More snow coming Wednesday, but less than originally expected
The second snow "event" of December in Madison could be a repeat of the first one, which fell short of early estimates and only produced less than two inches of snow.
The first estimates of 3-7 inches of snow on Wednesday from the National Weather Service have now been scaled back.
Weather Central meteorologist Brian Olson said the Madison area could get 1-2 inches of snow on Wednesday, while the National Weather Service downgraded its forecast to 3-5 inches.
"The snow should start in the early morning hours on Wednesday, but the temperatures will be at or above freezing during the day on Wednesday, so the roads should stay wet with little buildup," Olson said.
Madison escaped the brunt of the first major snowstorm of the season to hit Wisconsin from Sunday into Monday, but area roads were still slippery during the morning hours thanks to strong north winds blowing snow across east-west highways.
As of 10 a.m., some stretches of interstate highway still had slippery stretches, and some state and U.S. highways were snow-covered and slippery, mainly in northeast Wisconsin and the Fox River Valley, but no highways were deemed ice-covered and hazardous by mid-morning.
A full contingent of plows, salters and sanders was out in Dane County early Monday morning, and city crews salted main arterials and bus routes.
Madison streets superintendent Al Schumacher said many residential streets weren't plowed or salted, but sand was put down on curves and hills.
No snow emergency was called in Madison.
"We dodged a bullet with this one," Schumacher said.
A year ago to the day, 6.5 inches of freezing rain and heavy snow covered the area, setting the stage for the record 101.4 inches of snow during the winter of 2007-08.
The first storm of the winter of 2008-09 dropped up to 10 inches of snow in southern Sheboygan County, while eight inches fell in West Bend in Washington County, 6.3 inches in Waukesha, 5 inches in Janesville and 2.2 inches in Milwaukee.
No major incidents were reported by the State Patrol overnight.
Fifteen school districts were affected by the snow, with the Palmyra-Eagle school district closed Monday and Black Hawk, Dodgeland, Iowa-Grant, Lodi, Waupun, Lakeside Lutheran, Cambria-Friesland, Clinton, Hustisford, Johnson Creek, Markesan, Pecatonica, Randolph Christian and Randolph schools opening two hours late.
Only 1.7 inches of snow were recorded at the Dane County Regional Airport Sunday through mid-morning Monday.
"Much of Rock, Dodge, Walworth and Jefferson counties got 4-6 inches while eastern Jefferson County got 6-8 inches," Olson said.
The weeklong forecast calls for morning sun and then increasing clouds with a high of 33 on Tuesday, snow and a high of 33 on Wednesday, mostly cloudy and cold with a high of 21 on Thursday, mostly sunny with a high of 27 Friday, mostly cloudy with a high of 30 on Saturday, and cloudy with light snow developing and a high of 29 on Sunday.
Air travel was hampered on Sunday mainly in the eastern half of the United States, with about 50 flights at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago being canceled.
Bill Novak/The Capital Times
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The first big snowstorm of the season has made area roads a bit slippery.
