Southeast Wisconsin farmers adjust to historic weather swings

3 months after Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, where things stand

We Energies delays Oak Creek coal plant closure again

From JSOnline:

Francesca Pica

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

We Energies will again delay the closure of its aging coal plant in Oak Creek.

The utility said in public filings to state regulators it's considering keeping two coal units at the Oak Creek Power Plant open into 2027. We Energies initially planned to shut down the plant in 2023 but delayed closure to 2025, then 2026, "to meet high energy demand periods."

The coal units first went online in the 1960s. They now run during periods of peak demand, typically the hottest and coldest days of the year, to help support the electric grid.

The utility says it wants to ensure grid reliability before shutting down the plant, referencing the extreme cold that hit southeast Wisconsin in January.

"Having available generation was incredibly important for reliability and also valuable for our customers," We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway said.

We Energies is also waiting for new natural gas plants in Oak Creek and Kenosha County to go into service. The plants will help supplement new wind and solar projects as demand for electricity is expected to increase.

"How much [the coal plant] may run, even now through then, remains to be seen," Conway said. "But keeping it available will be super important for a really hot stretch or cold polar vortex."

Environmental groups say decision hurts public health

Environmental groups like Clean Wisconsin said extending the plant's life adds to damage the environment and the health of nearby residents.

"It's turning its back on the communities who are dealing with the pollution that comes from that plant every single day," Amy Barrilleaux, Clean Wisconsin communication director, told the Journal Sentinel.

Plant closure deadlines are set by utilities and don't have an enforcement mechanism – rendering them "meaningless," Barrilleaux said.

"To sit here and say, now it's going to be the end of 2027, I don't know who's going to believe that," she said.

Barrilleaux said the move keeps Wisconsin ratepayers on the hook longer for coal power, which is more expensive than renewable sources like wind and solar.

Conway said that because the plant runs only during periods of peak demand, when energy is at its most expensive, the electricity it supplies to the grid helps reduce overall costs.

The move comes as the Trump administration has ordered retiring coal plants to remain open, including in Michigan and Indiana. The Oak Creek extension is unrelated, Conway said.

Because the Michigan and Indiana plants operate on the same regional grid, Wisconsin residents pay costs associated with them in addition to the Oak Creek facility, Barrilleaux said.

"[The Trump administration's] desperate attempt to prop up what is a dying fuel source is just going to cost us a lot of money," Barrilleaux said.

Francesca Pica can be reached at fpica@usatodayco.com.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/energy/2026/04/03/we-energies-to-keep-oak-creek-coal-plant-open-in-2027/89409096007/

3/12 Evening forecast: Dangerous weather ahead for all of SE Wisconsin

Russia cripples Ukraine’s energy system in the midst of a brutal winter

School bus driver offered rides to kids after finishing route, but officials shut it down

Falling iguanas in Florida • FRANCE 24 English

Moment snow storm TEARS UP New York as deadly weather closes airports and schools

Protests intensify after second Minneapolis resident is killed by federal agents

Wisconsin extreme cold impact; problems for cars, home heating | FOX6 News Milwaukee

More than 160 million Americans under storm watches, warnings

Have You Burped Your House?: What’s Behind the New Health Trend

With an extreme cold watch expected to go into effect this weekend, Milwaukee is getting prepared

Bitter wind chills to stay in Racine and Kenosha this week

From The Journal Times.com:

Milana Doné

Racine and Kenosha counties can expect frigid wind chills the rest of the week.

FILE PHOTO

RACINE — Racine and Kenosha counties can expect frigid wind chills the rest of the week.

According to meteorologist Benjamin Sheppard of the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan station, Wednesday will bring highs in the mid 20s and single digit lows. The wind chill will be around 10 degrees, falling into the single digits overnight.

Early Wednesday morning is supposed to bring three to four inches of snow. The winter weather advisory will end at 6 a.m. Wednesday, but the snow may still affect the morning commute.

Wednesday's temperatures will help the salt on the roads be more effective as the day goes in. Caution should still be taken on the evening commute.

There will be a lull during the day before the snow returns Wednesday evening shortly after 5 p.m. until around midnight. Sheppard said it will yield an additional half an inch to an inch and a half of snow.

This precipitation is not lake effect snow, he said.

“Based off of the wind’s direction that we’re getting with this, this will just a good old synoptically, system-driven snowfall. None of that snow will be lake effect or lake enhanced,” Sheppard said.

Thursday will have highs in the teens and lows from negative 7 to negative 12. The windchill Thursday night into Friday is slated to reach into the negative 20s.

Friday will see highs around zero or slightly below while lows are predicted to be between negative 7 to negative 14.

Sheppard said the worst cold will be Thursday night into Friday. The National Weather Service has not officially released an advisory as of Tuesday morning, but he expects there will at least be a cold weather advisory.

“Depending on how things trend in that time window, we are potentially considering an extreme cold watch which would then be upgraded into an extreme cold warning,” Sheppard said.

If there is an official advisory, he said those are often put in place at least 24 hours prior to the beginning of the extreme conditions.

Sheppard recommends taking precautions for the cold and snow this week.

Suggestions include budgeting plenty of travel time to reach destinations and even considering avoiding travel if it is not necessary.

Additionally, people in Racine and Kenosha counties should be bundling their winter clothes, dressing in layers, reducing time spent outdoors, keeping pets indoors and ensuring heaters and furnace exhaust outputs are unclogged to combat carbon monoxide risks.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/article_17946049-0a03-41cb-94e2-fe2729e0ef84.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Hundreds take polar plunge in Milwaukee | FOX6 News Milwaukee

Cops Gone Great: Hero Cop Saves Dog From Frozen Lake

What Is The Right Way To Wear Your Winter Coat?

Severe Winter Weather Sweeps Across US With Ice and Snow

Advice for dealing with seasonal viruses and alcohol consumption during the holidays

Travelers should plan for cold, blustery Thanksgiving in Southeast Wisconsin

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

RACINE COUNTY — Southeast Wisconsin should plan for a cold, blustery Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

As of late Tuesday morning, the NWS declared a wind advisory for the Racine and Kenosha areas for Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Andy Boxell, a NWS meteorologist, said Wednesday will bring strong wind gusts of 40-45 mph, along with a few snow showers.

“I would encourage folks to be mindful of the wind, especially if anybody’s driving a larger vehicle,” he said. “Especially anybody driving (on) a north-south roadway, that’s going to have that crosswind and that’ll make things a little bit bumpy.”

According to Boxell, most of Wednesday’s snow likely will be north of Racine County.

“If anybody’s traveling north — like you’re traveling north toward the Green Bay area, for instance — those snow showers are going to be much more widespread as you get up into central and northern Wisconsin,” he said.

Winds will slow to 25-30 mph on Thanksgiving Day, but temperatures will drop, Boxell said, with highs expected at 30-32 degrees Fahrenheit in Racine and Kenosha counties.

More snow is possible Friday into Saturday night. Boxell said the NWS could not give accumulation estimates as of Tuesday morning.

Who will be traveling this holiday weekend?

AAA predicted 1.65 million Wisconsin residents will travel at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday, Nov. 25, and Monday, Dec. 1.

This is a 2% increase from last year and a new record for Thanksgiving travel in the state, according to AAA.

About 1.45 million Wisconsinites will travel by car, a 1.7% increase from last year; 140,550 will travel by air; and more than 50,000 will travel by bus, train or cruise, AAA said.

Summer Hegranes, marketing coordinator at the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, said the airport expects a similar travel volume to last Thanksgiving, with about 20,000 passengers departing from and arriving to Milwaukee for the holiday.

She said the Milwaukee airport does not foresee significant delays over the holiday weekend.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/weather/article_103e273b-f496-41bc-b587-872d9ab476ed.html#tracking-source=home-top-story