Milwaukee Under Winter Storm Emergency, Many Offices Closed

A City of Milwaukee snow plow. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

A winter storm emergency is in effect in Milwaukee County Friday.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley announced the emergency declaration Thursday afternoon, in light of weather forecasts predicting heavy snow and high wind speeds beginning early Friday morning and lasting until Saturday.

A “strong winter storm system will bring heavy snow and blizzard conditions to the Midwest/Great Lakes,” according to a weather prediction by the National Weather Service. “Dangerously cold Arctic Air spreads southward through the heart of the country heading into the weekend.”

With the emergency declaration public county buildings like the Milwaukee County Courthouse, the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Justice Center and the Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center will be closed.

“Unsheltered residents are encouraged to call 211 for information on the closest warming center that is open to them and help accessing a shelter through a coordinated intake process,” the county executive’s office said in a statement.

Major winter storms in 2020 caused storm surges on Lake Michigan causing millions in damage up and down the coastline. Some of the damage remains unrepaired.

The last time Crowley declared a weather emergency was in March 2023, when more than 100,000 households lost power, largely due to heavy snow build up bringing down power lines.