Storm Disrupts Thursday Travel

The winter storm that dropped more than a foot of snow on some parts of Wisconsin also disrupted travel.

Dane County Airport spokesman Brent McHenry said with the exception of a few early Thursday morning, all flights were either cancelled or delayed, and the airport wasn’t expecting any takeoffs later in the evening evening. Many flights out of Green Bay’s Austin-Straubel International Airport and out of Milwaukee’s Mitchell Airport were also canceled because of the storm. In Dane County, McHenry says travelers should be wary of delays even into Friday.

“So we encourage everyone to check our website, check the airline websites, if necessary call the 800 number to each of their respective airlines,” he says.

Officials urged all travelers to be cautious Thursday evening. Wisconsin Emergency Management spokesman Scott Lieburn says most roads would be nearly impassable in the southern part of the state due to high winds and blowing snow. He says residents should also be aware that power outages are possible, especially in the southeastern part of the state.

“As the wind picks up and the temperature drops, that’s going to lead to drifting and severe blowing and the blizzard conditions,” he says.”The other challenge that’s going to pose is the wet snow that is stuck to the trees and the power lines right now, as the wind picks up that may be a concern and we have to be prepared for power outages.”

Wisconsin Emergency Management is updating its website with information on the storm and is also providing updates via Facebook and Twitter.