Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is declaring a snow emergency for Wednesday.

The National Weather Service anticipates 5 to 9 inches of snow accumulation in the Milwaukee area, which may cause hazardous driving conditions for the afternoon commute.

The county is under a winter storm warning from noon Wednesday to 3 a.m. Thursday.

Several county facilities will be closed, including the Milwaukee County Courthouse, Vel R. Phillips Youth & Family Justice Center, Milwaukee County Zoo and the Marcia P. Coggs Building (with the exception of the Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Teams).

Milwaukee Public Schools canceled classes Wednesday. Other surrounding communities also have called off school.

The weather service has issued a winter storm warning for Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Sheboygan, Racine and Kenosha counties.

A high of 26 degrees is in the forecast for Wednesday afternoon, with wind chills in the mid-teens. Temperatures will drop to around 14 degrees early Thursday morning, with wind chills around 0 degrees.

Crowley said any unsheltered residents looking for access to a warming center should call 211.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: David Crowley declares snow emergency for Milwaukee County