A snowstorm brought a few more inches of snow than expected to the Austin area Tuesday night.

Originally, 2 to 4 inches was forecasted. But, the National Weather Service said a snowstorm ended up staying in the area longer than predicted, producing 6 to 12 inches from the Austin area down through Decorah, Iowa. Austin bore the brunt of the snowfall, as meteorologists said about 10.5 inches of light, fluffy snow fell in the area.

“The biggest thing was the duration of that little snow band over our area there,” Dan Jones, NWS meteorologist, said. “It of course produced a little heavier amounts underneath that snow band.”

City officials declared a snow emergency for the next 72 hours as of 8 a.m. Wednesday. Residents should park on the odd-numbered side of the street during odd-numbered days, and the even-numbered side of the street during even-numbered days. Downtown parking and business area parking is prohibited from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. Police Chief Brian Krueger said the snow emergency could lift if city employees finish removing snow from the streets early.

The lighter snow and winds meant this snowstorm didn’t affect the area as much as the blizzard that took place several weeks ago, though road conditions in some areas were still difficult.

“If you get 6 to 10 inches of snow, you’re going to have slippery conditions,” Jones said.

Rising temperatures over the next few days will likely cause snow to melt gradually. There could be a high of 30 degrees on Friday, while Sunday could have a high of 32. Monday’s high could be about 37.