'People need to go slow:' Racine County DPW crews to work overnight amid wintry mix



RACINE COUNTY -- A winter weather advisory took effect for all of southeast Wisconsin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, and was set to remain in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday, with a mixture of sleet, freezing rain and snow expected, according to the FOX6 Weather Experts. It had already led to slick roads in time for the evening commute Tuesday in Racine County.



Julie Anderson



"These are very tricky forecasts, and any time you have icing, it's probably the most difficult thing we deal with," said Julie Anderson with the Racine County Department of Public Works.

With precipitation expected through the night, DPW officials planned to have 30 trucks out on the streets.

"We'll have crews working through the night on the main highways, at our main facilities, I-94 and so forth," said Anderson.

Meanwhile, We Energies crews prepared to handle power outages, as ice can cause problems.





"We're always keeping our eye to the weather, and when we know that inclement weather is coming in, we make sure that we have crews on standby. If you ever see a downed wire, we ask that you stay at least 25 feet away and give us a call immediately," said Amy Jahns, We Energies spokeswoman.

Officials asked that everyone take it easy on the roads. The FOX6 Weather Experts said the precipitation was expected to move out before the Wednesday morning commute.

"People just need to take their time and go slow and hopefully arrive at their destination safely," said Anderson.