UNDATED (WSAU) High wind warnings continue across Central Wisconsin today, with some areas seeing gusts above 60-miles per hour.
A high wind warning from the National Weather Service is in effect for Menominee, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Taylor, Clark, Juneau, Adams, Marathon, Wood, and Portage Counties until 7pm tonight. A wind advisory is in effect for Vilas, Price, Oneida, Forest, Lincoln, and Langlade Counties until 7pm. Some areas in northwestern Wisconsin are seeing their first snow and freezing rain of the season from this weather system.
There are widespread power outages from downed trees and tree limbs. Wisconsin Public Service says more than 46,000 customers are without electricity. Most of the outages are in Minocqua and Wabeno. There are scattered outages in Merrill, Tomahawk, Rhinelander, Eagle River, and Antigo. About 1600 Wausau customers are without electricty, and there are individual customers in Stevens Point without power.
A weak tornado with winds up to 110-miles-an-hour hit the Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant areas in Racine County a little before eight this morning. It blew a 200-foot section off the roof at the Case-New Holland plant at Racine. The company said two employees had minor injuries. One fell and hurt a shoulder, while the other was hit with debris in the parking lot.
Weather experts say it’s the second most-powerful windstorm in Great Lakes history. Only the Ohio Blizzard of 1978 was stronger. Forecasters say the central pressure in this storm is what you’d find in a Category-Two hurricane. A record-low barometric pressure for Wisconsin was recorded yesterday in Superior – 28.38.
High winds are likely through this afternoon. Winds may die down slightly this evening, but will remain strong into early Thursday.
