Wisconsin
Northeast Wisconsin prepares for weekend snowstorm, officials readying trails, plows
BROWN COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – Preparations have begun for the snowstorm expected to hit northeast Wisconsin this weekend.
The people at the Brown County Highway Department spent Friday making sure their equipment is ready to go for when the flakes begin to fly. They’ll also send out some of their trucks to pre-treat the roads with brine.
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“That helps when the snow comes down preventing it from welding to the pavement as traffic is driving on it,” said Brown County Highway Department operations manager Mike Piacenti. “It makes it easier for us to get it up at the end of the storm.”
Piacenti said that they have about 44 trucks out at any given time when they have a snowstorm like the one expected for Saturday. He said right now the drivers are on standby waiting for the call to come into work once it begins to snow.
“We finally have a storm that we get to plow instead of just salt,” he said. “I think the guys are looking forward to pushing some snow instead of just going out there and dropping salt.”
While Piacenti’s team mans the big plows, people all over Northeast Wisconsin will likely have to do some snow removal of their own this weekend. For many, that means a trip to the hardware store to grab a new shovel or salt for their driveways.
“Either they need a new shovel because it wasn’t very good or because it’s broken,” said Katy Martin, the owner of Martin Hardware in Green Bay. “And then everybody needs salt.”
Martin added that in the days leading up to a snowstorm, they see extra customers come in for snow removal equipment. They also offer snowblower repairs which people utilize ahead of snowstorms.
However, it’s not all hard work during a snowstorm. Local park department officials say they look forward to snow falls because of the winter recreation opportunities.
The Brown County Parks Department’s cross-country skiing and snowshoeing have been opened trails this week, but they’re not in great condition, which is why they’re looking forward to snow, especially in a winter that hasn’t had much.
“Just getting snow for tomorrow is a good sign for things to come,” said Jason Petrella, the program and natural resources manager for the Brown County Parks Department.
Petrella said that significant snow could dramatically improve the trail quality. His staff spent Friday clearing debris from the trails and will spend Saturday grooming the trails even as it snows.
“We would prefer if people maybe stayed off until we’re done, it just gives that snow time to firm up that base,” said Petrella. “If you ski too soon you can ruin the base.”
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He said that those wanting to cross country ski should come on Sunday after the snowstorm. Brown County offers snowshoe rentals at Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve and snowshoe, cross country skiing, and fat tire bike rentals for the trails near the NEW Zoo and Adventure Park.
Petrella reminds people to buy a trail pass before they head out. That money helps the county maintain the trails and offer equipment rentals.
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About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
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Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
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Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
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The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
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