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Halloween snow; winter weather advisory for lakeshore counties

By , , and FOX6 News Digital Team
Updated  October 31, 2023 1:50pm CDT
Weather
FOX6 News Milwaukee

Halloween snow impacts roads, traffic

Road temperatures will play a crucial role in if any will stick to the pavement. If snow comes down at a heavier rate and/or we have roads that are cold enough, snow could stick to them.

MILWAUKEE - A winter weather advisory is in effect for parts of southeast Wisconsin Tuesday afternoon and evening. Snow or mix could be heavy at times and cause some headaches during the evening commute. 

The advisory covers Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties until 6 p.m. and Milwaukee Racine and Kenosha counties until 8 p.m. Scattered snow showers will continue at times through Halloween afternoon, with some peeks of sun in between. Snow showers may still reduce visibility at times and drop minor accumulation. 

Road temperatures will play a crucial role in if any will stick to the pavement. If snow comes down at a heavier rate and/or we have roads that are cold enough, snow could stick to them, but it will be limited mainly to grassy and elevated surfaces during this event.

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The Milwaukee Department of Public Works was busy throughout Tuesday – salting and brining roads and bridges in an effort to keep them snow-free and dry. A DPW spokesperson said roughly 100 salt trucks were deployed. Officials also asked travelers to take precautions when snow is flying. 

"Sometimes people want to travel at the same of speed as it was July, and obviously when you have snow or either wintry conditions you have to slow your pace down and have a drive and safe and passable situation for everyone involved," said Jeff Smith, the city's sanitation manager.

Steps to 'winterize' your vehicle

Before winter hits, auto experts encourage everyone to "winterize" their vehicle. That can include checking tire pressure, changing oil and more depending on the needs of the specific vehicle.

Power outages

According to the We Energies outage map, more than 4,500 lost power Tuesday – including customers in Milwaukee, Greenfield and Muskego. 

Anyone experiencing a power outage is encouraged to call We Energies at 800-662-4797; never assume We Energies knows about an outage. As always, stay away from downed power lined and do not touch anything. 

Halloween plans?

It isn't just the snow that will impact trick-or-treat hours, but strong northwesterly winds will make it feel like the 20s! Kids will really need to bundle up over their costumes to stay safe while heading out. 

Climatological data shows that we have had 11 Halloweens with snow present since 1893. The snowiest winter wasn't that long ago, back in 2019 when Milwaukee accumulated 5.4". 

We typically experience low snowfall accumulation amounts during the beginning of November and our first 1" of snow in early December. However, we have had snowfall accumulation as early as the end of September into mid-October before.

Compared to normal, Halloween this year is forecasted to be 15F colder than average.

FOX6 Weather Extras

Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:

FOX6 Storm Center app

FOX6 News app

FOX Weather app

MAPS AND RADAR

We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.

SCHOOL AND BUSINESS CLOSINGS

When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.

FOX6 WEATHER IN SOCIAL MEDIA