Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s recent winter storms damaged a lot of trees. Here’s how you can protect them.
Drone view: Winter wonderland from the snow in the Milwaukee area
Check out a drone view of the winter wonderland from Thursday’s snow around the Milwaukee area.
Snow and ice covered Milwaukee and much of southeastern Wisconsin earlier this month with totals topping 10 inches further from Lake Michigan.
While snow might provide some much needed relief during drought conditions, especially as it melts, it can also result in broken and hanging tree branches littering roadways and damaging property.
Moreover, during Wisconsin’s most recent winter storms, heavy snow weighing down tree limbs, forcing them into contact with power lines, was largely blamed for widespread power outages across the greater Milwaukee area.
What are the signs of tree damage and how can you protect them during snowy and icy conditions? Here’s what you need to know:
What are the signs of tree damage?
Snow and ice can damage trees by breaking branches and treetops. But there are other, less visible signs of damage as some cells in the trunk of the tree could have ruptured—called ring shake. Some signs of ring shake can include a lean, large overgrown knots and bulges and burls near the base of the tree.
Tree roots emerging from the ground after its bent over are an indicator there’s a safety hazard, but also that the tree has a poor likelihood of surviving, said DNR Forest Health Specialist Bill McNee.
What you can do to protect trees from winter snow and ice damage:
If there are smaller trees on your property that are bent over, you can remove any snow or ice to help the tree straighten to its original position. The longer the tree is bent over, the more difficult it will be for it to return to its original position.
To knock off any snow and ice, you can use a pole pruner or other longer tool to brush off the snow and push the tree back up. Trees are also vary on how much snow or ice they can handle before breaking or bending. Trees like aspen and basswood are more likely to break than hickory, birch and oak.
If the tree has a lot of damage, you might need to remove the tree before it continues to degrade.
What to do for trees that are down or hanging:
For trees that are damaged, sick or diseased, of that are down or hanging, you can call the City of Milwaukee Call Center at 414-286-CITY (2489).
If you have any concerns about fallen branches or other safety concerns, you can contact a local arborist to assess the tree in your yard. To find a certified arborist, you can search the Wisconsin Arborist Association list of local arborists at www.waa-isa-.org or the International Society of Arborists at www.isa-arbor.com.
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.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
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.
FOX6 Weather Extras
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.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
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