Utility crews worked into Sunday to restore power to thousands in Wisconsin due to a weekend storm that wreaked havoc across the Great Lakes region. The storm caused downed power lines and led to a dangerous mix of rain and snow developing in the Northeast.
Amid the ongoing disruptions, Des Moines International Airport remained closed on Sunday morning, a particularly busy travel day as many returned home after the Thanksgiving holiday. A Delta Connection flight from Detroit had slid off an icy runway on Saturday night, but officials reported that no injuries occurred, and passengers were transported to the terminal by bus.
In western Michigan, hundreds of churches advised worshippers to stay home or attend services online due to hazardous weather, as areas closest to Lake Michigan reported snow accumulations of up to 12 inches.
We Energies, the utility company in Wisconsin, reported over 6,000 outages, mainly in Milwaukee and South Milwaukee. Witnesses reported sagging power lines due to the weight of the heavy, wet snow. Local resident Mark Paladino noted his power went out while he was shoveling snow.
Meanwhile, in Iowa, traveling conditions remained hazardous due to gusty winds blowing snow back onto roads. Meteorologist Andrew Orrison noted that over a foot of snow was registered in certain areas, including a significant 15 inches in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
As snowfall begins to subside in the Great Lakes, a new winter storm is expected to hit the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by Tuesday, with forecasts predicting up to a foot of snow. According to Orrison, this might be the first substantial snowfall for many areas, although major cities may not experience significant accumulations.
