Wisconsin
Lake-effect snow headed to southeastern Wisconsin, with up to 6 inches possible in Racine and Kenosha
Check out a time lapse of the full snow moon rise over Milwaukee
Check out a time lapse of the full snow moon rising over the Milwaukee skyline.
Lake-effect snow is expected to blanket communities along Lake Michigan Sunday night into Monday morning, with up to four or six inches possible in Racine and Kenosha.
Downtown Milwaukee could get an inch or two of snow because of its proximity to the lake, potentially creating headaches for Monday morning commuters. Snow is expected to begin after 6 p.m. Sunday.
“The accumulations you see, we’re a lot more confident on what’s going to happen on the eastern edge of the counties than on the western edge,” National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Sheppard said.
Counties in northeastern Wisconsin could also get smaller amounts of snow, between a half-inch and two inches. Higher amounts are possible right along the lake.
That broad range accounts for the fact that some areas might not experience the snow band at all, explained Phil Kurimski, meteorologist at the NWS’ Green Bay office.
“Whoever gets in the band will see heavier totals,” he said.
Part of forecasting snowfall is computing a snow-to-liquid ratio, or how much water the snow is equivalent to. Milwaukee typically sees a 14-to-1 ratio, but tomorrow’s snow could be up to 20-to-1, Sheppard said.
“The reason why lake-effect snow tends to produce some of those larger accumulations is it tends to have a higher ratio, meaning that snow is lighter and fluffier and occupies more space,” he said.
Sheppard said it’s important to drive carefully in these conditions, including leaving plenty of space between yourself and the vehicle in front of you.
If your community sees higher than expected accumulations, it could be a good idea to avoid commuting and work remotely if you have that option, he said.
“Once you travel west, out of that lake-effect zone, you find yourself in no trouble at all,” Sheppard said.
Temperatures will remain chilly in Wisconsin this week, around the mid-20s, with gusty winds that could make it feel colder.