Photos: Remembering huge snowstorm that hit Madison in April 1973
Snow in April is not as strange as you might think. On April 9, 1973, Madison found itself digging out from about 13 inches of snow. Here's a look back at that snowstorm, which shut down the city and much of the state.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring storm on April 10, 1973.
April 1973 snowfall
Wind-whipped pedestrians, slipping cars and heavy snow clogged Capitol Square during record snowfall April 10, 1973.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973 in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973, in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973, in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973, in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973, in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Snowdrifts pile high as a spring storm smothers Downtown Madison in April 1973.
April 1973 snowfall
Cars buried along East Gorham Street in Madison on April 10, 1973.
Front page of the Wisconsin State Journal, April 10, 1973
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring storm on April 10, 1973.
April 1973 snowfall
Wind-whipped pedestrians, slipping cars and heavy snow clogged Capitol Square during record snowfall April 10, 1973.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973 in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973, in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973, in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973, in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
Scenes from a powerful spring snowstorm on April 10, 1973, in Madison.
April 1973 snowfall
James Muehl, a student at Madison Area Technical College, found himself straddling a snowdrift in April 1973 as he walked to class at MATC Technical Center, 2125 Commercial Ave. The school held classes during the snowstorm, but attendance was severely reduced.
April 1973 snowfall
Snowdrifts pile high as a spring storm smothers Downtown Madison in April 1973.
April 1973 snowfall
Cars buried along East Gorham Street in Madison on April 10, 1973.
Southern Wisconsin could see multiple inches of wet, heavy snow late Friday night into Saturday morning, forecasters say.
Southern Wisconsin from Dane and Green counties to the east is under a winter storm warning into Saturday afternoon with 4 to 9 inches of snow predicted.
The 12.1 inches of snow that fell over Madison in the first nine hours of Saturday morning was surely a surprise to many residents, while setting the all-time monthly record.
The highest accumulations of the light, fluffy snow were seen across Columbia, Dodge, Washington, and Ozaukee counties, where high rates set up and lingered for several hours.
AccuWeather predicts 6 to 10 inches for Madison and 10 to 20 inches for a segment of central Wisconsin that includes Wisconsin Dells and Stevens Point.
There still is some uncertainty on the strength and track of the system, as well as the precipitation type, but the new year figures to start on a messy note for southern Wisconsin, according to forecasters.
Predicted snow totals continue to vary widely, but forecasters agree that everyone in the state is going to see some snow, with winter weather advisories for all but southeast of Madison and far northeast counties bordering Michigan.
Like the snowstorm earlier this week, the heaviest snow is predicted to fall in Wisconsin’s southern and southeastern tiers of counties, which are under a winter storm watch, according to forecasters.
Highs at best around 10 and lows below zero are expected to continue for southern Wisconsin for at least the next week, according to forecasters.
A big storm Wednesday and Thursday will deliver some rain and snow to southern Wisconsin, but the heavy snow again looks like it will hit to the south, according to forecasters.
"I think it will come down heavy enough that it will stick on the roads in the morning," meteorologist Mark Gehring said.Â
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