There are currently no warnings or advisories for this location.
Public Information Statement
Statement as of 7:07 am CST on November 10, 2009
... Winter weather awareness week in Minnesota and Wisconsin...
The National Weather Service in La Crosse has done local research on how different types of winter weather impact the number of traffic accidents in the La Crosse area. Accident numbers were gathered between 2000 and 2007 in the County and city of La Crosse... and then compared to actual snowfall and temperature trends during that same period.
To no surprise... the number of traffic accidents did increase on days when there was precipitation. But there was noticeable jumps in accident numbers at 3 inches of snow... and then at 5 to 6 inches. These values align well with our advisory and warning criteria.
Heavy snowfalls over 6 inches did not seem to increase the accident numbers as much... but they were still relatively high compared to dry days.
Light snowfalls... an inch or less... did not seem to have a big impact except on days when air temperatures were very cold... generally in the single digits to around zero degrees.
Heavy rainfall events also had an impact on accident numbers... with dramatic increases when over an inch of rain was reported.
The bottom line for winter travel is to use caution when accumulating snow is falling. Allow extra travel time and recognize that the chances of being involved in a traffic accident are much higher during inclement weather. Be alert for rapidly changing Road conditions... even during very cold spells when ice could quickly form or reform near sunset.
For this type of research or other winter weather awareness information check the La Crosse National Weather Service web site at weather.Gov/LaCrosse.