The Appleton area could get a foot or more of snow as northeast Wisconsin will be under a blizzard warning from 4 p.m. Sunday, March 15 until 4 p.m. Monday, March 16.
There’s also a winter storm warning from 10 p.m. Saturday, March 14 until 4 p.m. Sunday, March 15.
The latest forecast from the National Weather Service in Green Bay projects an 87% chance of at least a foot of snow in Appleton, with strong winds.
The NWS projects that snow will start before 4 a.m. Sunday, at times mixed with sleet. The morning and afternoon will bring snow, rain and freezing rain, turning to snow and sleet in the late afternoon into the early evening.
It’ll be all snow after 9 p.m., heavy at times with widespread blowing snow, winds around 26 mph and gusts up to 55 mph. Five to 9 inches of snow and sleet are projected for Sunday night.
Snow will continue into Monday until about 1 p.m., along with winds around 25 mph and gusts up to 48 mph.
Temperatures are expected to range from 28 to 34 degrees Sunday. It’ll be colder Monday, with temperatures in the upper teens and lower 20s, with a low of 14 at 9 p.m.
The forecast has prompted a number of closures and states of emergency by area municipalities. You can find those here.
What makes a snowstorm a blizzard?
According to the NWS, a blizzard lasts for at least three hours and visibility has to fall to just about a quarter-mile or less. Wind gusts have to be over 35 mph.
What other impacts are there?
With heavy, wet snow, possible icing and high winds, there is always the possibility of falling tree branches causing power outages. Here’s the We Energies outage map.
“Travel could be very difficult to impossible with potential for whiteout conditions,” the NWS said.
Appleton weather radar
Pete Frank of the Green Bay Press-Gazette contributed to this report
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton-area weather forecast calls for blizzard, foot of snow
Reporting by Larry Gallup, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
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