Green Bay weather updates: Bulk of snow still to come today as snow forces school closures
GREEN BAY - People woke up to the first round of snow on the ground Tuesday in Green Bay in the first big snowstorm of the season. The snow will continue throughout the day as drivers are cautioned from traveling.
The storm system is coming up from the central Great Plains and will reach the Great Lakes area this week.
The estimated total amount of snow decreased a couple inches from Tuesday's forecast but will still make for a dangerous commute and low visibility. The most accumulations are expected in the eastern Fox Valley and lakeshore areas.
You can check road conditions at www.511wi.gov.
We'll be updating this story with the latest on the winter storm.
Here's how much more snow you can expect, what schools are closed, and if more snow is on the way the rest of the week as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.
How much snow did Green Bay get so far?
The impact of the storm hasn't come through yet. The National Weather Service in Ashwaubenon hasn't gone out to measure official totals of snow on the ground yet, but meteorologist Scott Berschback said areas in Green Bay got about an 1½ to 2 inches as of 9 a.m. today based on a few observations.
How much more snow is coming?
The bulk of the snow will come in the afternoon around 3 to 9 p.m. Including the snowfall from the morning, the Green Bay area is expected to get a total of 4 to 8 inches throughout the day, Berschback said.
Most of the impact of the snow will hit during the evening commute as the winds kick up speed, reaching 35 to 40 mph.
"They'll pick up pretty good after the noon hour," Berschback said.
The strong winds will cause blowing snow and make visibility low and bring heavy wet snow. A winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday for Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Calumet, and Manitowoc counties.
The snow will taper off around midnight.
Green Bay-area school districts cancel classes
Green Bay-area school districts — including Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Howard-Suamico, Green Bay, Notre Dame Academy, Pulaski, West De Pere and Wrightstown — announced classes and after-school activities are canceled Tuesday because of the snow.
What do road conditions look like?
Though the snow was pretty light in the morning, the NWS cautions the heavier snow coming in the afternoon will make traveling dangerous. The snow will be heavy and wet, Berschback said. Gusty winds becoming stronger in the afternoon will cause the snow to make visibility patchy.
"The evening commute is what we've been concerned about," Berschback said.
Current road conditions are updated at www.511wi.gov.
Green Bay Corps Community Center closed
The Salvation Army of Greater Green Bay announced that the Corps Community Center, 626 Union Court, is closed Tuesday because of the storm.
Children's Museum closed
The Children's Museum of Green Bay, 1230 Bay Beach Road, is closed due to the snow and school closings Tuesday.
This story will be updated.
Benita Mathew is a health reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her at bmathew@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay weather updates: Bulk of snowstorm expected after noon today