DARLINGTON — The area saw its first significant snowfall of the season on Friday, Dec. 9. Wet, heavy snow blanketed the region, causing area schools to close and dozens of vehicles sliding off the icy roads.

Temps in the mid-30s brought heavier snow, totaling just over 1-inch, as well as rain. Mixed with the cold ground and nearly six months since the last big winter weather event, slippery conditions transpired.

Among the schools closed across the area were Monroe, New Glarus and Monticello in Green County, plus, Darlington, Black Hawk, Argyle, Pecatonica, Shullsburg, Belmont and Benton in Lafayette County. Cuba City switched to virtual learning for the day.

Extracurricular activities canceled across the area as well, with sports practices and contests also postponed.

The blast of winter weather had local police in Green and Lafayette Counties scrambling to respond to dozens of accidents and slip offs.

The crashes started far earlier to the west in Lafayette County, where there were vehicles in ditches and accidents starting at about 4:11 a.m., when reports said a deputy responded to County F, Fayette Township, for a one-vehicle rollover crash report. 

Lafayette County Deputies also paired with other law enforcement agencies, including the Wisconsin State Patrol to respond to the flurry of accidents including many that were one-vehicle crashes related primarily to the weather. 

In all, there were 13 accidents reported by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office during an 8-hour stretch between 4:11 a.m. and 12:05 p.m.

The following day, with temperatures still in the mid-30s, dense fog blanketed the region, prompting the National Weather Service to issue warnings and advisories throughout the stateline region. Visibility registered at less than a mile for more than 22 straight hours, with drizzle and fog leaving less than 1/4 mile of visibility practically the entire time between 7 a.m. until almost midnight

Upcoming forecasts include an unseasonably warm day today, Dec. 14, with high winds, rain and temperatures in the upper 40s — about 15 degrees above average. Temps return to normal the following day, and by Dec. 21 high temperatures could dip into the teens through Christmas, with the lows in the single digits or lower.

— Gary Mays and Adam Krebs contributed to this report.