Milwaukee snowstorm could drop 5 inches on Brewers' home opener, Tuesday's spring election
Milwaukee is likely to see wet, heavy snow early this week, but the movement of the weather system will determine how much. That could mean a messy election day and tailgating for the Milwaukee Brewers' home opener, both of which are Tuesday.
A low-pressure system that developed in the central Great Plains earlier Monday is moving south of Lake Michigan. With it, cold air is coming and so is the potential for an early April snowfall along the shoreline, from Door County to southern Wisconsin on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
As of late Monday afternoon, the worst of the storm looks like it will hit northeastern Wisconsin. A winter storm watch was issued for all of northeastern Wisconsin including Green Bay, Appleton, Door County and Manitowoc. The watch said 6-12 inches of wet, heavy snow is possible in that area with winds of up to 50 mph.
The latest forecast from the local National Weather Service calls for the potential of up to four or five inches of snow, said Sarah Marquardt, a meteorologist at the local NWS. Those totals will be lower if more rain mixes in with the snow.
The track of the storm and the day's temperatures will determine whether that precipitation is primarily snow, a mix or rain. As of noon Monday, the storm was tracking over northern Illinois and the southern part of Lake Michigan. Marquardt said that if the storm stays closer to that southern track, it would be colder and likely be a more dominant snow mix. If the storm moves further north, it would be warmer and bring more rain than snow.
What snow does drop is expected to be wet and heavy, she said.
Accumulations will likely be minimal on roadways beyond slush, as the forecasted temperatures suggest it would melt quickly.
"It's really going to be a matter of the temperature, we’re going to be right around that freezing mark, or above it ... That’s kind of the main factor in how much rain versus snow," Marquardt said. "The majority of the snowfall will be Tuesday day and night,"
The storm is forecasted to shift from Monday's rains into snow overnight and continue mainly through Tuesday. It will linger into early Wednesday morning, she said.
The snow may persist through Wednesday in lighter totals throughout the day in Milwaukee, as the system moves on toward New England, said Taylor Patterson, a meteorologist at the local NWS, Monday morning.
“We’re dealing with an (early) April system. This will be a wet, slushy snowfall,” she said.
Both Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be windy as well, with north winds around 30 to 35 mph Tuesday and reaching 40 mph on Wednesday. Marquardt said drivers should be cautious with the pairing of wet, slushy snow and wind gusts.
After Wednesday, a high-pressure system will bring drier weather and warmer temperatures. In Milwaukee, the NWS is forecasting highs in the mid-40s through Saturday and low 50s by Sunday.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee weather forecast: Snow storm predicted for Tuesday
