Snowfall throughout most of the day has made for slick road conditions throughout Southeast Wisconsin.
But it's the high winds and drifting snow that make road clearing all the more difficult.
“You’ll go and you’ll plow a section of street, and by the time you get back to do your second pass, it’s blown back over," said Andy Voight, City of Jefferson Public Works foreman.
With gusts expected to reach up to 50 mph, the challenge exists along county highways and along city roads.
In Jefferson, city workers have been clearing main roads first, though with multiple passes and more expected as the snow continues to fall.
The hope, said Voight, is to have all residential streets cleared as well by Friday morning. His team is also dealing with the extremely cold temperatures — nearly 0 degrees on Thursday.
When it's that cold, Voight said salt is less effective, and anything that melts quickly flash freezes, creating more dangerous driving conditions.
"So that's why we rely on putting sand down against this kind of cold temperatures," said Voight.
The challenges are the same, as we saw, across other towns in the area, from Fort Atkinson to Palmyra.
And until the roads are cleared, Voight suggests staying off them, unless you absolutely have to drive.
"If you don’t need to be out driving around, stay at home. Enjoy your family. Turn the TV on," he said.
To help plow drivers, he also asks that you park your car in a driveway, or if you have access to a city lot, park it there to get it off the street.
If you do drive, the National Weather Service and FEMA recommend keeping some items in your car, from water and snacks to a cell phone charger and blankets. See their full list in the graphic below.
