A Winter Storm Warning was in effect for much of Southeast Wisconsin from noon Wednesday until 3 a.m. Thursday.
Snow emergencies were declared across the area, including in the cities of Racine, Kenosha, the Village of Pleasant Prairie, and the city of Franklin.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley declared a snow emergency, however, the Milwaukee Department of Public Works(DPW) said a snow emergency would not be declared Wednesday. According to its website, a determination would be made Thursday after the snow had fallen and citywide impacts could be assessed.
Meanwhile, dozens of schools across Southeast Wisconsin also announced closures ahead of the snowstorm.
RELATED:
-For a full list of school closures, click here.
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Watch: This is how much snow to expect Wednesday in southeast Wisconsin:
LATEST UPDATES:
Thursday, Feb. 13
3:00 a.m. — The Winter Storm Warning has come to an end and people are waking up to several inches of light, easy to shovel snow. Roads will remain slippery to snow covered.
Wednesday, Feb. 12
10:16 p.m. — Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office updated its total of weather-related traffic calls to 87 in a 10:16 p.m. update.
9:00 p.m. — Milwaukee DPW announced a shift change for snow plows around 9 p.m. to relieve the team that started Wednesday morning.
DPW reminds residents to park legally and follow alternate side parking rules and all winter parking regulations to help crews clear the streets efficiently.
8:34 p.m. — Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office updated its total of weather-related traffic calls to 74 as of 7:59 p.m. According to the report, there were six more property damage-only accidents and two more disabled-vehicle spinouts.
7:04 p.m. — The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office reported a total of 66 weather-related traffic calls as of 5:59 p.m., spanning from 8 a.m. Wednesday.
The running call totals include various types of incidents reported:
-There were a total of 30 calls for accidents with property damage only, and 8 calls for accidents involving injuries.
-Additionally, there was 1 call related to debris hazards on the road or highway.
-The category of disabled vehicles accounted for 23 calls.
-There was 1 call for disabled-mechanical service and 3 calls for disabled-vehicle spinouts.
5:12 p.m. — Milwaukee DPW reports they currently have 102 plow drivers on city roads, with an additional 70 garbage trucks who were called in to assist plowing efforts.
The DPW is asking for time and patience from residents, "as snow removal is a process and takes time especially for a long duration and impactful event such as this."
State law calls for drivers to stay at least 200 feet away from plows if encountered on the roads.
5:08 p.m. — The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office has provided some data on the number of weather-related traffic incidents so far today. Since 8 a.m.:
- Accident with property damage only - 24
- Accident with injuries - 7
- Disabled vehicles - 16
4:40 p.m. — The three right lanes of I-41 NB at 7 Mile Rd. in Racine County are currently closed due to a crash.
Cameras from the Wisconsin DOT showed significant backups as traffic was forced to use just one lane.
Keep an eye on local roads during the evening commute on our traffic page.
UPDATE 4:50 p.m. — All lanes are now open.
4:32 p.m. — The Village of Vernon in Waukesha County has declared a snow emergency, effective immediately.
The snow emergency will continue until Thursday evening.
Garbage and recycling collection will not be delayed, the Village said in a news release.
3:49 p.m. — The City of Sheboygan has declared a snow emergency, effective Thursday at 6 a.m.
Here's some information from the city on what that means:
"On February 13, residents must park on the ODD side (south and east) of streets. Residents parked on Snow Emergency Routes are highly encouraged to find alternate parking, as the Snow Emergency begins at 6:00 AM on February 13.
To avoid being ticketed, towed, and plowed in overnight, residents parked on Snow Emergency Routes are strongly encouraged to find alternate parking before 6:00 AM to ensure their vehicle is not blocked by snow accumulation.
Starting at 6:00 AM, parking of vehicles on designated snow emergency routes, boulevards, cul-de-sacs, and dead-end streets is completely prohibited during the period of a snow emergency. Vehicles can ONLY return to these streets after the City of Sheboygan announces the end of snow emergency operations."
12:25 p.m. — All City of Milwaukee Health Department clinics will close early today due to extreme weather conditions.
In a news release, the Health Department said all clinics would be closing at 3 p.m.
Walk-ins and appointment will not be accepted after 2:30 p.m.
Regular clinic hours will resume on Thursday.
12:16 p.m. — The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office is fully shutting down I-41/43 eastbound at 60th St. while they respond to multiple crashes.
One of the crashes involved a victim who had to be extricated from their vehicle, the Sheriff's Office said on X.
TRAFFIC ALERT: a full freeway closure is underway eastbound on I-41/43 @ 60th St, while #MKESheriff tends to multiple vehicle crashes, including one in which a vehicle occupant needs to be extricated.
— Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office (@MilwCoSheriff) February 12, 2025
Updates to come.
11:38 a.m. — All northbound lanes of I-41/94 are closed at WIS 165 in Kenosha County due to a crash.
A view from the traffic camera in that area from the Wisconsin DOT shows nearly whiteout conditions.
Keep an eye on local roads on our traffic page.
10:17 a.m. — Multiple concerts have already been postponed due to Wednesday's weather forecast.
Dancing with the Stars: Live at the Miller High Life Theatre was scheduled for Wednesday but will be postponed. New information about the show will be provided to ticket purchasers when it is available.
Hippo Campus at the Riverside Theater was also rescheduled. The new date is Thursday, February 13.
The Pabst Theater Group cited Milwaukee County declaring a State of Emergency and the Winter Storm Warning for both postponements.
9:55 a.m. — All eastbound lanes of I-94 at WIS 83 in Waukesha County are currently closed due to a crash.
Expect delays and closures throughout the day as road conditions worsen.
Keep an eye on local roads on our traffic page.
UPDATE 10:28 A.M. — This closure has been cleared and I-94 eastbound is back open.
9:27 a.m. — Over 90 million Americans are being warned to prepare for adverse winter weather on Wednesday as several winter storms sweep across the U.S.
There are winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories in place in locations from California to Maine, and many places in between. Also, parts of Northwest Ohio and the mountains of West Virginia are under ice storm warnings.
Watch: Massive winter storms sweep across the U.S.:
A winter storm is expected to drop about 3-6 inches of snow from Kansas into Michigan, impacting areas such as Kansas City, Des Moines, Chicago and Milwaukee. That winter storm is due to an arctic cold front bringing below-average temperatures to the region on Wednesday.
See more winter storm coverage from the Scripps News Group.
Wednesday, Feb. 12
8:18 a.m. — Take a look at when steady snow will arrive in your area this morning, courtesy of Storm Team 4's Tyler Moore.
Milwaukee County and areas straight west will first see snow between 7-9 a.m. — in fact, it's already snowing at TMJ4's studios near Lake Michigan.
Areas to the south should have seen steady snow arrive already, between 6-7 a.m.
If you're in northern Washington County, Fond du Lac, or Sheboygan and you're wondering where the snow is, don't worry — your steady precipitation should start between 9-10 a.m.
Milwaukee County
All non-essential departments will be closed for the safety of County employees and the public, according to a release from the Milwaukee County Executive Press Office.
The following county facilities will be closed Wednesday:
- The Milwaukee County Courthouse
- Vel R. Phillips Youth & Family Justice Center
- Milwaukee County Zoo
- The Marcia P. Coggs Building (with the exception of the Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Teams).
- Unsheltered residents are encouraged to call 2-1-1 to learn more about accessing nearby warming centers, as well as request housing services through a coordinated intake process.
Certain departments and positions defined as “essential” will continue performing duties during the snow emergency, according to the release.
Milwaukee Public Schools to close due to weather
Milwaukee Public Schools, the largest school district in Wisconsin, will be closed Wednesday ahead of the Winter Storm Warning.
- All Milwaukee Public Schools, recreation programs, and extracurricular activities are canceled; however, central services will remain open.
- MPS 12-month employees are required to work, but due to weather conditions, they may work remotely on Wednesday and should check in with their supervisors regarding their work duties.
- Assistant principals, special education supervisors, and deans of students will attend the AP institute virtually, according to the release.
Parking
- Winter parking regulations are in effect. Vehicles which are not parked in compliance with winter parking regulations during the winter season will be cited.
- Check posted signs. Some streets have one-side restricted until March 1st.
- No night parking 2-6AM on through highways until March 1st.
- Residents can sign up for parking notifications at Milwaukee.gov/parking.
Snow operations
- Pre-treatment: Salt trucks will treat residential streets early Wednesday morning in advance of the storm.
- Snow Plowing: Main streets will be plowed first, followed by residential streets. Garbage trucks may assist with residential street plowing starting late Wednesday afternoon and working extended overnight shifts.
- Timeframe: It may take 18-24 hours after snow stops falling to plow all streets.
- Plowing Process: In heavy snow, one pass will be made for immediate access, with further plowing to the curb later.
- Operational Changes: The plowing plan may change based on weather patterns; updates will be provided periodically.
Garbage & Recycling:
- No service: There will be no Garbage or Recycling service on Wednesday and suspension of service is expected Thursday.
- Residents should set out their cart on their scheduled collection day and return to the storage area when collected. Changes and updates will be posted online. To ensure service, clear snow and ice around and on top of your garbage and recycling carts – clearing a path for the cart to be rolled.
- Your normal scheduled collection days can be found at milwaukee.gov/collectionday [city.milwaukee.gov]
Snow Removal Reminder
- Sidewalks must be clear of snow and ice within 24 hours after snowfall stops.
- Residents should not shovel, blow, or plow snow back into the streets.
- Be sure to clear corners and fire hydrants if they are next to your property.
- Sidewalk snow enforcement requests can be made online or by calling 414-286-CITY, however do not make requests until the snow has stopped for 24 hours.
City of Kenosha
The city of Kenosha has declared a snow emergency starting at noon Wednesday, Feb. 12. The emergency is expected to end by 7 a.m. on Friday.
- Parking is prohibited on all streets in the city during the snow emergency.
- Violators are subject to fines, and their vehicles being towed.
- The City allows overnight parking in designatedDowntown and Uptown City parking lots to help ease the burden of finding parking during this time.
Downtown parking lots
Uptown city parking lots:
- Residents are also allowed to park on their front lawns.
- It is illegal to blow, shovel or plow snow into City streets and residents are responsible for clearing their sidewalks.
The City offers updates of current parking restrictions on a 24-hour hotline: 262-653-4074.
City of Racine
The city of Racine has declared a snow emergency from noon Wednesday until noon Thursday.
During this time, the following guidelines have been put in place, according to a release:
- To assist plowing efforts, residents must follow the city’s alternate-side parking ordinance, in effect from Dec. 1 to April 1.
- No parking is permitted on either side of the city's highways, arterial streets, and collector streets per ordinance.
- For all other streets, no parking is allowed on the odd-numbered side from the time of declaration on the odd day until 6 a.m. the following day.
- No parking is allowed on the even-numbered side from the time of declaration on the even day until 6 a.m. the following day.
- Alternate-side parking will be in effect from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., according to city ordinance. Vehicles parked in violation of these restrictions will be ticketed and subject to towing.
Other key advisories:
- Garbage collection may be delayed as DPW crews focus on plowing.
- The Racine Transfer Station will close at 3 p.m. Wednesday, and the Pearl Street Facility will remain closed all day.
- Drivers should reduce speed, increase following distance, and allow extra travel time.
Watch: Racine residents, leaders, and businesses brace for snow emergency
Village of Pleasant Prairie
BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 26: A mother and son walk their dog through a snow-covered park in Zehlendorf district after the season's first snowfall on December 26, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Germany has so far experienced a very mild winter. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
- No parking is allowed on village streets during a snow emergency.
- All snow emergency parking restrictions will be enforced during this time.
- Do not shovel or blow snow into public streets.
- If possible stay off the road.
For more information on the village's snow and ice removal plan, click here.
The City of Franklin
The city of Franklin has declared a snow emergency from 7 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 until 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13.
No street parking is allowed to assist with the Public Works Department with snow removal.
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