EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (FOX 9) – Some unexpected snow in western Wisconsin led to multiple crashes on Interstate 94. 

What we know

The National Weather Service says the snow formed from steam coming from a factory in Menomonie. 

READ MORE: Wisconsin crashes reported in area hit by factory-induced snowWI 

The Wisconsin Highway Patrol tells FOX 9 that the snow on I-94 only stretched for 10 miles. It caught one tow truck driver near Eau Claire by surprise when he got a tow call.

“We got our first call, and they said it was white-out conditions and to take your time, to be careful, I looked out the window and the sun was shining,” said Eric Rehberg Manager of Chad’s Towing and Recovery. 

Police say there were a total of 16 crashes, one of them with serious injuries. Phones at Chad’s Towing and Recovery were ringing off the hook. 

“We probably were in the 20 to 25 calls,” said Rehberg.

Wisconsin State Troopers closed off the highway for three hours, from 11 a.m. till about 2 p.m. The snow on Highway 94 only spanned for 10 miles.

“One side of town didn’t have any snow, and the roads were dry, and the middle part of town had four inches of snow and cars in the ditch and into each other all over the place,” said Rehberg. 

How did this happen? 

The National Weather Service reports that snow formed from steam coming from a factory in Menomonie, adding that conditions were in a “sweet spot” for snow formation to come from supercooled water droplets. 

The result was a narrow 100-mile plume of snow.

“I read that this morning, and I wasn’t sure what to think about that. I guess it’s possible,” said Rehberg. 

FOX 9 reached out to one factory in the area to see if they knew what the source of the steam was, but no administrative staff were available.

Wisconsin football’s season is sunk.

And it’s a program that’s facing uncharted waters after Friday’s dreadful showing in its 24-7 loss to Minnesota in the regular-season finale.

No bowl game. A losing season. Questions about the coaching staff. Questions about the roster.

The season has actually been sinking for some time, but the Badgers still had a chance to salvage whatever was left of it with a win over Minnesota.

It was a rivalry game. It was at home. And it was for a chance to play in a bowl game, something that every Wisconsin team has played in for the last 22 years.

Instead, the Badgers lost for the fifth straight time behind an offense that is no longer recognizable to players from the past. Wisconsin also suffered its third consecutive defeat at Camp Randall Stadium and fourth this season.

Former Wisconsin football players have been following the season closely and speaking out in disgust on social media as the losses have piled up. Like the fans at Camp Randall Stadium on Friday, they again let their feelings be known about the direction of the program as Wisconsin finished the 2024 season 5-7.

Here’s a sample of the reactions from the likes of Brian Calhoun, Braelon Allen, Sojourn Shelton and others:

Takeaways from: Wisconsin’s 24-7 loss to Minnesota at Camp Randall Stadium

Two plucky Big Ten teams square off when the Wisconsin Badgers take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in what should make for an interesting matchup during Week 14 of the 2024 college football season. This game kicks off at 9 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. CT) on Friday, November 29 with a live broadcast on CBS, and streaming live on demand for free.

• WATCH: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin football live for free with Fubo (free trial), or see it streaming free on Paramount+ (free trial), or see even more streaming options below.

What TV channel is the Wisconsin vs. Minnesota football game on today?

When: Kickoff takes place at 9 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. CT) on Friday, November 29.

Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI

TV Channel: CBS, or streaming on demand with Paramount Plus.

How to watch streaming live: The best way to watch this game for free is by streaming it on Paramount+ (free trial, then only $7.99/month) which will have massive Big Ten football games streaming each week. If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or with DirecTV Stream (free trial). If you already have cable, you can also watch this game live on CBS Sports with your cable or satellite provider login information.

You can find out more about which channel CBS is on in your area by using the channel finders here: Comcast Xfinity, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice.

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota spread, betting odds

Point spread: WIS: -2 | MIN: +2

Over/Under: 43.5

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