First Alert Weather: Rain changing to snow Thursday night, windy

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - For the first time in a long time, North Central Wisconsin will be dealing with some rain into early Thursday evening. However chillier air behind a cold front will lead to a transition to snow as the evening goes along. Windy later Thursday night and on St. Patrick’s Day. Lake effect snow is likely in the far north later Friday and lasting into Saturday morning. Better weather on tap for the second half of the weekend.

The latest storm system to impact the region brought rain to the region Thursday afternoon into the early evening. However, as chilly air starts to move back in from the west, the rain will be changing to snow. First to see the switch will be locations north and west of Wausau by early to mid-evening. As low pressure continues to shift east Thursday night, the changeover to snow will reach Central Wisconsin from late evening to a little after midnight. The snow will taper to snow showers leading up toward daybreak on Friday. Meantime, it will turn windy with northwest winds gusting up to 30 mph overnight into Friday morning. Total snowfall into early Friday of 2-4″ near Highway 8, 1-2″ to the south to around Highway 10, with a coating to less than 1″ to the south. To the north of Highway 8, locally higher amouts up to 5 or 6 inches possible.

Windy on St. Patrick’s Day, as gust up to 35 mph are expected. Snow showers will wind down in the morning across the north, otherwise lots of clouds and chilly. Highs in the mid to upper 20s.

Lake effect snow will kick in across the north Friday night as winds turn back toward the northwest. Several inches of accumulation are expected in the snow belt of Vilas County and other locations in the northern tier of the state. Snow showers will be more likely down toward Highway 8 and even a few flurries as far south as Highway 29 Friday night into Saturday morning. Breezy on Saturday with considerable cloudiness and rather chilly. Highs in the upper 10s to low 20s.

The better half the weekend weather-wise will be Sunday. A fair amount of sunshine with highs rebounding into the mid 30s.

More clouds than sun to start the work week on Monday, and begin spring officially during the late afternoon. Highs in the mid 30s. Clouds will stick around Monday night and into Tuesday with rain/snow showers possible on Tuesday. Highs in the low 40s.

The next weather maker could arrive mid-week. Rain is on tap for Wednesday and into Thursday. More notable will be temperatures rising from the 40s for highs on Wednesday to around 50 in the afternoon next Thursday.

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