Photos: Remembering Madison's Groundhog Day blizzard of 2011
The Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011 clobbered southern Wisconsin from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 of that year, officially delivering 18.7 inches of snow to Madison. At the time, it tied for the second most snow in a 72-hour period in Madison history. Here's a look back at scenes from that storm.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
The dome of the Capitol in Madison is visible at the bottom of the frame of this photo on Monday, January 31, 2011 as a winter storm begins to move in, top, obscuring the view of the city beyond and Lake Monona. At left is East Washington Avenue and at right is John Nolen Drive. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal (Published on 2/1/11) A winter storm begins to move in Monday, obscuring the view from the State Capitol dome of the city beyond and Lake Monona. At left is East Washington Avenue and at right is Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
People hunker down in sthe storm along Frances Street on Tuesday night, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
The Capitol is shrouded in snow on Tuesday night, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A car is lodged in the median along North Shore Drive in Madison, Wis. on Tuesday, February 2, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A car parked on a Madison, Wis. street is barely visible beneath a pile of snow on Wednesday, February 2, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal (PublIshed on 02/03/2011) A car parked on a Madison street is barely visible beneath a pile of snow Wednesday.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
The dome of Wisconsin's state capitol building in Madison, Wis., was illuminated green and gold Monday evening, Jan. 31, 2011, in celebration of the Green Bay Packers playing in Super Bowl XLV next Sunday, Feb. 6 in Arlington, Texas. M.P. King-State Journal (Published on 2/1/11) Workers including Carolyn Trumpy, below, light the Capitol dome to glow green and gold in honor of the Green Bay Packers' trip to the Super Bowl.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
East Washington Avenue is void of cars on Tuesday morning, February 2, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Fans hunker down in the wind as they arrive at the Kohl Center for the Wisconsin Purdue game on Tuesday, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Highway C near Sun Prairie is barely a path in the drifting snow on Tuesday, February 2, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
People cross Johnson Street on Tuesday night, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
The scene along Johnson Street on Tuesday night, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
The courtyard of a restaurant on Frances Street in Madison, Wis. on Tuesday night, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive on the south side of Madison as three West High School students use their snow day to shovel out nine residences. From left, Max Heidt, 17, and brothers Kai, 15, and Blaise Westring, 17, will earn their pay moving the heavy snow in the aftermath of the blizzard, on Wednesday, February 2, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal (PublIshed on 02/03/2011) The entrepreneurial spirit is alive on the South Side as three Madison West High School students use their snow day to shovel out residents. From left, Max Heidt, 17, and brothers Kai, 15, and Blaise Westring, 17, earn their pay Wednesday moving the snow.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Sarah Obellianne, a UW Madison exchange student from France, skis past wind-whipped patterns in a field at Olin-Turville Park as Madison-area residents make the most of a deep, fresh snowfall while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities Wednesday, February 2, 2011. John Hart - State Journal.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Kevin Breyne-Grace, 10, helps clear snow from a neighbor's driveway in the 400 block of North Baldwin Street in Madison, Wis., Monday afternoon, Jan. 31, 2011. M.P. King-State Journal (Published on 2/1/11) Kevin Breyne-Grace, 10, helps clear snow Monday from a neighbor's driveway on Madison's Near East Side.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Lisa Kisling of Madison takes advantage of fresh snowfall to do some cross-country skiing in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011. M.P. King-State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Snow-covered, overhanging tree branches create a wintry scene on Arboretum Drive in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011. M.P. King-State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A pedestrian walks west on University Avenue past the Best Western InnTowner hotel in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011. M.P. King-State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Friends Kevin Breyne-Grace, 10, left, and Lou Squitieri, 10, center, watch friend Robert Saltzman, 11, sled down a luge-like track constructed over the past week in a backyard in the 400 block of North Baldwin Street in Madison, Wis., Monday afternoon, Jan. 31, 2011. M.P. King-State Journal (Published on 2/1/11) Friends Kevin Breyne-Grace, 10, and Lou Squitieri, 10, center, watch Robert Saltzman, 11, sled down a track built over the past week in a backyard in the 400 block of North Baldwin Street.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
LOCATION FOR WEB MAP: 6500 BLOCK OF WOODGATE RD ACROSS FROM ELM LAWN ELEMENTARY) Ross McVey runs his snow thrower to clear his driveway on Woodgate Road in Middleton, Wis., Monday afternoon, Jan. 31, 2011. M.P. King-State Journal (Published on 02/02/2011) Ross McVey uses a snowblower to clear his driveway on Woodgate Road in Middleton on Monday afternoon. (PublIshed on 02/03/2011)
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Patrick Carroll, a Madison native on winter break from Arizona State University, takes a breather during a football game among high school friends at Vilas Park as Madison-area residents make the most of a deep, fresh snowfall while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities Wednesday, February 2, 2011. John Hart - State Journal. (PublIshed on 02/03/2011) Patrick Carroll, a Madison native on winter break from Arizona State University, takes a breather during a football game with high school friends Wednesday at Vilas Park. Madison-area residents made the most of the fresh snowfall by enjoying a variety of outdoor activities.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A snow fight ensues between University of Wisconsin-Madison students gathered on Bascom Hill on the Madison, Wis., campus Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 2, 2011. Classes were cancelled after close to a foot of snow blanketed much of southern Wisconsin. M.P. King-State Journal (Published on 02/03/2011) The snow was flying Wednesday on Bascom Hill, as UW-Madison students celebrated a rare snow day.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Faced with fluffy snow that wouldn't pack well into snowballs, a partaker in the snow fight on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus improvises by using a lunch tray to throw snow Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 2, 2011. Classes were cancelled after close to a foot of snow blanketed much of southern Wisconsin. M.P. King-State Journal (Published on 02/03/2011)Faced with powdery, hard-to-pack snow, students improvised by using cafeteria trays to throw snow.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A snow fight ensues between University of Wisconsin-Madison students gathered on Bascom Hill on the Madison, Wis., campus Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 2, 2011. Classes were cancelled after close to a foot of snow blanketed much of southern Wisconsin. M.P. King-State Journal (Published on 02/03/2011) About 1,000 UW-Madison students gathered Wednesday on Bascom Hill for the snowball fight.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Traffic on the beltline highway around Madison, Wisconsin moves at a crawl as drivers navigate accumulating snows and high winds Tuesday, February 1, 2011. John Hart - State Journal. (Published on 02/02/2011) Traffic on the Beltline in Madison moves at a crawl as drivers navigate accumulating snow and high winds during the Tuesday evening commute.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Rhys Paulson, freshman at University of Wisconsin-Madison, recoils after being pelted with snow multiple times during a snow fight among students gathered on Bascom Hill on the Madison, Wis., campus Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 2, 2011. Classes were cancelled after close to a foot of snow blanketed much of southern Wisconsin. M.P. King-State Journal (Published on 02/03/2011) Rhys Paulson, a freshman at UW-Madison, recoils after being pelted with snow during the massive snowball fight Wednesday on Bascom Hill.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A sidewalk on Mills Street in Madison, Wis. on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 is drifted shut from the blizzard overnight. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal (Published on 02/03/2011)A sidewalk on Mills Street in Madison iscovered in drifts from the snowstorm overnight.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A firetruck comes down an empty State Street in Madison, Wis. on Tuesday night, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Brian Burkel, 32, a post-doctoral researcher at UW-Madison, digs out his car which was plowed in along West Washington Avenue Wednesday, February 2, 2011. Madison area residents are contending with the effects of an overnight storm that produced blizzard-like conditions throughout south-central Wisconsin. John Hart - State Journal.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Bill Gingher clears snow from his Lynnhaven Road property Wednesday, February 1, 2011 as Madison area residents contend with the effects of an overnight storm that produced blizzard-like conditions throughout south-central Wisconsin. John Hart - State Journal.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Jesse Minor, 20, attempts to free his car which became stuck in the snow off West Washington Avenue as Madison area residents contend with the effects of an overnight storm that produced blizzard-like conditions throughout south-central Wisconsin. John Hart - State Journal. (PublIshed on 02/03/2011) Jesse Minor, 20, above, attempts to free his Honda Civic on Wednesday after he got it stuck trying to get out of his apartment complex along West Washington Avenue. It was difficult - he didn't have a shovel.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
UW Madison student Stephanie Thiede spends part of her day off from classes digging out her car which was plowed under on Dayton Street in Madison, Wisconsin Wednesday, February 2, 2011. Madison area residents are contending with the effects of an overnight storm that produced blizzard-like conditions throughout south-central Wisconsin. John Hart - State Journal.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Several bicycles are snowed-under as Rick Wilson clears the overnight accumulation from a Dayton Street property in Madison, Wisconsin Wednesday, February 2, 2011. Madison area residents contend with the effects of an overnight storm that produced blizzard-like conditions thtoughout south-central Wisconsin. John Hart - State Journal. (Published on 02/03/2011) Rick Wilson clears the overnight accumulation near several buried bicycles at a Dayton Street property in Madison.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
People cross Frances Street at Johnson Street in Madison, Wis. on Tuesday night, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
UW sophomore Mike Anderson heads home along Dayton Street in Madison, Wis. on Tuesday, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Xiaozheng Han takes cover from steady wintry winds behind the snow-covered glass of a bus shelter on East Main Street in Madison, Wisconsin Tuesday, February 1, 2011. John Hart - State Journal. (Published on 02/02/2011) Xiaozheng Han takes cover from steady winds Tuesday behind the snow-covered glass of a bus shelter on East Main Street in Madison.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Canoes and kayaks in storage frame Chris Collins as he explores Brittingham Beach in Madison, Wisconsin Tuesday, February 1, 2011. John Hart - State Journal.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Kristanne Stone and her daughter, Cypress, are well-bundled for the wintry conditions while taking a walk with their dogs, Max and Cloe, along West Sherman Street in Madison, Wisconsin Tuesday, February 1, 2011. John Hart - State Journal.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Megan Christensen and Erin Crooks clear an overnight accumulation of snow from their South Brittingham property in Madison, Wisconsin Tuesday, February 1, 2011. John Hart - State Journal. (Published on 02/02/2011) Megan Christensen and Erin Crooks clear an overnight accumulation of snow Tuesday from their South Brittingham Place property in Madison. About 4 inches fell on the Madison area in the first round of snow.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
Kiteboarders make the most of windy wintry conditions while making their way across Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin Tuesday, February 1, 2011. John Hart - State Journal.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A group of people waits to cross Johnson Street near the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. on Tuesday, February 1, 2011. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal (Published on 02/02/2011) A group waits to cross West Johnson Street near the Kohl Center in Madison in wind-driven snow Tuesday.
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A wintry scene emerges on the grounds of the Capitol in Madison, Wis. on Monday, January 31, 2011 as a winter storm moves into the area. Craig Schreiner -- State Journal
Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
A pedestrian braving blustery winter weather is shrouded in snow while making his way near John Nolen Drive in Madison, Wisconsin Tuesday, February 1, 2011. John Hart - State Journal.
State Journal front page Feb. 2, 2011
State Journal coverage Feb. 2, 2011
State Journal front page Feb. 3, 2011
State Journal coverage Feb. 3, 2011
State Journal coverage Feb. 3, 2011
It’s been cold in southern Wisconsin this week. There were heavy flurries riding the strong winds in many places.