Southern Wisconsin under a winter storm warning; mix of precipitation expected in Milwaukee while areas up north may get 18 inches of snow
The National Weather Service has upgraded the winter storm watch to a winter storm warning starting Wednesday morning, with an ice storm warning also in effect for the same time period for some areas.
The area could see 1 to 3 inches of snow Tuesday and will likely see a few more inches Wednesday morning into Thursday afternoon.
Here’s what you need to know as this weather system approaches.
Tuesday night should bring snow to all of Wisconsin
The first wave of this two-day event arrives Tuesday night and should bring a couple inches of snow to all of Wisconsin.
According to NWS meteorologist Taylor Patterson, light snow is expected to work its way into the southern portion of the state during Tuesday’s overnight hours with Milwaukee expected to see around an inch — although some places in southern Wisconsin could see 1 to 3 inches.
Parts of central Wisconsin are expected to see more snow with some places possibly seeing as much as 4 inches of snow accumulation in this first phase.
Snow and ice expected on Wednesday and Thursday
The NWS issued a winter storm and ice storm warning for the area around 1:53 p.m. on Tuesday. The storm is expected to bring heavy mixed precipitation with snow and sleet accumulations of 2 to 4 inches and ice accumulations of one tenth to a quarter of an inch. Wind gusts could be as high as 40 miles per hour.
The following counties are under the winter storm warning: Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Waukesha and Milwaukee. The warning is currently in effect until noon Thursday.
The following counties are under an ice storm warning: Lafayette, Green, Rock, Walworth, Racine and Kenosha.
Communities closer to Lake Michigan might see more rain instead of snow.
The difference between snow, freezing rain and sleet could come down to one or two degrees and in places like Milwaukee, where Lake Michigan can have a significant effect on the temperature, it can be very difficult to forecast where these temperatures will end up when the system arrives.
Patterson said that lakeshore areas could get mostly rain because of the warmth that the lake contributes. However, places like Waukesha and Walworth counties could see more freezing rain and sleet throughout the day on Wednesday.
The NWS warns that power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice, and that travel could be nearly impossible.
Central and northern Wisconsin from Appleton to Wausau are getting snow. The question is how much
There's some uncertainty over how much snow the Fox Valley might get Wednesday and Thursday, NWS meteorologist Scott Cultice said. However, most of the region has more than an 80% chance of getting at least 8 inches.
Central Wisconsin near Marshfield, Wausau and Rhinelander has an over 80% chance of having to shovel up to a foot of snow Thursday. Further west in Taylor, Clark and Jackson counties, some areas could see over 18 inches of new snowfall.
Mild temperatures expected to persist in Milwaukee through the end of February as we near spring
Patterson also spoke about the mild temperatures that have defined most of February in Milwaukee and said those temperatures are likely to persist for the rest of the month.
“It’s not out of the question that we could see a cold week just because this time of year can be fickle, but we are moving into spring now and so things will naturally continue to warm up,” Patterson said.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Southern Wisconsin under winter storm warning; expect snow and ice
