Leader Staff
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski A plow truck prepares to turn onto Waukechon Street from Dallman Street in Shawano on Friday. Trucks were out in force trying to keep roads clear for travelers.
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski A wall of snow almost obscures the view of the electronic sign at Hillcrest Primary School, which announced school was closed for the day. The winter storm caused many schools throughout the area to close due to hazardous road conditions.
You can’t fool Mother Nature, but she apparently still likes to play games.
After teasing the area with several days of almost springlike weather, she reminded folks that, yes, it’s still winter, with an estimated three to five inches of snow and ice dumped overnight Thursday and into Friday afternoon.
“We got slammed,” said Shawano Public Works Coordinator Eddie Sheppard, who added that snowfall totals were difficult to gauge because of high winds.
Nevertheless, road crews were prepared for the onslaught and the higher temperatures earlier in the week worked in their favor.
“With the pavement still warm, it’s been melting pretty good,” Sheppard said.
Motorists also seemed to adapt quickly to the changing conditions.
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department reported 10 minor accidents, mostly-slide-ins, between midnight and Friday afternoon.
The storm forced numerous school closings in communities throughout the area, including Shawano, the Menominee Reservation, Bowler, Clintonville, Gillett and Gresham. Shawano County meal sites were also shuttered.
Another inch of snow was forecast to fall overnight Friday.
The storm packed a stronger punch in western Wisconsin and Minnesota, where a foot of snow fell in some areas, creating dangerous travel conditions. Gusty winds of 35 to 45 mph led to whiteout conditions on rural roads.
More than a foot of snow had fallen in southern Minnesota’s Blue Earth County by Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service, with 9 inches in western Wisconsin’s Eau Claire County.