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RACINE (WITI) -- Several inches of snow falling Saturday night and into Sunday, February 1st had officials in Racine County urging folks to avoid unnecessary travel, and stay safe.
Racine County Executive Peter Hansen issued a statement to FOX6 News encouraging people to stay home and avoid any unnecessary travel. Racine County was one of two counties under a Blizzard Warning in effect through 3:00 a.m. Monday, February 2nd.
That Blizzard Warning is in effect for Racine and Kenosha counties.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Jefferson, Waukesha, Walworth, Milwaukee, Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties. The warning remains in effect for Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties through 3:00 a.m. For other counties, it expires at midnight.
Meanwhile, a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the remainder of the FOX6 viewing area through midnight.
The FOX6 Weather Experts said snow would continue throughout the day on Sunday. Strong winds were expected to cause blowing and drifting snow that would reduce visibility and cause hazardous travel conditions. The snow was expected to taper off Sunday afternoon for inland areas, but lake-effect snow was expected to continue into early Monday for lakeshore counties.
When it's all said and done, we could see three to six inches of snow to the north of Milwaukee, and eight plus inches in Milwaukee and south.
In Racine County, plowing crews were working around the clock to keep roadways open, county officials say.
“If you have to drive, keep a safe distance from snow plows and emergency vehicles. Make sure your headlights are on, and have an emergency travel kit with you. If it is absolutely necessary to travel in these conditions, it is important to be safe,” Racine County Executive Peter Hansen said.
A FOX6 News crew didn't see many people out on the roads in Racine County early Sunday.
Neil Mead was busy clearing storefronts Sunday.
"We're trying, but it keeps coming. We got to keep going at it. A couple people here and there -- getting stuck on the hill, coming up here on Main Street, but that's about it," Mead said.
Mead was busy clearing his third storefront of the day by the time a FOX6 News crew caught up with him. But the snow he was throwing was nothing compared to the wind and ice blowing off the lake.
“We had a pretty good winter so far, but I knew we were gonna get hit sooner or later," Mead said.
The weather wasn't the only thing with a bite Sunday. A FOX6 News crew found another at the Nelson Memorial Dog Park.
“It was night and day. We go to bed last night and we wake up and it’s new winter wonderland," Mike Wirtz said.
Wirtz and his dog were among the few at the park Sunday. Another group using the park to train future military service dogs said the extra space helped.
"Having a lot of space for the dogs, especially when you’re dealing with recall training -- very important, especially if they are in an area they are not used to being," Michael Neal with Paws for Independence said.
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A FOX6 News crew out Sunday afternoon and evening lost count of all the cars spotted spun out or in the ditch.
"It`s our good old Wisconsin weather. You never know what`s going to happen," a Racine County resident said.
Officials in Racine County were discouraging unnecessary travel as visibility was low, and snow was high.
"We didn't think it was going to be this bad. We were on the street and the plows came by and shoveled us back in," Kimberly Harris said.
"It's pretty deep. One of the neighbors here made a path for me. I`m just trying to shovel the tires out," Dariusz Chudzik said.
As the snow continued to fall Sunday, FOX6 News spotted neighbors helping neighbors. This, as folks worked to dig out. Brian Nielsen was one of those people, as some supervisors watched.
"Two lazy kids. That's alright though, I don't mind. The snowblower got through it pretty good," Nielsen said.
Nearly eight inches of snow had fallen in the Racine area by Sunday evening -- and high winds was causing blowing and drifting.
Plows were expected to be out through Monday.
Here are some winter driving tips from the Wisconsin DOT:
If you must use your car during a storm:
Be courteous to those awaiting your arrival:
CLICK HERE for LIVE VIDEO via the Wisconsin DOT -- showing road conditions in southeastern Wisconsin.
CLICK HERE for Snow Plowing Guidelines via the Wisconsin DOT.
Additionally -- we want you to know about a new tool on FOX6Now.com. We now have a map that taps into the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) road temperatures. WisDOT has sensors on bridges throughout southeast Wisconsin — and they’re monitoring those sensors for potential freezing conditions. CLICK HERE to check out our new road temperatures map.
CLICK HERE to monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
Are you and your loved ones having fun in the fresh snow? CLICK HERE to view and submit photos of the snow falling in southeastern Wisconsin at FOX6Now.com.
We invite you to monitor the forecast and radar as the snow continues to push through by CLICKING HERE.