Most snow ‘in a decade’
A massive winter storm drops double-digit snowfall on southeast Wisconsin.
After an overnight snowstorm dropped more than 10 inches on parts of southeastern Wisconsin, the Milwaukee area has its deepest snow cover in at least a decade.
The National Weather Service showed that Glendale and Racine were reporting 13 inches of snow Sunday morning. Kenosha had 12 inches as of 11:30 a.m. Grafton, Cedarburg, Mequon and Oak Creek had reports of 11 inches.
More than a dozen municipalities in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties were reporting at least 10 inches of snow Sunday morning.
And lake-effect snow added to those totals in some areas.
Meanwhile, Waukesha County had about 7 to 8 inches on the east side, and less, about 3 to 6 inches, on the west side of the county. The highest totals in Waukesha County were in Brookfield, Menomonee Falls and Big Bend with 8 inches of snow.
This snowstorm, plus heavy snow that fell in the area on Tuesday, has left snow depth totals above 15 inches in many areas near the lake.
“That’s more snow than we’ve seen in a decade,” said Chris Stumpf, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan. He said the last time the area had 15-inch snow depth totals was in the 2010-’11 winter season after the Groundhog Day blizzard.
As of noon Sunday, the highest snowfall depth total was 17 inches in Union Grove.
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works announced that a snow emergency would be in effect for street parking on Sunday night and Tuesday night. On Sunday, Jan. 31, cars can park on the odd side of the street. On Tuesday, Feb. 2, cars can park on the even side of the street.
Milwaukee citizens may not park on main roads from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Sunday and Tuesday night, and 2 to 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Full snow emergency parking restrictions will not be in effect Monday because of the consecutive odd days.
Brian DeNeve, marketing and communications officer for the city’s DPW, said they are not legally allowed to switch Monday night parking to even sides. Plus, he said, it is important the DPW has consistent messaging when it comes to snow emergency night parking.
“We already work really hard to get compliance and get people to look at the date on the calendar to know what side they should park on,” DeNeve said.
The DPW will be plowing streets throughout the day on Monday, but DeNeve said having people park on odd sides two nights in a row “wouldn’t be all that fruitful, given the fact it is a snow emergency and it is disruptive.”
He wanted to remind Milwaukeeans that MPS and city lots are available for overnight parking during snow emergencies. MPS lots are available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. City lots have snow emer- gency rules posted at the parking en- trance.