Rain to become snow as wind gusts of 45 to 50 mph blow in Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon

Yahoo

05-03-2025

Rain will transition to snow from northwest to southeast across Wisconsin on Wednesday, as high northwest winds blow throughout the state.
Wind Advisories have been issued in the majority of counties. In Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha and surrounding counties, a Wind Advisory is in effect from 2 p.m. on Wednesday until midnight. Wind gusts between 45 and 50 mph are in the forecast.
Light-to-moderate showers will continue throughout the morning in Milwaukee, said Milwaukee-Sullivan National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Sheppard. The winds will bring in cold air, switching the rain into wet snow around 3 or 4 p.m.
In the Milwaukee area, snow accumulations of zero to less than an inch are expected, Sheppard said. A "dusting" of a few tenths of an inch to 1 inch is in the forecast for the Madison area, and 2 to 4 inches is likely near Wisconsin Dells. Far greater snow totals, and potentially blizzard conditions, are possible in the northern and central regions of the state.
"The winds on their own are not particularly impactful, but we would not be surprised to see a few power outages," Sheppard said. "It is also worth noting that, for high-profile vehicles driving in the wind, we encourage extra caution. Really tall vehicles, such as a truck, have a lot more surface area over which to experience that wind."
Additionally, in areas north and west of Madison, the combination of the winds and 2 or more inches of snow could lead to dangerous travel conditions and reduced visibilities, Sheppard continued.
Across central and northern Wisconsin, 4 to 10 inches of snow is in the forecast. Some areas near Minnesota could see between 5 and 10 inches, Sheppard said. In the Eau Claire area, 2 to 5 inches is expected, and, around Green Bay, communities could see between 4 and 8 inches of snow, he continued.
Winter Weather Warnings are in effect through about 6 p.m. in the La Crosse, Stevens Point, Antigo and Iron Mountain areas, as well as all Wisconsin counties further north and west of this line.
Winter Weather Advisories are in effect through the evening across central and northeastern Wisconsin, including in the Door County, Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Marinette, Portage and Richland Center areas.
In areas under warnings or advisories, gusty winds could combine with powdery snow to create "blowing snow" or blizzard conditions, Sheppard said. Blizzard Warnings are in effect Wednesday in some eastern Minnesota counties, and Sheppard said warnings could be issued in some portions of Wisconsin.
"Blizzard Warnings mean that, in addition to the snow falling and accumulating at a rate that would be hazardous, the wind can blow the snow and reduce visibility significantly," he explained.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Snow, wind gusts up to 50 mph are in Milwaukee's Wednesday forecast