Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Milwaukee are maintaining a consistent forecast of a 5-9″ snowfall in Sheboygan County from an Alberta Clipper-type weather system moving through today into Friday. While much of southeastern Wisconsin can expect 4 or 5 inches to accumulate, Lake Michigan could amp up totals here to as high as 9 inches before snow abates by midday Friday. A Winter Weather Advisory was issued to be in effect from 9 a.m. today until noon tomorrow. To our north, a Winter Storm Warning covers those same hours, with a general 5-8 inch snowfall, potentially reaching between 7 and 10 inches near the Manitowoc, Kewaunee and Door County lakeshores.
NWS Graphic
Snow was affecting areas west of I-39 before sunup Thursday, and was predicted to begin between 8 and 10 a.m. along most of the lakeshore. While rates will be modest – around 1/4-1/2 inch per hour for most of the event – accumulations could be near 3 inches by the evening commute with another 3 inches or so falling overnight. The big question remains how much contribution Lake Michigan moisture will make in the eventual totals. While admitting that nailing that factor down is always challenging, forecasters advise that the heaviest snowfall potential as high as 9 inches will be near the shoreline, while Fond du Lac and Washington County accumulations should remain in the 4-6 inch range..
If there is good news, it’s that neither strong winds nor arctic air are looming, keeping visibility in check and dangerous wind chills out of the picture. Temperatures will be marginally below freezing for much of the event, beginning to decline only after noon on Friday. Lows will eventually wind up near 10 above by Saturday morning. And while milder air threatens some mixed precipitation on Monday, it may be a tall order for Mother Nature to even think of interrupting what appears to be a White Christmas in the making.
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