The National Weather service describes the weekend January-like weather condition as “brutal.”
“The storm that will track through Wisconsin is going to be a mixed bag of mess.” Tod Pritchard, with Wisconsin Emergency Management, says that means freezing rain, snow, and bitterly cold temperatures.
Forecasters say Thursday’s snowfall pales by comparison to what’s coming. “We’re really urging people, especially on Saturday, to stay off the road. Our second piece of advice: stay inside, because with that brutal cold coming in on Sunday it could be very dangerous conditions for people to be outside.”
Pritchard says wind chills could potentially go down to 30 degrees below zero. If you must hit the roads, Pritchard suggests checking the local forecast, as this will be a quickly-changing weather situation starting with the very early hours of Saturday morning, continuing through the day, and into the night. “With so many, just a real major combination of different things. Freezing rain turning over to ice turning over to snow here in the southern part of the state could be very tricky.”
Pritchard says the snowfall is expected to be very heavy all day, with potentially up to 12 inches in some parts of the state. He suggests travelers call 511 or visit 511WI.gov for the latest travel conditions. Keep an eye on neighbors, the elderly, and your pets. Pritchard suggests everyone have an emergency kit in their house and their vehicle.