One Storm Down, Another on the Way
Lots of tickets were handed out Sunday and Monday as Milwaukee’s snow emergency parking rules quietly took effect.
There were 1,949 citations for snow emergency violations and 204 vehicles were towed for violating snow emergency regulations between 3 a.m. Sunday and noon Monday, said Cecilia Gilbert of the Department of Public Works.
A snow emergency means drivers cannot park on main streets so those paths can be plowed. While some of the main streets have signs that say "Snow Tow Away Zones," others may not be clearly marked, but understood as tow-away zones after a heavy snowfall because they are main thoroughfares.
Additionally, there were 804 violations given out to drivers who disobeyed the four-inches-of-snow rule. This rule applies to main streets and bus routes that are clearly marked, stating that those streets are off limits for parking if snow accumulation reaches four inches.
There were still light flurries coming down Monday morning. Snow and salt trucks were out early, clearing the way for commuters. Many streets had a layer of ice underneath the new snow and slush, but overall, the morning drive wasn't too bad.
Now, Weather PLUS forecaster Scott Steele said a new storm is building out west. It should arrive about midweek, bringing lots of rain to the region. That, combined with the fresh blanket of snow and frozen ground, could trigger some serious flooding problems.
The second wave of weekend snows had triggered a blizzard warning Saturday night before conditions improved somewhat in the early morning. Still, the weather produced slippery driving conditions and power outages while leaving residents with the job of cleaning up the moisture-laden snow.
The precipitation turned to rain Sunday morning in the southeast, producing slushy streets and sidewalks.
The Wisconsin State Patrol said blowing and drifting snow made portions of Interstate 43 in Walworth and Waukesha counties impassable for several hours early Sunday, with many roads snow covered and slippery.
The accumulation of the heavy snow led to some power outages in the state Sunday. About 11,000 We Energies customers temporarily lost power early in the day at Milwaukee, West Bend, Waukesha, Elkhart Lake and Racine.
Mitchell International Airport closed for several hours early Sunday but was reopened by about 7 a.m. Airport spokeswoman Pat Rowe said airport officials used the closing to get more plows out to clean the runways. Some flights were running on time after Mitchell reopened, while others were delayed and some were canceled, she said.
Watch raw video of treacherous weather from the Madison area courtesy WKOW-TV.
Two Day Storm Totals from the National Weather Service
| Location: | Snowfall: |
|---|---|
| JACKSON | 19.0 |
| SULLIVAN | 16.1 |
| WATERTOWN | 15.5 |
| MERTON | 15.4 |
| NORTH FOND DU LAC | 15.0 |
| CAMPBELLSPORT | 15.0 |
| OCONOMOWOC | 14.8 |
| WATERLOO | 14.2 |
| BEAVER DAM | 14.1 |
| WEST BEND | 14.0 |
| WATERTOWN | 13.9 |
| DELAVAN< | 13.2 |
| TAYCHEEDAH | 13.0 |
| PT. WASHINGTON | 13.0 |
| HORICON | 12.0 |
| JEFFERSON | 12.0 |
| WHITEWATER | 12.0 |
| RICHFIELD | 12.0 |
| HALES CORNERS | 11.5 |
| MILWAUKEE | 11.4 |
| FORT ATKINSON | 11.0 |
| SAUKVILLE | 11.0 |
| ROME | 10.0 |
| BROOKFIELD | 10.0 |
| DELAVAN | 10.0 |
| UNION GROVE | 10.0 |
| MILWAUKEE-MITCHELL | 9.8 |
| GENOA CITY | 9.4 |
| ELKHART LAKE | 9.2 |
| WEST ALLIS | 8.0 |
| PADDOCK LAKE | 7.0 |
| TWIN LAKES | 6.5 |
| BURLINGTON | 5.7 |
Click here to see a map with the state's snowfall totals
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
Current Doppler Picture:
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