(This story will be updated throughout the day.)
A blizzard warning is in effect for Green Bay and northeastern Wisconsin until 4 p.m. Monday, March 16, as record-breaking snowfall pounded the area.
Green Bay received 17.1 inches of snow on March 15, breaking the record of 6 inches set in 1959 for that day, according to the National Weather Service Green Bay. It’s the third highest single-day record, behind 17.8 inches set on Jan. 9, 1889 and 24 inches on March 1, 1888.
Follow the Press-Gazette for information on the storm and its effects on schools, businesses, garbage collection on Monday, March 16.
Brown County urges people to stay off roads, issues a tow ban
Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach called on residents to stay off the roads as plows work to clear the snow.
“Even though the snowfall has ended, high winds continue causing significant drifting making it difficult for crews to keep roads clear,” Streckenbach said.
The county also issued a town ban for all interstates and highways countywide, as even wreckers, plows and squad cars have gotten stuck.
Green Bay-area schools cancel Tuesday classes
Here are the northeastern Wisconsin districts that have announced school closures on Tuesday, March 17:
Flights into Green Bay airport to resume Monday night; departures should resume Tuesday morning
Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport should see its first arrival Monday night after a blizzard forced airlines to cancel flights to and from Green Bay for almost two days.
Three Delta Air Lines flights are expected to arrive Monday evening in Green Bay, one each from Detroit, Minneapolis and Atlanta. United Airlines has one flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport scheduled to arrive Monday night, as well.
United, Delta and American Airlines all canceled departures from Green Bay on Sunday and Monday due to the blizzard.
Green Bay Airport Director Marty Piette said Monday night’s arrivals should enable United and Delta to resume normal flight services to and from the Green Bay airport on Tuesday, March 17. He said American currently expects to resume arrivals and departures on Tuesday morning.
Piette said airport crews have continued to plow runways, taxiways and roadways to make sure the airport is ready when the airlines are able to resume service. He said the currently schedule is subject to change based on weather conditions.
Ashwaubenon bar and grill offers snow plow drivers a discount as a thank you for blizzard work
While snowplow drivers remain busy clearing roads for a second straight day, one Green Bay-area business plans to thank them later this week.
Stadium View Bar, 1963 Holmgren Way, will host Snow Plow Drivers Appreciation Day on Wednesday, March 18, according to a Facebook event page.
Snow removal drivers can stop in and get 50% off their meal or a free drink.
“During this crazy snowstorm, our snowplow drivers have been working nonstop to keep our roads safe and clear. We want to take a moment to say thank you for everything you do for our community,” the post reads.
No injuries reported in barn roof collapse in Kewaunee County
There were no injuries to people or animals after a section of a roof collapsed at a Kewaunee County Farm on Sunday morning. According to a video sent to a Green Bay television station, a portion of the roof above a holding area at Junion Homestead near Casco collapsed on March 15 due to the weight of the snow. The National Weather Service reported that areas in Kewaunee County received over 20 inches of snow, with top wind gusts reaching roughly 45 to 55 miles per hour.
The now seven-generation dairy was founded in 1868 and hosted the 2018 Kewaunee County Breakfast on the Farm to celebrate the farm’s 150th anniversary.
Prevea closes clinics, reschedules procedures
All Prevea Health locations are closed for in-person appointments and procedures March 16. That includes all Prevea’s health centers, the Prevea Surgery Center on Shawano Avenue, and urgent care locations. Anyone who has an appointment will be contacted to reschedule.
Call your provider directly or 920-496-4700 with any questions.
Warming shelters available at Door County fire stations
Two fire stations in northern Door County are serving as warming shelters for those who need a safe and warm place to stay because of the storm.
The shelters are available at the Gibraltar Fire Station, 3496 County F, Fish Creek, and the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department, 2258 Mill Road, Sister Bay.
Washington Island Electric dealing with numerous outages, difficult conditions
The Washington Island Electric Cooperative is dealing with terrible weather conditions as it works to fix numerous power outages on the Island.
A post on its Facebook page at about 7:30 a.m. March 16 said the utility had reported outages at that time on Jackson Harbor/Indian Point Road, Wickman Drive, Njord Heim Areas, Old West Harbor Road and McDonald Road, with likely more that haven’t been reported yet.
A post from late in the afternoon of March 15 said crews had restored power to areas on Hemlock Drive and were working on the west side of the Island, but once that work was completed they wouldn’t be able to continue until the next morning because it would be unsafe with the darkness, poor visibility, very strong winds and large amounts of snow.
“Our crew is digging out to be able to get into work. They will be heading out as soon as possible,” the post the morning of March 16 said. “PLEASE STAY HOME! The Town (of Washington) crew is working to get the roads cleared, but it is going to be a long, tiring job.”
The March 16 post also noted that Robert Cornell, manager of the electric cooperative, said he’d never experienced north winds as strong as those battering the Island during the storm.
Green Bay-area businesses closed Monday, March 16, due to blizzard
Several Green Bay area restaurants and businesses announced they will remain closed Monday. Here’s a list:
Nearly 30 vehicle runoffs in 24 hours in northeast region
The Wisconsin State Patrol has responded to 28 vehicles running off the road between 7 a.m. March 15 and 7 a.m. March 16 in the northeast region, according to data from the Department of Transportation. The northeast region includes Brown, Calumet, Door, Fond du Lac, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie, Sheboygan and Winnebago counties.
At the same time, the State Patrol has responded to a total of 225 vehicle runoffs across the state.
The State Patrol has assisted 24 motorists in that 24-hour period and responded to six property damage crashes, according to the Department of Transportation.
Rare do not travel advisory covers all 11 northeast Wisconsin counties
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s road conditions map shows black lines throughout all 11 counties in the northeast region. That is a do not travel advisory, a warning that “does not happen often,” Mark Kantola with the Department of Transportation said.
“Big events like this that totally have in black are very rare,” Kantola said. “And when people see them, they need to heed it.”
The wind is the most challenging part right now, Kantola said. Winds can cause mounds of snow or snowbanks in the road and also cause whiteout conditions, limiting visibility. Roads going east and west are seeing a larger impact, Kantola said, as the winds are travelling in those directions.
Some stuck without power overnight
Most residents across northeastern Wisconsin have not lost power during this blizzard. But for those that have, outages have sometimes lasted through the night.
The number of customers without power has hovered around 1,600 through the morning of March 16, according to Wisconsin Public Service, which services about 450,000 customers in much of northeastern Wisconsin. This was down from about 2,660 the previous afternoon.
Loss of power has mostly been a localized issue, with the largest number of outages in Door County, at over 50 of the roughly 70 incidents reported by WPS. Most of those power losses occurred through the night of March 15 into the early morning of March 16, affecting less than 50 people at a time. For many of those impacted, it hasn’t yet been determined when residents would see their power come back on or the cause of the outage, according to WPS’ outage map.
Matthew Cullen, a senior communications specialist at WPS, said crews were working around the clock to restore power. He said the challenge with this storm were the terrible road conditions slowing crew response times and making some areas inaccessible.
While this storm has seen downed power lines and trees, it’s not caused “substantial damages.”
Green Bay airport flights canceled; activity could resume Monday afternoon
Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport flights departing Monday morning have been canceled, but Airport Director Marty Piette said crews could be ready to resume activity this afternoon.
Airlines canceled all of Sunday’s flights and Monday morning’s flights, Piette said. But crews continue to plow a runway and taxiways to keep them clear. And with snow expected to stop soon, Piette said activity could resume this afternoon.
“That’s what we’re hoping,” Piette said. “Ultimately, the airlines will decide based on weather conditions. We’ll be ready to go when the airlines are ready.”
Piette said travelers affected by the storm should download their airline’s app and contact the airline directly to make alternate arrangements.
Banks, credit unions close Green Bay, Marinette area branches due to blizzard
Several banks and credit unions have closed their branches and offices Monday due to the blizzard’s impacts.
Most banks and credit unions indicated they will return to normal business hours on Tuesday, March 17.
Weather forecast for Green Bay on March 16
An early weather forecast calls for snow until about 2 p.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service Green Bay. Winds are expected to be 23-29 mph with gusts near 50 mph. Another 3-7 inches of snow is expected Monday.
Temperatures will drop to about 1 in the evening and skies should clear. “Blowing snow, visibility and slick roads continue to be big concerns,” WisDOT says.
Most garbage collection delayed into the week
Garbage delays in Allouez, Bellevue, Green Bay, De Pere, Howard, Lawrence, Ledgeivew and Suamico will cascade into the rest of the week. All collections will be delayed by one day. (Monday collection will be on Tuesday, Tuesday will be on Wednesday, etc.)
Ashwaubenon has announced that normal Monday garbage collection will be delayed until Tuesday. No other collection days will be affected this week, according to the village.
Pulaski has said that Monday garbage pickup will start at 8 a.m. with the hope to collect all garbage by the end of the day. Residents with uncollected garbage may put extra bags next to containers, according to the village.
Green Bay Metro
The Green Bay Metro bus line, paratransit service and GBM on demand will not operate Monday. It expects to resume normal operations on Tuesday, March 17.
Schools cancel Monday classes
The following school districts have canceled classes for Monday, March 16. There will be no after-school or evening activities.
Snow emergencies
Snow emergencies for the most part prohibit parking on streets. The following municipalities have declared snow emergencies:
Allouez: Ends at 6 p.m. Monday
Ashwaubenon: Ends at 10 a.m. Tuesday
Bellevue: Ends at 6 a.m. Tuesday
Denmark: Ends at noon Tuesday
De Pere: Ends at 6 p.m. Monday
Green Bay: Ends at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday
Hobart: Ends at noon Tuesday
Howard: Ends at 6 a.m. Tuesday
Lawrence: Ends at noon Monday
Ledgeview: Ends at noon Tuesday
Suamico: Ends at noon Tuesday
Wrightstown: Ends at 6 p.m. Monday
Salvation Army Community Center, Kroc Church to close
The Salvation Army of Greater Green Bay Corps Community Center and Kroc Church, on the city’s east side at 1315 Lime Kiln Road, will be closed Monday.
Emplify Health clinics to close Monday
UPDATE: All Emplify Health Bellin Urgent Care and FastCare clinics will be closed Monday. All primary and specialty care clinics are closed, too.
The announcement does not affect the provider’s hospitals in Green Bay or Oconto, which will remain open, including to emergency care around the clock, the news release said.
Urgent care clinics in Ashwaubenon and Bellevue that were scheduled to be open on Monday will be closed.
Green Bay City Hall to close Monday
City Hall, at 100 N. Jefferson St., will not open to in-person services on Monday, according to a city news release.
City services that are available online, including pet licensing and paying citations, will remain open for service on the city’s website, greenbaywi.gov.
Most Brown County offices to close Monday
All non-essential services provided by the Brown County government will close to the public on Monday, according to a county news release. All departments deemed critical will remain operational.
Affected departments include the county clerk’s office, the library system, the courthouse and its clerk of courts, and the Aging and Disability Resource Center.
Remaining operational will be: The sheriff’s office, the dispatch center, the highway department, the airport, the community treatment center, as well as port and resource recovery.
NWTC in Green Bay cancels classes
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay anounced that all locations will be closed Monday. The college has campuses in Green Bay, Marinette and Sturgeon Bay and centers in Aurora, Crivitz, Luxemburg, Oconto Falls and Shawano.
AVB Community Band concert canceled
AVB Community Band’s free “Echoes of Time” concert at 7 pm. Monday at Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center has been canceled.
Mulva Cultural Center to close
The Mulva Cultural Center in De Pere will be closed Monday due to the weather.
Lambeau Field Atrium will close
The Lambeau Field Atrium and all businesses inside, like the Packers Pro Shop and 1919 Kitchen & Tap, will be closed on Monday. Stadium tours through Lambeau Field and the Packers Hall of Fame will also be unavailable.
Ashwaubenon delays Monday garbage pickup
Garbage typically scheduled for Monday collection will be delayed until Tuesday, March 17, the village announced in a social media post. The delay will not affect other pickup days during the week, the village said.
Curative Connections transport closed
Curative Connections, the nonprofit that provides specialized transportation options for seniors and those with disabilities, will suspend all transportation services on Monday, according to a news release.
Pulaski garbage collection will be delayed
Garbage collection in Pulaski will start later than usual on Monday, the village said in a social media post.
Trash collection will begin at 8 a.m. with the hope to collect all garbage within the day, the post said. For residents who have garbage that’s unable to be collected, the village will allow extra bags to be placed next to the trash container, the village said.
NEW Zoo & Adventure Park to close for 2 days
NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Suamico will be Monday due to severe weather. The closure includes the zoo, Neil Anderson Canopy Tour and winter equipment rentals at the Adventure Park.
Funeral postponed for former Packers president Bob Harlan
Funeral service at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in downtown Green Bay and a celebration of life in the Lambeau Field Atrium for former Packers CEO and president Bob Harlan have been postponed.
Originally scheduled for Monday, they have been rescheduled for March 23.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Updates on blizzard in Green Bay area: Forecast, closures, travel
Reporting by Jesse Lin, Kendra Meinert, Peter Frank, Jeff Bollier, Vivian Barrett, Benita Mathew, Christopher Clough, Ariel Perez and Colleen Kottke, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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