Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and other lakeshore counties are now under winter storm warning as 5-9 inches of snow are expected tonight and Friday
The National Weather Service overnight upgraded tonight's snow to a winter storm warning with all of the Milwaukee area now expecting 5-9 inches of snow.
Most counties in south-central Wisconsin remain under a winter weather advisory and are expecting slightly less snow.
Many southern counties were initially placed on a winter storm watch, but as the storm continued to develop lakeshore counties were upgraded to a winter storm warning as experts grew more confident that those areas will see 5+ inches of snow.
Here’s what you need to know about how it will play out.
Thursday weather update: Winter weather parked from Montana to Illinois; California could see up to 6 feet of snow: Thursday forecast
Southern counties from La Crosse to Milwaukee are expected to get the most snow
The storm is approaching on a more southern track and will hit southern Wisconsin the hardest.
Forecasters at one point predicted 4 to 6 inches of snow for much of southern Wisconsin, but the latest data now shows that lakeshore counties along with Washington and Waukesha Counties can expect 5 to 9 inches.
Some counties in the southwest and southcentral portion of the state, like La Crosse, Jackson and Grant, were also changed from a watch to a warning as they expect 6 or more inches of snow.
Snow will begin in southcentral and southwest Wisconsin at 2 p.m. Thursday, and in southeast Wisconsin at 6 p.m. Peak snowfall is predicted to be from 6 p.m. Thursday to 3 a.m. Friday.
Snow will start as wet and heavy but as the storm persists it will become lighter and more fluffy. The morning commute on Friday is expected to be heavily affected by the weather.
Taylor Patterson, a meteorologist at the weather service, said that east to northeast winds coming off Lake Michigan have a good chance of enhancing snowfalls during this storm.
“Because of those winds in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Kenosha and Racine counties, there's a potential that they're going to have more snowfall than the people in further inland,” Patterson said.
Patterson added that areas near the lake should see light snowfall and flurries linger on Friday.
The northern part of the state will see smaller snowfall amounts
While the storm looks like it will affect southern Wisconsin the most, it will still be big enough to drop snow on all of the state, but Patterson said that the further north you are the smaller snowfall numbers are expected to be.
Places near Lake Superior, like Ashland County, are expected to get about 2 inches of snow, but as you go south, near Wood, Portage and Jackson counties, accumulation is expected to get as high as 4 to 6 inches.
More:Road salt can have lasting impact on fresh water. Here's how to use less and stay safe.
More:How to keep safe if you have to drive, travel in Wisconsin during a winter storm
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Milwaukee, Waukesha under winter storm warning; 5-9 inches expected
