Weather Alert in Wisconsin
Blizzard Warning issued March 14 at 1:08PM CDT until March 16 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
AREAS AFFECTED: Polk; Barron; Rusk; St. Croix; Pierce; Dunn; Pepin; Chippewa; Eau Claire
DESCRIPTION: ...HISTORIC MARCH WINTER STORM ON TRACK TO BRING EXTREME SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND STRONG WINDS... ...A WINTRY MIX OF RAIN, FREEZING RAIN, AND SLEET LATE TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... ...TRAVEL MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY... .A historic March winter storm will move across the Upper Midwest starting this evening and lasting into Sunday night. Heavy snow with a broad area of 12 to 18 inches expected across central Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A narrow swath within the broader area may approach 2 feet in parts of far east central Minnesota and west central Wisconsin. Rates of 2 to 2.5 inches per hour are likely late tonight into Sunday morning. A wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, and sleet is expected to work north into I-90 corridor of southern Minnesota tonight. A half inch of sleet and a tenth of an inch of ice are expected along the I-90 corridor. The wintry mix will turn to all snow Sunday morning. Winds will increase on Sunday. Even though the snow will be tapering off gradually throughout Sunday, northwest winds will increase to 35 to 45 mph. Some gusts of 50 to 55 mph are possible across the Minnesota River Valley. The combination of falling snow, blowing snow, and gusty winds will reduce visibility and create blizzard conditions late tonight through Sunday evening across central and southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Travel is expected to become very difficult or impossible late tonight through Sunday evening. In addition, the amount of water in the snowpack will make it very heavy, leading to the potential for infrastructure damage and a health hazard for those shoveling. * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 12 and 20 inches. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph Sunday afternoon and evening. * WHERE...Barron, Polk, Rusk, Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, and St. Croix Counties. * WHEN...From 1 AM Sunday to 7 AM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact the Monday morning commute. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.
INSTRUCTION: Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. Call 5 1 1 or visit 511wi.gov for road conditions.
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Weather Topic: What is Rain?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Rain
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Precipitation in the form of water droplets is called rain.
Rain generally has a tendency to fall with less intensity over a greater period
of time, and when rainfall is more severe it is usually less sustained.
Rain is the most common form of precipitation and happens with greater frequency
depending on the season and regional influences. Cities have been shown to have
an observable effect on rainfall, due to an effect called the urban heat island.
Compared to upwind, monthly rainfall between twenty and forty miles downwind of
cities is 30% greater.
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Weather Topic: What is Sleet?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet
Next Topic: Snow
Sleet is a form of precipitation in which small ice pellets are the primary
components. These ice pellets are smaller and more translucent than hailstones,
and harder than graupel. Sleet is caused by specific atmospheric conditions and
therefore typically doesn't last for extended periods of time.
The condition which leads to sleet formation requires a warmer body of air to be
wedged in between two sub-freezing bodies of air. When snow falls through a warmer
layer of air it melts, and as it falls through the next sub-freezing body of air
it freezes again, forming ice pellets known as sleet. In some cases, water
droplets don't have time to freeze before reaching the surface and the result is
freezing rain.
Next Topic: Snow
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