Armand Jackson
Throughout the past number of days, Winter Storm Diaz has been making its way across the United States, bringing snow and ice in some areas and heavy rain in others. Parts of Wisconsin along with four other states have experienced a great amount of snowfall this week with the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing winter storm warnings, storm watches and weather advisories for the affected areas of the storm including the upper Midwest and parts of the Northeast. According to a weather report from the NWS, this winter storm brought waves of heavy winter precipitation to north-central and northeast Wisconsin.
In this report, it states that the first wave impacted central and north-central Wisconsin late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning bringing ice accumulation which covered roads and snapped trees that had to contend with both the ice and strong winds that went over 35 mph. Apparently this event also caused a few power poles to snap, causing scattered power outages. In the second wave, between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, there was a mixture of rain, freezing rain, and sleet initially that changed to heavy wet snow which, according to the report, accumulated to about 6 to 8 inches over central and north-central Wisconsin.
The effects of this winter storm has caused not only power outages but school closures as well, according to the Appleton Post-Crescent. As the weekend approaches, more snowfall and blizzard like conditions are forecasted for parts of Wisconsin with a high probability of freezing rain bringing more icy roads. According to NWS, northern and central Wisconsin are expected to see heavier snow accumulations throughout the weekend, with a winter storm warning in effect for these affected areas as the storm runs its course.
The Wisconsin Department Health Services offers advice and resources for residents to follow with winter weather safety tips. Some advice include what to do before a winter storm approaches, how to prepare your vehicle, prepare your home, what to do if you are stranded in your vehicle during a blizzard, and what to do after the storm passes.
