money Winter storm drops 2 to 3 inches in Oshkosh, Appleton, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac, Green Bay and Door County; causes dozens of crashes
APPLETON - A winter storm that dropped nine inches of snow on some Milwaukee suburbs caused snowy and icy conditions along the Interstate 41 corridor in eastern Wisconsin from Fond du Lac to Door County.
Spotters' snowfall reports from the National Weather Service show two to three inches of snowfall in Green Bay, Greenville, Manitowoc, Oshkosh, Ripon and Sturgeon Bay.
Further south, closer to the main band of snow in southern Wisconsin, four to six inches of snow fell in Fond du Lac, Mayville and many communities between Milwaukee and Madison, such as Jefferson, Johnson Creek and Oconomowoc.
Closer to Milwaukee, many suburbs received seven to 10 inches of snow. The winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service for Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties lasted until midnight Thursday night.
Slippery, icy road conditions cause crashes, closures and tow bans along Interstate 41
Even though no ice fell Thursday, a combination of wind, below-freezing temperatures and visibility issues made travel difficult during the evening hours, National Weather Service meteorologist Rebecca Kruk said.
Temperatures froze wet roads and wind gusts of around 20 miles per hour caused some drifting snow.
"That creates conditions where it's hard for tires to grip," Kruk said.
There were 166 crashes reported in Outagamie County on Thursday afternoon and night, according to the Outagamie County Sheriff's Office. A tow ban was in place on Interstate 41 from around 4:45 p.m. to midnight Thursday.
The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office responded to 20 snow-related accidents Thursday, according to Captain Lara Vendola. No tow ban was in place for that county.
Southbound Interstate 41 between Fond du Lac County B and F was closed Thursday afternoon due to a crash shortly after 3 p.m., according to the state Department of Transportation.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office said a northbound car carrier lost control, crossed the median, struck a vehicle and jackknifed across the southbound lanes, causing a third car to lose control and slide into a nearby ditch. While the lanes were closed for over two hours, no one was injured.
Despite the wintry weather, however, temperatures are expected to return to about five to 10 degrees above normal over the weekend, the NWS said.
More:Great Lakes ice cover reaches historic low. Here's what we know.
Contact Rebecca Loroff at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Winter storm drops snow, causes crashes in eastern Wisconsin
