National Weather Service warns of freezing rain, sleet, snow

The highest forecast snow totals are in our southeastern counties. Patchy fog before noon.

Friday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 24. During the day Tuesday, 3 to 7 inches are possible at the higher elevations. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.

TONIGHT: Cloudy skies and rain showers develop, with a low temperature of 48 degrees. Blizzard conditions are possible from west central to south central Minnesota. North wind around 5 miles per hour.

Behind the storm, snow and ice will stretch from Nashville to Cincinnati and into western Pennsylvania and NY state. A cold front will move through Kentucky around daybreak Friday, with temperatures quickly dropping throughout the rest of the day.

With snow, sleet and rain possible for some of our northern counties Friday and Saturday, the preparations started Thursday night. Cold northerly winds, gusting to 30 to 40 miles per hour late Friday, will allow for lake effect snow showers to develop Friday night and continue into Saturday. Other areas could see up to 20 inches of snow.

Rain will fall tomorrow morning with snow in the afternoon. Blustery, with a north wind 15 to 20 miles per hour decreasing to 10 to 15 miles per hour after midnight.

Snow and sleet accumulations are expected to be between four and eight inches, more in the snowbelt. Heavy snow continues and will accumulate on top of the icy roads. Wind chill values are expected to occasionally fall to zero to minus-15 degrees. Stay tuned for more updates on Weather Blog 18.

Tue: High: 27 Low: 12 Mostly sunny. Blustery, with a north wind around 22 miles per hour.

Wednesday’s high in Madison was 50 at 11:59 p.m., 24 degrees above the normal high and 3 degrees below the record high of 53 for January 10, set in 1975.

Will begin Friday morning with a sharp upper trof axis approachingthe Mississippi River.

An additional wild card is that there is potential for the clipper to redevelop over the ocean and draw in more moisture, which would increase snowfall potential; but we see that as a low probability in the Mid-Atlantic, and more likely to the north. Cloudy, with a low around 11.

Tuesday, a chance of snow showers.

Monday – Light snow at times.