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Tuesday is Lightning Awareness Day in Wisconsin

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This time of year, it’s important to be aware of the dangers posed by lightning. Summer thunderstorms bring with them the danger of lightning strikes. “The simplest advice is when thunder roars, go indoors,” says Andrew Beckett with Wisconsin Emergency Management.


“Most injuries or deaths that occur as a result of lightning strikes are from people doing recreational activities outside,” Beckett says. If someone you are with is struck by lightning and is not breathing, you should begin CPR and call 911 immediately. Tuesday is “Lightning Awareness Day” in Wisconsin.

Late season snow hits far northern Wisconsin

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There was an unhappy surprise for far northern Wisconsin this weekend as snow fell.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Bill Leatham says it was raining so hard that it turned to snow.

“We had enough rainfall and snowfall coming down quick enough that it was cooling the atmosphere and keeping temperatures in the low to mid-thirties.”

Parts of Bayfield, Douglas and Ashland Counties saw around 2 to 5 inches, while 7 inches fell in Poplar. The snow won’t stick around, as highs will reach the 60s this week.

 

Southern Wisconsin set to get late season snow storm

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Weather forecasters say it’s possible — not likely — that the area of southern Wisconsin around Madison could receive three-to-eight inches of snow Saturday. 

Forecast models suggest a 75 percent chance of at least two inches of snow.  

Meteorologists say April 27th would be the latest date for significant snowfall in southern Wisconsin in the last five years.  Madison got a little over seven inches of snow on April 18th last year, but Saturday will be nine days after that calendar date.

Winter Storm Warnings are now in effect through Saturday evening.

Fond du Lac River overflows its banks

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Photo credit: Meggin McNamara

Huge chunks of ice bottle-necked at bridges in Fond du Lac causing water in the Fond du Lac River to overflow its banks and flood portions of the city early Thursday morning.

Troy Haase is the Division Chief for the City’s Fire and Rescue Department. He says they had to evacuate a huge apartment complex, the YMCA and homes on Elm and South Street. Meanwhile heavy equipment was being used to remove ice from the river near the 2nd Street Bridge.

“We have a lot of ice coming down the river that is hung up on the bridges so it course can’t flow out and then it is slowing the water down as well so then the water can’t flow like it typically would.”

Residents that had to be evacuated from their homes were sent to the Recreation and Expo Centers at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds with plans to relocate the shelter to the Community Church. Fond du Lac County Emergency Management activated it’s 2-1-1 service for people who needed to call for assistance.

Hometown Broadcasting WRPN, WISS, WAUH

Schools scramble to make up snow days

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Central and northern Wisconsin schools are now struggling to make up snow days as the record breaking winter rolls on.

Stevens Point schools spokesperson Sarah O’Donnell says this year has been tough for them. “Seven for us is, certainly we’re getting into some unprecedented territory.”

O’Donnell says they’re dropping staff days from the calendar to make up.

“Those were days that our teachers and staff would have been working in the district, specifically looking mostly at collaboration time. Unfortunately we did have to convert those days to student attendance days.”

Some districts are adding days to the end of the year or even considering cutting into spring break. O’Donnell says Stevens Point isn’t there yet, but they will be discussing plans for make up days at a upcoming school board meeting.

Icy conditions led to I-94 pile-up

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Investigators are getting a picture of what led to a massive pile up on I-94 nears Osseo. Conditions were deteriorating at the time of the pile up shortly after noon Sunday. Lieutenant Les Melsna with the Wisconsin State Patrol in Eau Claire says it was icy.

“You can go 60, 70 miles an hour on ice, until you have to steer or hit your brakes, and then the party’s over,” Melsna said.

Travel across much of the state is hazardous again today. “Don’t go out there if you don’t have to, and if you have to, you really have to give yourself that following distance, you have to reduce your speed,” Melsna said.

Seven semi-trucks and more than two dozen other vehicles were involved Sunday. One person was critically injured and seven others required medical treatment.

Slick roads and ice warnings for Northwoods

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The mild temperatures we’ve had over the weekend are giving way to seasonable cold, which could be a problem to the far north. 

National Weather Service meteorologist Roy Eckberd says it’ll be more than just slick, foggy roads in northern Wisconsin.

“Significant ice accumulations, from generally Tomahawk and Wausaukee on northward, where we’re looking for a quarter to a half inch of ice.

That amount of ice can bring down small trees and power lines, and Eckberd says there’s likely to be scattered power outages.

Don’t travel unless you have to in the affected areas. Check http://511wi.gov for current road conditions.

 

Evers declares State of Emergency for Wisconsin

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Governor Tony Evers

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has declared a State of Emergency.  In the wake of a winter storm that brought significant snowfall to parts of Wisconsin, life threatening cold air will cover the state this week, setting possible record overnight lows of -15 to -25 with wind chills from -35 to -50.

Evers’ Executive Order directs all state agencies to assist with any emergency response and recovery efforts. It also gives Adjutant General Don Dunbar the authority to call Wisconsin National Guard personnel to state active duty, as needed to support local emergency responders.

“I’m concerned about the safety and well-being of our residents as this major storm and bitter cold moves in,” Evers said. State offices remain open to the public and to all State employees. State agencies will follow their inclement weather policies.

Dangerous wind chills across Wisconsin

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After a midweek snowfall, it’s getting dangerously cold across Wisconsin. The National Weather Service has issued wind chill advisories, and the weather service in Green Bay issued a statement that these wind chills “could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.”

Northwest winds will make sub-zero lows feel as cold as minus-35 degrees. The state Department of Health Services wants you to take extra precautions. Last winter saw 38 people die from exposure in Wisconsin.

Much of the state will see highs in the teens and some snow on Monday, but very cold temperatures will return after that.

Winter storm to drop up to a foot of snow on parts of Wisconsin

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Parts of Wisconsin may be getting more snow than expected as a winter storm shifted overnight.

National Weather Service meteorologist Phil Kurimski says heavy wet snow is set to blanket south central and south east Wisconsin.

“It’s really hard to pinpoint where these bands will set up, but where they are you’ll get heavier snow in those areas.”

A section of the state from Madison and the Dells northeast to Green Bay will be getting anywhere from 6 inches to a foot of snow. Roads are going to be very hazardous heading into the evening commute.

“As this thing ramps up, we could get some freezing drizzle before the better moisture gets in here and it all changes over back to snow,” says Kurimski. 

You should take your time getting where you’re going, and give yourself plenty of room around other drivers.