UPDATE: Thursday Morning Commute Could Be a Messy One

Folks in southeastern Wisconsin may have forgotten about snow with the balmy weather that’s left the sun shining for the past two days.

But don’t get too comfortable; because Old Man Winter is quite familiar with the famous phrase coined by the Terminator, “I’ll be back.”

So get those shovels dusted off, and stretch those shoveling muscles because it looks like the Milwaukee area is due for its first major snowstorm of the season. According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm advisory will be in effect for Waukesha County starting Thursday morning and through Friday morning. That was downgraded from a winter storm watch earlier Wednesday.

Earlier in the day Wednesday, roughly 5 to 8 inches of snow was expected to accumulate. However, that's been reduced to somehwhere between 3 and 6 inches. Snow is expected to begin falling late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. However, some estimates project total accumulations as low as 3 inches. Winds are also expected to increase to 15 to 20 mph, with gusts reaching 30 mph, and drifting could complicate travel on some roads.

The timing of the storm could make for a nasty commute Thursday morning, but Public Works Director Arlyn Johnson and his crews will do everything they can to make sure the ride is smooth through Menomonee Falls. Be sure to check out live traffic conditions on Patch to plan your commute, and avoid heavy traffic.

In a sense, the plowing team has been like a pitcher idling in the bullpen for the past few months.

“All of the trucks and the drivers are ready, and we have a few spare trucks that are prepared to go,” Johnson said. “We’ve been ready to go since the season would have been expected to start in November.”

If the forecast is correct, Thursday would be the first time crews implement their full snow removal plans this year.

“It’ll be the first big snow of the season,” Johnson said. “Hard to believe with the weather we have had lately.”

Johnson said the village’s snow removal operation deploys 30 routes to clear the roughly 200 miles of roadway in the village.

Once the snow begins to fall, visit Menomonee Falls Patch for updates on closures, road conditions and developing weather conditions.