According to the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan Weather Forecast Office, a winter storm warning will be in effect for our area from Thursday at 9 a.m. until Saturday at 6 a.m. This will be for a combination of snow, (moderate to heavy at times Thursday), blowing/drifting snow, and plummeting temperatures with bitterly cold wind chills.
While it remains uncertain if we will see new snow Thursday night through Friday, the combination of fresh snow on the ground and very strong wind gusts will create significant travel impacts across southern Wisconsin. Wind gusts between 45 and 55 mph are expected Thursday night through Friday. This will likely result in significant blowing and drifting of snow, and periods of blizzard conditions.
In addition to the snow and wind, very cold temperatures will build into the area Thursday. Wind chills between -25 and -35F are possible between Thursday night and Sunday morning with Wind Chills at their lowest Friday morning. Anyone who becomes stranded while traveling between Thursday night and Saturday night will quickly find themselves in a life threatening situation!
Total snowfall for our area is projected to be between 2-4″. Wind gusts nearly as high as 50 mph are expected around midday on Friday. Wind chills may be as high as -35 degrees F in the early morning hours on Friday, and may continue to be around -20 degrees F through Saturday morning.
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