Roads in northern half of Wisconsin snow covered or slippery

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Various schools canceled classes in northern and western Wisconsin as heavy snow and high wind caused deteriorating travel conditions.

The National Weather Service posted a winter-storm warning from just north of La Crosse to northeast Wisconsin. In far northern areas of the state, including Bayfield, Ashland and Iron counties, snowfall totals could reach as high as 20 inches. Elsewhere, 6 inches to 10 inches of snow were expected in northwestern Wisconsin.

A Wisconsin Department of Transportation map shows roads and highways snow covered and slippery throughout the northern half of the state.

School districts from Mosinee to Viroqua were among those taking the day off Wednesday.

The storm brought rain and thunder to southern Wisconsin where the temperature was 50 degrees in Milwaukee Wednesday morning.

A snowplow removes about four inches of snow from a city street Wednesday in St. Cloud, Minnesota. (Dave Schwarz/The St. Cloud Times via AP)