Winter storm dumps snow over southern Wisconsin

Madison to plow all residential streets

MILWAUKEE — A winter storm moving across southern Wisconsin has dumped up to a half-foot of snow, making roads slippery.

The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office reported about 30 crashes as of mid-afternoon Thursday.

National Weather Service meteorologist Edward Townsend said 6.8 inches of snow is reported 3 miles southwest of the Kenosha airport. Other snowfall reports include 6 inches in Franksville and 5.5 inches in Racine.

Townsend said Kenosha could see 9 inches of snow by the time the storm moves on early Friday.

The Milwaukee Art Museum closed Thursday in advance of the snow.

The Madison Streets Division said it will plow all of the city’s residential streets Thursday night but does not plan to declare a snow emergency.

The Streets Division has had crews out all day Thursday making sure that salt routes are open, and the city said it will continue to keep 30 crews working on salt routes.

At midnight, the Streets Division said it’s going to bring in additional crews to plow all residential streets.

Streets officials said there is some ponding of water on streets due to blocked inlets. City Engineering has crews out working to open storm sewer inlets.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for east of Dane County until midnight,

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Dane County and areas north and west until midnight.

WISC-TV meteorologist Gary Cannalte said snow will taper to flurries Thursday night with additional accumulations of 1-2 inches Thursday evening, especially east of Madison. Cannalte predicted total accumulations of 2-7 inches, with the heaviest amounts east of Madison.

Area ER doctors were busy on Thursday as pedestrians were faced with icy conditions

Doctors at UW Health treated 20 fall-related injuries by midday. St. Mary’s Hospital’s ER reported 13 fall-related injuries.

Emergency physicians are reminding people in the event of a fall, they should protect their head at all costs.

“If you start having back pain or neck pain after a fall, then you’re at risk of a spinal injury, and in that case you want to call 911 and stay down on the ground where you are,” said Dr. Michael Halberg, an ER physician at St. Mary’s Hospital.

Doctors said fall injury rates are dramatically higher for seniors.