Weather
Local NewsStorm Dumps 15+ Inches of Snow
MILWAUKEE - To paraphrase Mark Twain, the snowiest winter you ever experience just might be springtime in Wisconsin.
Spring was just one day old when a winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow across parts of southern Wisconsin on Friday, disrupting flights, snarling traffic and forcing the cancellations of Good Friday services.
By the time the snow stopped around 4 a.m. Saturday, the storm had dumped 15 inches of snow in Waukesha County, up to 16 inches in Milwaukee County and 12 1/2 inches in parts of Ozaukee County.
The 12.9 inches of snow at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport set a new daily record, smashing the old mark of 6.2 inches set back in 1992.
Jeff Craven, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, had disappointing news for residents hoping that the last week of March would bring sunshine and green grass.
"It doesn't appear to be in a big hurry to warm up," he said. "The pattern looks relatively cool through next week, so this snowpack might linger for a while."
That didn't bother Steven Williams, 53, a cook who has lived in Milwaukee for 30 years.
"I'm not surprised. It's still March," he said. "It's expected at this time of year so I just accept it."
Snow-weary Madison, which had already shattered its record snowfall level this season, neared the 100-inch mark late Friday. Dane County Regional Airport received about seven inches to raise the season total to 99 inches, far above the previous high of 76.1 inches that fell in 1978-'79.
Milwaukee isn't likely to break its record of 109.8 inches that fell about 120 years ago. But with 12.9 inches on Friday, this winter's snowfall totaled 96.9 inches, making it the second-snowiest winter on record.
Kenosha also broke its winter snowfall record, said John Prijic, the city's street superintendent. He said the city had 11.4 inches by 7 p.m. on Friday. That plus the 86.5 inches that fell on the ground so far this winter broke the record of 90 inches set in the winter of 1978-1979.
Prijic said he had more than 100 snow plow drivers out clearing the roads on two shifts.
"We've got everything available to attack this," he said.
The timing of the storm was especially disappointing for church officials planning Good Friday services. Events were canceled at dozens of churches.
"It was a hard decision but for the safety of everybody, especially of the elderly, we think it was prudent to make this decision," said the Rev. Jonathan Jacobs of Ascension Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. "Most people are grateful -- they say they would have been torn otherwise."
Dozens of flights were delayed or canceled at the Milwaukee and Madison airports, leaving officials there bracing for larger crowds over the weekend.
"We've had a number of cancellations. I anticipate it will be quite busy here (Saturday) as people's flights are rescheduled," said Sharyn Wisniewski, spokeswoman for Dane County Regional Airport. "This also for us is the end of spring break so a number of (University of Wisconsin-Madison) students will be trying to get back this weekend."
Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee closed about noon as officials waited for the snow to ease up. By mid-evening, it was clear conditions wouldn't improve, so airport officials and airlines agreed to cancel all flights for the day, said airport spokeswoman Pat Rowe.
"Some people are understandably upset about missing the first part of their vacation, although others just look out the window and see how hard it's snowing," Rowe said. "We keep trying to keep the snow clear but when visibility comes down like that and the snow continues to be so wet and heavy it's just not good flying weather.
Mitchell Airport finally resumed operations at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Law enforcement authorities across southern Wisconsin reported scores of spinouts and minor collisions but no major injuries or fatalities. Visibility dropped to as low as a quarter-mile at times but many residents seemed to heed calls to stay off the roads, authorities said.
Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office reported more than 300 calls for service between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday:
• 79 property damage only crashes
• 7 crashes involving minor injuries
• 221 disabled vehicles (including spinouts and abandoned vehicles)
The State Patrol had about 40 crashes it responded to in the southeast region, including the counties of Jefferson, Kenosha, Racine and Waukesha, said Sgt. Wendy Younglove. There were no fatalities or major injuries, she said. A trooper in Racine was injured when her squad car was hit by another vehicle while at the scene of an accident. Younglove said the trooper was released from the hospital with neck and back injuries.
On Saturday though, the sun was starting to melt the snow and crews had cleared most of the roads, she said.
"The snow plows have had a chance to catch up," she said.
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