Rainy stretch may give way to measurable snowfall

Old Man Winter may make an encore this week.

The National Weather Service in LaCrosse, Wis., forecasts traces of ice and snow accumulation to start Wednesday night after a possible .5 to .75 inch of rain Tuesday. According to meteorologist Dan Jones, 2 to 2.5 inches of snow could blanket the Austin area between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, depending on the air temperature. Jones said the storm system is just cold enough for snow.

“There in Austin, it’s going to be hard to say because you’re going to be right on the border of cold air,” he said.

Wednesday’s, Thursday’s and Friday’s highs are forecasted in the mid-30s, with lows in the mid 20s.

Jones said if snow falls, more will likely fall on Olmsted and Dodge counties, perhaps 3.5 inches.

More rain and freezing rain is expected on Thursday, and the bulk of the storm will taper by Friday. Still, the NWS forecasts another chance of rain and snow before Friday afternoon and chances of snow on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The current storm is pounding western South Dakota, and meteorologists say it could dump as much as 12 to 20 inches of snow in that region before moving east and tapering.