions as well as widespread and significant impacts across the area, including extremely difficult travel and power outages. Snowfall totals of 15 to 30 inches with locally higher amounts. Winter Storm Warnings and Blizzard Warnings have been issued.

- Sleet and/or freezing rain will likely mix with snow at times across east-central Wisconsin, resulting in the potential for 0.1 to 0.2" of ice accumulation on Sunday. Precip then transitions back to all snow Sunday night.

- Below zero wind chills will be possible on Monday, moderating back to near normal throughout the week.

- Next chance of light snow (60-80%) is on Tuesday night into Wednesday.

DISCUSSION
Issued at 315 PM CDT Sat Mar 14 2026

Historic snowstorm arrives this evening, and will be the largest since April 13-15, 2018, and then should continue into Monday afternoon. The calm before the storm this afternoon with partly cloudy skies far north and mostly cloudy elsewhere. Temperatures were in the 30s.

Latest model runs from this morning indicated the snow was a little slower to arrive this evening, thus pushed back the start time of the warning across the southern half of the forecast area by an hour or two. Across the north, pushed up the start time by a few hours. Snow is expected to develop across central and east-central WI in response to an fgen band that sets up across the area. This band shifts northward late tonight into Sunday morning. Late tonight, models indicating a warm layer between five and nine thousand feet. This warm layer would support sleet up to Green Bay and possibly Wausau. The warm layer is warm enough that the precipitation will change over to rain, sleet or freezing from Wautoma to Oshkosh to Manitowoc late tonight into Sunday afternoon. Current forecast has a tenth or two of ice from Waushara County east to Manitowoc County.

For locations to the north, snow will continue Sunday. Increasing winds and heavy snowfall will lead to blizzard conditions. Have issued a Blizzard Warning from 15z Sunday to 20z Monday. For the Fox Valley, the Blizzard Warning will start at 21z Sun until the risk of the mix precip ends and at 00z for Manitowoc and Kewaunee counties. The low should pass to the east of the area Sunday night, resulting in strong wind and blizzard conditions. Gusts of 40 to 60 mph are likely resulting in damage to trees and power lines which results in expected power outages. Another concern will be for much colder air to work into the region Sunday night which will result in the snow to become powdery and more easily blown around across central and east-central WI. Snowfall totals may rival and may be higher than the April 2018 storm. Current forecast has 13 to 32 inches of snow, with the lowest totals across the southern Fox Valley. Highest totals were across Marinette and Oconto counties. NBM probabilities were a staggering 70-90 for two feet of snow.

Decided to continue the Blizzard Warning through 4 pm Monday until the stronger winds subside despite the heavier snow ending. Previous events with the powdery snow has resulted in reductions in visibilities and problems on roads due to accidents or slide offs. Visibilities will remain poor into the afternoon.

Some lingering light snow continues into the evening across the far north Monday evening. Another clipper system will bring a chance of light snow Tuesday night and Wednesday. It is too early to determine snowfall amounts. Fairly tranquil conditions are expected the rest of the week with seasonable spring temperatures.

AVIATION
for 00Z TAF Issuance Issued at 634 PM CDT Sat Mar 14 2026

Deteriorating flight conditions will occur this evening, with conditions becoming quite dangerous for flight operations late tonight into Sunday. Flight delays/cancellations will occur, and airport closures may be needed at times Sunday into Monday.

Thickening/lowering clouds and virga were observed across the region at issuance time. Snow is expected to develop around 8 pm in our southwest counties, spreading into far NE WI by around midnight. Heavy snow will spread across NC/NE (along and north of Hwy 29) late tonight (after 08z/09z/Sun) and continue in far NE WI until around 21z/Sun. Farther south, a warm layer aloft will bring a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain starting late tonight and continuing into Sunday afternoon.

E winds will increase later tonight into Sunday morning, then really start to crank up as they become NE-NW Sunday afternoon into Monday. Gusts to 35 to 45 kts are likely due the height of the storm. LLWS arrives overnight into early Sunday and continues most areas through the day.

GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
Winter Storm Warning from 11 PM this evening to 10 AM CDT Sunday for WIZ005-010>013-021-022-073.

Blizzard Warning from 10 AM Sunday to 4 PM CDT Monday for WIZ005- 010>013-018>022-030-031-035>037-045-073-074.

Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM CDT Sunday for WIZ018>020-030- 031-035>037-045-074.

Winter Storm Warning from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM CDT Sunday for WIZ038-039-048-049.

Blizzard Warning from 4 PM Sunday to 4 PM CDT Monday for WIZ038- 039-048-049.

Winter Storm Warning from 11 PM this evening to 7 PM CDT Sunday for WIZ040-050.

Blizzard Warning from 7 PM Sunday to 4 PM CDT Monday for WIZ040- 050.