MILWAUKEE — As this morning’s snow turned into a heavy wintery mix of snow/sleet and in some cases freezing rain, the major concern now is accumulating ice.
"Ice storms can be absolutely devastating to trees and to the power infrastructure of a region,” said David Robinson, New Jersey State Climatologist and professor of geography at Rutgers University.
He says we are likely to see tree limbs or power lines come down in an ice storm because of how much ice weighs.
"Water has a lot of weight to it and with that anything that coats the structure that's not usually handling that weight is going to suffer the consequences,” said Robinson.
Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Marisa Woloszyn says if a 1/2 inch of ice falls on a 30-foot-wide tree that is equivalent to about 3,500 pounds. That is the same as sticking 420 milk gallons to a tree.
“We are only expecting a quarter to a half inch of ice. But ice likes to collect to something,” said Woloszyn.
- MORE STORM COVERAGE: Why freezing rain and sleet can be dangerous
What could make the situation even worse especially for power lines is the wind. The Omaha Public Power District says most power distribution lines are designed to handle a half inch of ice and 40-mile-per-hour winds. After that point, lines usually snap.
"Our winds have already been gusting near 40 miles per hour so unfortunately, yes we are already looking at those amounts of ice and gusty winds, which does lead to concern,” said Woloszyn.
“So hunker down inside. Be prepared for power outages and wait it out for hopefully some warm weather to come quick enough to melt that ice,” said Robinson.
If you do see a power line go down or see one on the ground. First, do not approach it. Second, WE Energies says do not assume it has been reported. Call 911 and WE Energies at 800-662-4797 to let first responders know.
