Unfortunately, not an April Fool’s Joke, a winter storm could create some hazardous travel conditions Thursday morning.
A wintry mix with significant ice and sleet accumulations is expected starting late Wednesday night through Thursday evening.
A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for much of northern Wisconsin and the U.P. including Gogebic, Vilas, Price, Oneida, and Forest Counties
Lincoln and Langlade Counties are included in an Ice Storm Warning where up to half an inch of ice accumulation is possible.
Gus Kaiser is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Green Bay.
“There's a lot of uncertainty with exactly how the icing is going to affect the roads,” said Kaiser during a weather briefing Wednesday afternoon. “Especially as we get into April, it doesn't take a whole lot of sun, once it comes out tomorrow (Thursday) morning, to start melting stuff, so there's just some uncertainty there with what the impacts will be like on the roads.”
You can check road conditions at 511 Wisconsin.
School Closures
The following districts have announced closures for Thursday, April 2 because of the weather:
School District of Rhinelander
Three Lakes School District
The Phelps School and Day Care
Looking back
A year ago, just about to the day, the Northwoods was hit by an ice storm that took out power to thousands for days. That storm was among the largest restoration efforts in Wisconsin Public Service history.
Kaiser says while there could be some of the same impacts, like power outages and downed trees, this storm is much shorter in its duration.
“I remember that being about an 18-to-24-hour period of lighter freezing rain, but it was a little colder, and it stayed colder afterwards, so the impacts lingered longer,” said Kaiser. “This one should be about 12-hour period of freezing precept for most areas Thursday morning, but it should warm up Thursday afternoon, especially across the areas that are going to see the highest icing in central Wisconsin.”
There is a slight chance for some thunderstorms Thursday evening, though the greater risk for any severe weather is to our south.
