wisconsin travel alerts

Difficult travel expected in Wisconsin as winter storm approaches

The wisconsin department of transportation is advising that travel may be difficult thursday and friday due to an incoming winter storm system..

MADISON, Wis. (WEAU) - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is advising that travel may be difficult Thursday and Friday due to an incoming winter storm system packing high winds and moderate snowfall arriving in the state Wednesday.

Road conditions are expected to deteriorate as a result of the incoming weather system, as the combination of snowfall, high winds and cold temperatures could create hazardous road conditions in some part of the state, as well as reduced visibility due to the blowing snow.

The DOT said that travel may not be advised in some parts of the state on Friday as Wisconsin could experience possible blizzard conditions. According to the National Weather Service, strong winds and blowing snow are predicted for Thursday night through Friday night across Wisconsin. Wind gusts could be as high as 55 miles per hour and limit visibility with the fresh snowfall. High-profile vehicles, such as trucks, are also at risk of losing control or tipping over in windy conditions.

In addition to the hazards for motorists, conditions could become too challenging for tow companies and emergency services to help stranded or disabled motorists. With sub-zero wind chills expected, traveling could become dangerous in Wisconsin.

If you have to travel, the DOT said to plan ahead and use 511wi.gov to monitor winter road conditions and view live traffic camera videos along their route.

Preparation before winter travel

• If you must travel, check 511wi.gov for road conditions or incidents along your route. Download the 511 Wisconsin app to monitor conditions on the go. Monitor 511 Wisconsin on Twitter (@511WI) for the latest incidents and information.
• Clear snow and ice from vehicles before traveling.
• Fill the gas tank and windshield washer fluid.
• Have a fully charged phone and an emergency kit in your vehicle .
• Alert others about your route and expected travel time.

Precautions while driving

• Snow means slow. Allow extra travel time, following distance, and reduce your speed during winter conditions.
• Be cautious on bridges, overpasses, and entrance and exit ramps.
• Don’t be overconfident in four-wheel or all-wheel-drive vehicles. All vehicles require additional time and distance to stop in adverse conditions.
• Avoid using cruise control in winter conditions.
• Buckle up and put your phone down while driving. Every trip, every time.
• Leave room for maintenance vehicles and snowplows. Move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles.
• Stay at least 200 feet behind a working snowplow. Make sure that you can see the plow’s mirrors to ensure the driver can see you.
• In case of a crash or slide off, stay in the vehicle, turn on the hazards, call 911 and move vehicle(s) out of traffic if possible.

For Motor Carriers

Trucking companies and their drivers are strongly encouraged to review their schedules and routes, and plan accordingly. Commercial motor vehicle drivers should check 511wi.gov before departure and throughout their trips for current travel impacts and advisories. Oversize/Overweight vehicle drivers are reminded their permits restrict operations during inclement weather.

A winter storm is expected to impact much of the state starting tonight through Friday. Travel will be hazardous in many areas. Be prepared for snow, heavy wind gusts, blowing/drifting snow and deteriorating visibility. More: https://t.co/pUpY85gccO pic.twitter.com/gzmbYtPBZm — Wisconsin DOT (@WisconsinDOT) December 21, 2022

Copyright 2022 WEAU. All rights reserved.

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Is the state of Wisconsin advising people not to travel Friday — one of the busiest travel days of the year?

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The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is discouraging travel on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, due to “potential blizzard conditions” including “snow, high winds, reduced visibility and frigid temperatures.”

As of Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for the southern and western parts of the state. Northern Wisconsin was under a winter weather advisory.

The weather service is forecasting wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour “limiting visibility on the roads even when snow is not falling.” Subzero temperatures could be dangerous for stranded drivers. 

Road conditions will vary depending on the location and can be monitored at 511wi.gov, which also has live traffic cameras.

The Wisconsin DOT says those who must travel should fill the gas tank, have a fully charged phone, prepare an emergency kit and tell others about travel plans.

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by Hope Karnopp / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch December 22, 2022

This <a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinwatch.org/2022/12/is-the-state-of-wisconsin-advising-people-not-to-travel-friday-one-of-the-busiest-travel-days-of-the-year/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinwatch.org">Wisconsin Watch</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-WCIJ_IconOnly_FullColor_RGB-1.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;quality=100&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=1274727&amp;ga4=G-D2S69Y9TDB" style="width:1px;height:1px;">

Hope Karnopp / Wisconsin Watch Reporting intern

Hope Karnopp joined Wisconsin Watch as a reporting intern in May 2022. She is a journalism major and is pursuing certificates in public policy and environmental studies at UW-Madison. Hope previously covered state politics as an intern for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She also works with the Daily Cardinal and hosts a radio segment about campus news for WORT-FM, which has been recognized by the Milwaukee Press Club.

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Wisconsin severe weather threat; tornado watch for SE Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE - The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties to be in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 7.   Monitor the FOX6 Weather forecast for updates.

Meanwhile, scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue at times this afternoon and evening, ending after 12 a.m. Wednesday. It will be a day to be weather aware.

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Storms may become strong to severe, especially if we see some sunshine during any dry breaks. Damaging wind and hail will be possible, and even a low threat for an isolated tornado. Rain could be heavy enough to cause flash flooding. 

Most of Wisconsin is under a marginal risk for severe weather Tuesday. That means that isolated severe storms of varying intensity are possible.

The line of storms that moved through early Tuesday morning produced an incredible shelf cloud, along with heavy rain.

FOX6 Weather Extras

Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following: 

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When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.

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Severe storms whip through southeastern wisconsin; tornadoes confirmed by nws.

All tornado, severe thunderstorm warnings expired by 9:30 p.m.

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It was a wild day of weather Tuesday that included tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes in Walworth County.

Winds of 80 mph damaged the area, and heavy rain caused problems on some roadways.

10:10 p.m.: We Energies reports nearly 10,000 power outages:

Jefferson County -- 3,212 Milwaukee County -- 2,841 Racine County-- 233 Waukesha County -- 3,100 Walworth County -- 102

9:30 p.m.: The last of all the warnings expired. So far, no major storm damage has been reported.

9:20 p.m. The severe thunderstorm warnings for Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine counties are expected to expire at 9:30 p.m.

8:46 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Dodge, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine Walworth and Washington counties

8:45 p.m. Tornado warnings have expired for all southeastern Wisconsin counties, but severe thunderstorm warnings continue.

8:27 p.m.: A severe squall line capable of producing both tornadoes and extensive straight line wind damage was located over Ottawa, or near Wales, moving east at 40 mph.

8:19 p.m.: Severe thunderstorms capable of producing both tornadoes and extensive straight-line wind damage were located over Delavan, moving east at 55 mph.

8:06 p.m.: A severe squall line capable of producing both tornadoes and extensive straight line wind damage was located over Jefferson, moving east at 40 mph.

People are advised to move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Earlier Tuesday, a tornado warning was issued for Walworth County.

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Tornado warning issued in Waukesha and Jefferson counties as storms moved through southern Wisconsin

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of Waukesha and Jefferson counties Tuesday night.

The weather service saw circulations on radar, reports of damage, and videos of funnel clouds in southern Wisconsin that led to the meteorologists issuing tornado warnings.

The weather service won't actually be able to confirm if there was a tornado until Wednesday morning, but meteorologist with NWS Mark Gehring said, "We don't think we had any tornadoes."

Gehring said the "small circulations" moved from the Delavan area to Lake Geneva at about 9 p.m. "Sometimes those small circulations can turn into fast developing tornadoes" so it was important to act, Gehring said.

The weather service also issued a tornado warning in parts of Jefferson County. The second storm system to roll through southern Wisconsin was preceded by a storm system Tuesday afternoon that resulted in tornado warnings in Delavan, Pell Lake and Walworth in Walworth County.

Watertown, Oconomowoc and Hartland were under a tornado warning until 8:45 p.m. Fort Atkinson, Jefferson and Lake Mills were under a tornado warning until 8:30 p.m. A tornado watch was issued for Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties, as well as much of Illinois and Indiana and portions of southwestern Michigan until 8 p.m.

Hail and high winds were likely in the areas under the watch. Winds could be 60 mph or higher, and hail between pea-sized and quarter-sized is possible, according to the weather service. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, NWS received reports of hail 1-inch in diameter in Sussex and wind damage in Walworth.

Gehring said the weather service will head to the areas Wednesday where there were reports of downed power lines and tree damage from both storms.

So far, Wisconsin has seen two tornados in 2024, both in the month of February.

According to Alliant Energy , about 2,100 customers were without electricity in the Walworth County area as of 10:25 p.m.

All of Milwaukee and surrounding communities, including Racine and West Allis were under a severe thunderstorm warning until 9:30 p.m. The We Energies outage map shows more than 8,400 customers without electricity at 10:30 p.m.

Here are some rain totals

Much of the area has been soaked. Here are some of the recorded rainfall numbers from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday:

• Howards Grove: 2.89 inches
• Muskego: 1.18 inches
• Sheboygan: 1 inch
• Oak Creek: 0.92 inches
• Port Washington: 0.89 inches
• Greendale 0.89 inches
• Milwaukee: 0.59 inches
• Racine: 0.16 inches

In Milwaukee, the metropolitan sewerage district dashboard shows that the deep tunnel is 46% full at 10:30 p.m.

What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

Tornado watch: A tornado watch defines an area where tornadoes and other kinds of severe weather are possible. A tornado watch does not mean tornadoes are imminent, just that everyone should be alert and prepared to go to safe shelter if tornadoes occur.

Tornado warning: A tornado warning means that a tornado has been spotted, or that Doppler radar has detected a thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado. When a tornado warning is issued for your town or county, take immediate safety precautions.

What should I do during a tornado warning?

Here's what to do during a tornado warning, depending on where you're located:

• A house with a basement: Avoid windows. Get in the basement and under some kind of sturdy protection such as a heavy table or work bench. Know where very heavy objects are on the floor above, i.e., pianos, refrigerators, waterbeds, etc., and do not go under them. They may fall down through a weakened floor.
• A house with no basement, a dorm, or an apartment: Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, a small center room like a bathroom or closet, under a stairwell, or in an interior hallway. Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down; and cover your head with your hands. Even in an interior room, you should cover yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.), to protect against falling debris in case the roof and ceiling fail.
• Office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper: Go directly to an enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building, away from glass and on the lowest floor possible. Crouch down and cover your head. Interior stairwells are usually good places to take shelter.
• Mobile or manufactured home: "Get out! Even if your home is tied down, it is not as safe as an underground shelter or permanent, sturdy building," according to the Storm Prediction Center. "Go to one of those shelters, or to a nearby permanent structure, using your tornado evacuation plan." 
• School: Follow the procedures from tornado drills. Go to the interior hall or windowless room in an orderly way. Crouch low, head down, and protect the back of your head with your arms. Stay away from windows and large open rooms like gyms and auditoriums.
• Car or truck: Vehicles are extremely risky in a tornado. "There is no safe option when caught in a tornado in a car, just slightly less-dangerous ones," according to the Storm Prediction Center. "If the tornado is visible, far away, and the traffic is light, you may be able to drive out of its path by moving at right angles to the tornado." Park the vehicle out of traffic lanes and seek shelter in a sturdy building or underground if possible. "If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, leave your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands," according to the SPC. "Avoid seeking shelter under bridges, which can create deadly traffic hazards while offering little protection against flying debris."
• In the open outdoors: If possible, seek shelter in a sturdy building. If not, lie flat and face-down on low ground, protecting the back of your head with your arms. Get as far away from trees and cars as you can; they may be blown onto you in a tornado.
• Shopping mall or large store: Move as quickly as possible to an interior bathroom, storage room or other small enclosed area, away from windows.
• Church or theater: Move quickly but orderly to an interior bathroom or hallway, away from windows. Crouch face-down and protect your head with your arms. If there is no time to do that, get under the seats or pews, protecting your head with your arms or hands.

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Joe Biden in Racine, Chicago Wednesday for speech, fundraiser

Ahead of his fundraiser in chicago, biden will travel to racine, wisconsin, by the associated press • published may 8, 2024 • updated on may 8, 2024 at 9:36 am.

President Joe Biden is racing into yet another battleground state Wednesday, continuing to push a contrast with Donald Trump on economic policy as his own reelection campaign readies a new $14 million advertising blitz aimed in part at Black, Latino and Asian American voters.

Biden is traveling to Racine, Wisconsin, where he’ll highlight a decision by Microsoft to build a $3.3 billion data center that is expected to create roughly 2,000 jobs. It’s also the spot where Trump, to much fanfare, lauded a plan by  Taiwan-based electronics giant Foxconn plan  to build a $10 billion manufacturing facility that was supposed to eventually employ 10,000 people. Except it was never completed.

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Conscious of that history, Microsoft’s president Brad Smith said in an interview with The Associated Press that Microsoft had a “steadfast commitment to under-promising and over-delivering” and praised the Biden administration and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers for economic policies that set the stage for the developments announced Wednesday.

Trump’s campaign didn’t address Foxconn, but the Republican former president often says the economy was in a much better position when he was in office and will be again should he win in 2024.

Meanwhile, Biden’s reelection team is sharpening its outreach to minority voters on the airwaves, with the fresh, seven-figure digital and television ad campaign launching Wednesday that follows the $30 million effort that began after his State of the Union address  in early March. One of the ads that is a part of the fresh campaign will also be released Wednesday and focuses on Trump’s failed yet determined push to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

After his speech, Biden is making a campaign stop to speak with Black voters about the stakes of the November election.

Following his visit to Wisconsin, Biden Wednesday night will visit Chicago to appear at a fundraiser for the Biden Victory Fund, the Chicago Sun-Times reported .

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The Biden campaign  wants to capitalize on the fundraising advantage it’s enjoyed over Trump, amassing significant resources on the ground in key battleground states to force Republicans to play catch-up much later in the year.

“Equally important as our own historic investments is the complete lack of investment on the other side,” Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign’s communications director, told reporters. “Trump’s paid media strategy can only be described as anemic and inefficient.”

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A significant portion of the $14 million campaign starting Wednesday will go into Black and Hispanic media, as well as Asian American print and radio, according to the campaign. Campaign officials also said Biden will continue to do targeted interviews with media that serve primarily minority audiences, while the campaign plans to launch in May more coalition groups that focus on specific blocs of voters. So far, the Biden campaign has started groups to engage women, Latinos and educators.

By the end of May, Biden’s reelection effort will have more than 200 offices and roughly 500 staff members in place, according to Dan Kanninen, the campaign’s battleground director. Those figures include offices in areas that traditionally haven’t seen investments by Democrats in pockets of Michigan, Arizona and North Carolina.

“We’re showing up in the community every day and attempting to earn every vote,” said Quentin Fulks, the Biden campaign’s principal deputy campaign manager. “Donald Trump and his team are doing none of that.”

Though Biden’s remarks in Racine are part of a formal White House event, Fulks said the stop will “highlight the stark contrast between the progress he’s made for Wisconsin’s families and Donald Trump’s failures.”

Microsoft’s Smith said the first phase of the new data center complex will bring an influx of 2,300 mostly construction jobs by the end of the year.

While Microsoft has been ramping up artificial intelligence-driven data center construction around the world, “this one is more important than many because there is more land and ultimately access to power available,” said Smith, who as a child lived in the area where the center is being built.

Once in operation, however, even the most powerful data centers typically employ a relatively small group of full-time employees to oversee them. Microsoft will have about 500, pulling from highly skilled workers in the corridor between Milwaukee and Chicago, Smith said.

However, he argued that the bigger impact for the region would be in the technology itself and broader investments in preparing the Upper Midwest for its impacts.

“This is about the competitiveness of manufacturing in places like Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania, and Ohio,” Smith said.

Racine County is a critical location. All but five of the past 33 winning presidential candidates carried it. Trump is one of the five. He won Racine County but lost the election. Biden was the first Democrat since 1976 to win Wisconsin without carrying Racine County.

Polls, including one from the Marquette University Law School last month, show the race to be about even in Wisconsin, where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by less than a percentage point. Biden won by just under 21,000 votes in 2020.

Republicans point to both state and national polls showing that their voters are more enthused than Democrats. In Wisconsin’s presidential primary a month ago, 18,000 more Republicans than Democrats voted.

This article tagged under:

Biden announces $3.3 billion AI investment by Microsoft at scaled-back Foxconn site Trump once touted

President Joe Biden traveled Wednesday to Wisconsin to announce a $3.3 billion investment by Microsoft to build an artificial intelligence data center.

The data center will be built on the property of a planned $10 billion Foxconn facility that Donald Trump touted during his presidency as a major revival of tech manufacturing in the U.S.

But those plans never fully materialized. Foxconn, based in Taiwan, later drastically scaled back plans for the factory, which Trump once called “ the eighth wonder of the world ,” reducing the number of new jobs from 13,000 to the roughly 1,000 spots that are filled now, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported .

In remarks Wednesday at Gateway Technical College in Sturtevant, in Racine County, Biden took aim at Trump multiple times for his "failed promises" about Foxconn, although he didn't mention his predecessor by name.

Biden said the failed Foxconn project during Trump's presidency left Wisconsin residents and workers behind, adding that it led to the bulldozing of 100 homes and farms and wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

“They dug a hole with those golden shovels, and then they fell into it," Biden said.

"Foxconn turned out to be just that — a con. Go figure," he added.

Biden touted his administration’s "investing in America" agenda, which includes commitments to rebuild roads and bridges, developments in clean energy and creating $866 billion in private-sector investment nationwide as part of efforts to revitalize American manufacturing.

Biden hailed Microsoft’s investment in the AI data center as a “transformative” investment in infrastructure, especially for the people of Racine, who he said will have the opportunity to get training for new high-paying jobs that don’t require four-year college degrees.

“During the previous administration, my predecessor made promises which he broke more than kept, left a lot of people behind in communities like Racine,” he said. “On my watch, we make promises and we keep promises, and we leave no one behind.”

Microsoft’s investment in the AI data center is expected to employ 2,300 union construction workers and create 2,000 permanent jobs over time, the White House said , adding that nearly 4,000 jobs have been added in Racine, a third of them in manufacturing, and 177,000 in Wisconsin since Biden took office.

Microsoft also plans to partner with Gateway Technical College in Wisconsin to develop a training facility to prepare 1,000 residents for data center jobs and roles in science, technology, engineering and math by 2030, with the aim of employing up to 2,000 people in permanent roles at its Racine facility, the White House said. It will also invest in training 1,000 business leaders to adopt AI in their operations.

The Trump campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the economy during Biden’s presidency has been worse compared with his time in office, often pointing to rising inflation and interest rates in recent months.

Biden and administration officials have recently traveled to key battleground states to highlight his economic record, such as legislation investing in infrastructure and clean energy, which Biden has said leads to the creation of more well-paid jobs based in the U.S.

Summer Concepcion is a politics reporter for NBC News.

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