Forecast Now for 7.5 Inches of Snow Through Evening in Tosa

A light, spitting rain began to fall a little before 1:30 p.m. Friday in Wauwatosa, but it has become a heavy, wet snow into the afternoon and evening.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Columbia, Green Lake, Dane, Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Walworth, Rock, and Green counties until 9 p.m.

It was forecast to dump between 6 and 9 inches of snow on the Milwaukee area, with higher accumulations on the north side of the metropolis.

The Wauwatosa area is expected to get about 7.5 inches (see chart in gallery).

The really thick stuff should start falling just about the time the Friday rush hour is going into full swing and will continue well into the evening, likely slowing down the Friday "reverse rush" of people driving into the city for dining and entertainment. Use the Patch traffic map for real time conditions, incidents and travel times.

As always, people are advised to avoid travel if possible and use extreme caution if travel is necessary. With temperatures hovering just around the freezing point and a possible mix of heavy snow and rain, conditions may become extraordinarily slippery.

The Weather Service warns that snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour will quickly result in snow-covered roads and visibility of a quarter-mile or less.   "Under these conditions, traveling will be very slow and hazardous," the service said.