National Weather Service: Snow Expected For Holiday Weekend

Mild temperatures, snow and freezing rain are in the forecast for the holiday weekend in Wisconsin.

Snow is expected to hit the entire state Friday, with light snow in the morning moving into western Wisconsin and then light snow Friday afternoon and evening for most of Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan.

“It looks like it’s going to be a wide spread 2 to 3 inches of snow, maybe lowest amounts in far northwest Wisconsin and near the Lake Michigan shoreline,” Marcia Cronce, NWS meteorologist, said. “Then there’s a potential for a swath of heavier snow somewhere between 3to 6 inches between La Crosse, Madison, Wausau and Green Bay.”

Temperatures are expected to be below freezing Saturday night, allowing for a chance of freezing rain and drizzle Christmas morning in southern Wisconsin. This could cause roads to be icy in the region.

“If you’re traveling a long distance, pay very close attention to the weather forecast for all those areas you’re going to be traveling through,” Cronce said.

The precipitation should change to all rain from southern to northern Wisconsin by midday Christmas on Sunday as warmer weather comes in. The rain is expected to taper off Monday morning.

Temperatures are expected to be higher than usual Friday and Saturday, with highs ranging from 30 to 35 degrees. The lowest temperatures are expected to be in central Wisconsin while the highest temperatures are expected to be in the lakeshore areas.

On Christmas, southern Wisconsin could see temperatures in the upper 30s to lower 40s.

The U.S. Coast Guard is urging people to use extreme caution on the water and melting ice, according to The Associated Press.

Ice near the shore of a frozen lake may be unsafe and weaker because of shifting, expansion and sunlight reflecting off the bottom. A majority of Coast Guard units around Lake Michigan have winterized their rescue boats. That means the Coast Guard has a reduced ability to respond to anyone in distress on the water, AP reported.