Another Wintry Mess Possible This Weekend

A powerful storm system brought rain, sleet and snow to the area last evening, overnight and into this morning. It was mainly rain and sleet in La Crosse until a changeover to snow around 3:00 this morning. A couple hours of moderate to heavy snow dropped a quick 2″ of heavy/wet snow in downtown La Crosse… with 4″ to 5″ on surrounding ridge tops.

As expected, the heaviest snow fell in northern and western parts of the viewing area, since the precip was mainly snow last evening and overnight. Reports have been in the 4″ to 10″+ range in these areas.

The powerful storm system responsible for the mess is slowly moving away. As a result, we can expect a much quieter night tonight. Look for a mostly cloudy sky with northwest winds decreasing into the 5-10 mph range. It will be colder with lows in the upper teens to low 20s.

Thanksgiving Thursday will be dry. There could be a period of sunshine early, but clouds will quickly thicken ahead of our next storm system. Expect seasonably chilly highs in the mid 30s and light winds.

Looking Ahead… Another potent storm system will likely impact our area for after-Thanksgiving travelers. It’s a bit early to pinpoint details on this later week storm, but right now it looks like a chance of rain and snow moving in Friday from southwest to northeast. Highs Friday will be in the mid 30s.

There is a chance for accumulating snow for northern parts of the area Friday night into Saturday morning. As a result, a WINTER STORM WATCH has been issued for this time frame for Eau Claire, Chippewa, Dunn and Pepin Counties, where 6+ inches of snow are possible. I can’t rule out a quick one to three inches along the I-90 corridor Friday night.

By Saturday, enough warm air will be pulled into the storm to keep much of our precip in the form of rain or rain/snow mix. Look for highs Saturday in the middle to upper 30s.

This storm looks to be a slow mover, so rain and snow could continue to impact the region right through the weekend.

Colder air wraps in Sunday with highs only in the mid 30s, so snow showers will be likely, but they should be lighter than the precipitation that falls on Friday and Saturday. Expect breezy conditions Saturday and Sunday as well.

Because this storm has the potential to bring slick travel for parts of the area… and it being a huge travel weekend, I am calling Friday, Saturday and Sunday ALERT DAYS. Be sure to monitor later forecasts as any change in the track or strength of this storm could lead to changes in who sees what type of precipitation and how much.

Next Monday through Thursday is looking mainly dry at this point. Look for highs to hold in the lower to middle 30s. Expect partly sunny to mostly cloudy skies through the period.

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