Drivers, exercise caution! Wintry mix makes for messy commute
MILWAUKEE — A wintry mix of snow, ice, gusty winds and freezing rain created poor driving conditions for motorists on Monday, December 28th.
A Winter Storm WARNING took effect for all of southeastern Wisconsin Monday morning, and would remain in effect until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday.
The snow would gradually transition over to sleet and freezing rain on Monday afternoon -- and then back to snow overnight.
It was windy Monday as well -- with gusts at 40-50 miles-per-hour -- leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility at times.
Ice accumulation was likely in our southern counties, and the greatest snow accumulations were likely in northwestern counties.
City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works officials said 96 salt trucks would be hitting the road overnight/early on Monday morning. 12 salt trucks were added to that contingent of 96 trucks on Monday afternoon, for a total of 108 salt trucks treating main roads first.
At 5:00 p.m. Monday, DPW officials says there will be a total of 228 plows on city streets. As sanitation crews complete their collection routes Monday, plow blades will be mounted to the 120 garbage trucks.
City of Milwaukee DPW crews didn't begin plowing until 2:00 p.m.
That's an interesting contrast from Milwaukee County's Highway Division. Crews started plowing at 10:00 a.m.
Winter parking regulations continue to be relaxed in the city of Milwaukee. DPW officials say that's the case "until further notice."
Milwaukee County Sheriff's officials said between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday, deputies responded to 48 crashes involving property damage, two crashes involving injury, and 81 disabled vehicles.
Car goes into the ditch on I-94 WB in Brookfield.
There were crashes and disabled vehicles across southeastern Wisconsin Monday.
A crash closed all lanes on southbound I-94 near County K in Racine County temporarily late Monday morning. All lanes reopened around 11:15 a.m.
In Oconomowoc -- all lanes of I-94 westbound were temporarily closed at WIS 67 Monday afternoon due to a traffic incident. All lanes reopened around 1:15 p.m.
Dispatchers in Racine and Kenosha counties said they were seeing issues with semi trucks on Monday.
Officials in Racine on Monday afternoon were on the scene of a jackknifed semi on I-94 SB between Highway 20 and Highway K. All of the southbound lanes of I-94 were closed in the area. Traffic was able to get around this crash via the median shoulder, according to DOT officials. This scene was cleared around 2:30 p.m.
The two right lanes of I-41/I-94 at Mile Marker 334 were closed due to a crash in Racine County late on Monday afternoon.
The US 145 off-ramp on I-41 NB was closed due to a disabled vehicle on Monday evening.
Road temperatures can drastically impact driving conditions.
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