Weather Alert in Wisconsin
Winter Storm Warning issued April 2 at 6:59AM CDT until April 2 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
AREAS AFFECTED: Polk; Barron; Rusk; St. Croix; Pierce; Dunn; Pepin
DESCRIPTION: ...MESSY SPRING SYSTEM BRINGS FREEZING RAIN, SLEET, AND SNOW THROUGH THIS MORNING... .Western and central Minnesota will experience mainly slushy wet snow with accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, meanwhile rain is favored in southern and southeastern Minnesota. In between the snow and rain, a messy wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain will result in ice accumulations and slippery travel. There is still a moderate degree of uncertainty regarding ice accumulation amounts, due to temperatures being very close to freezing and a fluctuation of only a degree or two likely having a large impact on final amounts. The greatest impacts from icing and freezing rain will occur over western Wisconsin and east-central Minnesota, with accumulations up to a quarter inch in Minnesota and a few tenths of an inch in Wisconsin. Power outages are possible due to icing of power lines in addition to gusty winds, and slippery to impossible travel will occur where ice accumulates. Slow travel from wet slushy snow is expected in western and central Minnesota. * WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation. Additional snow accumulations up to one inch, sleet accumulations between one tenth and two tenths of an inch, and ice accumulations up to one tenth of an inch. * WHERE...Barron, Polk, Rusk, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, and St. Croix Counties. * WHEN...Until noon CDT today. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause widespread and long-lasting power outages. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions will impact the Thursday morning commute.
INSTRUCTION: If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Call 5 1 1 or visit 511wi.gov for road conditions. Persons should consider delaying all travel. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution. Consider taking a winter storm kit along with you, including such items as tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also take water, a first aid kit, and anything else that would help you survive in case you become stranded.
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Weather Topic: What is Rain?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Rain
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Precipitation in the form of water droplets is called rain.
Rain generally has a tendency to fall with less intensity over a greater period
of time, and when rainfall is more severe it is usually less sustained.
Rain is the most common form of precipitation and happens with greater frequency
depending on the season and regional influences. Cities have been shown to have
an observable effect on rainfall, due to an effect called the urban heat island.
Compared to upwind, monthly rainfall between twenty and forty miles downwind of
cities is 30% greater.
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Weather Topic: What is Sleet?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet
Next Topic: Snow
Sleet is a form of precipitation in which small ice pellets are the primary
components. These ice pellets are smaller and more translucent than hailstones,
and harder than graupel. Sleet is caused by specific atmospheric conditions and
therefore typically doesn't last for extended periods of time.
The condition which leads to sleet formation requires a warmer body of air to be
wedged in between two sub-freezing bodies of air. When snow falls through a warmer
layer of air it melts, and as it falls through the next sub-freezing body of air
it freezes again, forming ice pellets known as sleet. In some cases, water
droplets don't have time to freeze before reaching the surface and the result is
freezing rain.
Next Topic: Snow
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