By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
'It's terrible out there'
845a.jpg
Times photo: Brenda Steurer Dan Gelbach clears the snow in front of das Baumhaus on the Square early this morning as Monroe received 5 inches of snow overnight, followed by heavy snow today.

Closings & Cancellations

SCHOOLS

• Albany

• Argyle

• Brodhead

• Darlington

• Juda

• Monroe

• Monticello

• New Glarus

• Pecatonica

GOVERNMENT OFFICES

• Monroe City Hall is closing at 11 a.m. today.

BANKS

• Amcore Banks in Monroe and New Glarus, closing at 1 p.m. today

EVENTS

• Today's open house at Sloan Implements in Monroe has been cancelled. It has not yet been rescheduled.

MONROE - There was a little bit of everything overnight and today as another winter storm brought snow, sleet and winds.

Another blast of winter weather hit the area Tuesday and early this morning. About 5 inches of snow fell across the region by 7 a.m. this morning.

More snow is on the way.

The region remains under a winter storm warning until 6 p.m. today.

The National Weather Service (NWS) predicted heavy snow with accumulations of up to 12 inches in the Monroe area. Thundersnow was predicted in the morning, with snowfall picking up to 2 to 3 inches per hour at some points. Wind speeds were expected around 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

Highway crews were out at 4 a.m. today but with the wind it was tough to keep the roads cleared, Green County Highway Commissioner Dallas Cecil said. The blowing snow and poor visibility made it difficult for drivers, he added.

"We're encouraging people not to travel," Cecil said. "It's terrible out there."

Cecil said all roads, both county and state highways, were slippery. He didn't know the conditions of township road but guessed they also were in bad shape.

On wider highways, such as Wisconsin 11 and Wis. 81, drivers faced the problems of poor visibility and blowing snow, Cecil said. On older highways such as Wis. 92 and Wis. 39, drifting created more problems for motorists.

"People who do go out need to drive very carefully," he said.

Lafayette County Highway Commissioner Tom Jean said the wind almost made efforts to keep the road cleared fruitless.

"The wind is blowing the snow back on them as fast as we plow them," Jean said.

But his crews will continue to be out all day, he added.

"That's what we're here for," he said.

The Green County Sheriff's Department reported about a dozen vehicles were in ditches across the county because of slippery road conditions. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Department also had about a dozen vehicles in ditches, according to Lafayette County Chief Deputy John Reichling.

While motorists may have trouble with the snow, local school children got to enjoy another snow day. All area schools were canceled today due to the weather.

Across Wisconsin, snow started falling Tuesday afternoon in southwestern Wisconsin, and was expected to total more than a foot and a half in some southern parts of the state before ending this afternoon.

"It's a major storm, no matter how you look at it," said National Weather Service meteorologist Rusty Kapela of the agency's Sullivan office. He said a foot to a foot and a half was expected southeast of a line from Dubuque, Iowa, to the Wisconsin communities of Evansville, Jefferson, West Bend and Sheboygan.

Up to 18 inches is possible near and along Interstate 43 from Rock County to Milwaukee, with 20 inches possible in some areas, he said.

Amounts will taper off to 10 inches in the Madison area, and 6 inches at Wisconsin Dells, Kapela said.

The bulk of the snow was forecast Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, with it gradually decreasing from west to east Wednesday afternoon.

The snow was expected to be accompanied by strong gusty winds out of the northeast, increasing to 20 to 30 mph overnight into Wednesday morning. This was expected to generate blowing and drifting snow, especially in open areas, Kapela said.

Visibility would probably drop to below one-quarter mile at times during the height of the storm, and roads in an east-west direction will experience considerable drifting, the meteorologist said.

Several inches of snow fell in central and northern Wisconsin Monday and caused some high school basketball and hockey games to be canceled along with other events. A gymnastics meet at Mosinee was among the sports events called off because of the weather.

The snow triggered a rash of traffic accidents in some areas.

Anne Kok, 60, a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay professor from the town of Nasewaupee, was killed Monday afternoon and four others were injured when a semi-truck, two cars and a pickup collided on Wisconsin 57 in the town of Union, the Door County Sheriff's Department said.

While the north had snow Monday, southeastern Wisconsin had to deal with rain and freezing drizzle that gave sidewalks and streets a mix of slushy water and ice. The weather service said one-quarter to one-half inch of rain were recorded in many locations across the southern half of the state.