Winter Storm Warning Issued for Polk, Barron, and Rusk Counties; Up to 20 Inches of Snow Expected
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A major winter storm is forecast to bring 13 to 20 inches of heavy snow and 40 mph wind gusts to parts of western Wisconsin, making travel potentially impossible through Monday morning.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Winter Storm Warning
- Affected area
- Western Wisconsin
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Twin Cities
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Western Wisconsin.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen has issued a Winter Storm Warning for portions of western Wisconsin. The alert is in response to a powerful winter storm on track to bring extreme snow accumulations and strong winds to the region.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically covers the following counties in Wisconsin:
- Polk
- Barron
- Rusk
Expected Conditions
Residents should prepare for hazardous winter weather, including:
- Snow Accumulations: Total snow totals between 13 and 20 inches are expected.
- Wind: Northwest winds will increase, with gusts reaching as high as 40 mph.
- Visibility: Widespread blowing snow is expected to significantly reduce visibility, potentially creating blizzard conditions.
- Snow Quality: The snowpack will have high water content, making it very heavy. This poses a risk for infrastructure damage and presents a health hazard for those shoveling.
Timeline
The Winter Storm Warning is effective from 7:00 PM CDT Saturday, March 14, through 7:00 AM CDT Monday, March 16. Travel is expected to become very difficult to impossible starting late Saturday night and continuing through Sunday evening, impacting the Monday morning commute.
What You Should Do
Travel is strongly discouraged. If you must travel, the National Weather Service advises keeping an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. For the latest road conditions in Wisconsin, call 5-1-1 or visit 511wi.gov.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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