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MILWAUKEE - The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories for parts of southeast Wisconsin.
Some of these warnings and advisories are already in effect as of Sunday morning, and others will go into effect later Sunday evening.
And even before those, southeast Wisconsin could see thunderstorms, some of which may be on the strong to severe side.
Earlier Sunday advisories and warnings
What we know:
A winter weather advisory is in effect for Washington County until 7 p.m. Sunday, and Ozaukee County until 4 p.m. Monday.
A winter storm watch is in effect for Dodge, Fond du Lac, and Sheboygan counties through 4 p.m. Monday.
Due to increased icing potential of sleet and freezing rain, these winter headlines were issued earlier on Sunday due to the potential of a tenth to a quarter inch of ice accretion that could lead to dangerous travel prior to the main system arriving tonight.
If ice begins to stick on elevated surfaces such as trees and power lines, more power outages are favorable in northern counties.
The Storm Prediction Center even has portions along and south of I-94 under a marginal risk for strong to severe storms.
While the risk is low since storms will be elevated, it is possible to have gusty winds and hail within storms as the low-pressure nears the Wisconsin-Illinois border during the afternoon and early evening. Rain could accumulate 0.5" to 1" in places, leading to wet surfaces.
This will be concerning as cold air moves in Sunday night, which could cause a flash freeze, creating more icy roads into Monday morning.
Evening Sunday into Monday advisories and warnings
What we know:
A winter storm warning has been issued for additional counties, such as Jefferson and Rock, starting at 7 p.m. Sunday through 4 p.m. Monday.
A winter weather advisory has been added for Walworth, Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha, Milwaukee counties from 10 p.m. Sunday to 4 p.m. Monday.
Check out the FOX6 Weather Alerts page for the most recent updates.
Areas near the lake in the winter weather advisory area are forecast to get lower snow totals, 2" to 5", with light icing.
Despite the lower snow totals, this will still cause hazardous travel, especially with winds picking up from Sunday night into Monday that can gust from 40 to 50 mph, creating extremely low visibility as snow can blow around.
Areas north and inland in the winter weather warning area are forecast to have higher amounts of snow, 4" to 8", with locally higher amounts possible inland since the low pressure has shifted slightly south.
This also increases the icing potential for northern locations, which can cause dangerous travel in southeast Wisconsin. Winds gusting near 50 mph will cause a concern for tree branches to break and power outages, in addition to near blizzard conditions due to blowing snow.
Areas south of I-94 will have minimal icing but areas north, especially in Dodge, Fond du Lac, and Sheboygan Counties, could have higher icing, leading to more concerning travel and impacts.
There will be a sharp increase in snow totals the further north and inland you go in Wisconsin. If the low pressure continues on a southerly track, it won't be surprising to see some areas near a foot of snow northwest. This is something we will have to watch closely. The further southeast you go, snow totals will be the lowest near 2" to 4" in eastern Racine and Kenosha counties.
While temperatures remain above freezing during the day on Sunday, rain and storms will favor most of southeast Wisconsin. The bad news about this, any areas that are wet won't have much time to be treated prior to precipitation transitioning over into freezing rain and sleet again tonight. This will cause a flash freeze on most surfaces, creating black ice.
Winds strengthen out of the northwest around the back side of the low pressure, bringing in cold air which will change precipitation over to snow from late Sunday night into Monday morning. Unfortunately, heavy snow and strong winds blowing snow on Monday can cause whiteout conditions, which is not good for the morning commute hours. It is advised to stay off of roads if possible until visibility improves tomorrow and crews can get out to clear the roads.
Stay tuned to your FOX6 Weather Experts for additional updates!
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
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What is the FOX Model?
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
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The Source: This story was produced by the FOX6 Weather Experts with information from the Storm Protection Center and the National Weather Service.