Full Notification

Wisconsin’s Winter Awareness Week
November 7-11, 2011

(MADISON) – Are you ready for winter? November 7-11, 2011 is Winter Awareness Week in Wisconsin. The annual campaign, sponsored by Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM), its ReadyWisconsin preparedness program and NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), is to remind people to be prepared for winter conditions that could threaten their safety.

“The number one thing to do: make sure you have an emergency supply kit in your car – it could save your life,” says Tod Pritchard, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Wisconsin Emergency Management.

NASCAR champion and Wisconsin native Matt Kenseth is once again teaming up with ReadyWisconsin to promote winter awareness. Matt is appearing in a number of public service announcements that will air on Wisconsin radio and TV stations statewide during the month of November. Kenseth is urging viewers and listeners to keep an emergency kit in their vehicles. He is also encouraging everyone to sign up to win a winter survival kit on the ReadyWisconsin website: readywisconsin.wi.gov

Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. Examples of such deaths include traffic accidents on icy or snow-covered roads, prolonged exposure to the cold and indoor carbon monoxide poisoning. It is important to start taking preventive measures for winter weather. Now is the time to winterize your car and home, gather items for an emergency kit in your car, and make sure you have a NOAA Weather Radio with fresh batteries.

Additional winter weather tips and how to put together a winter emergency kit are available at the ReadyWisconsin website. In addition, there are numerous winter storm maps and a history of Wisconsin's winter weather produced by the National Weather Service. For more information, visit ReadyWisconsin at readywisconsin.wi.gov

For more information on the winter weather awareness campaign, contact your county emergency management director or your local NWS office.

Information and Handy websites:

List of safety tips and winter facts: http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/news/2011/2011_Winter_Awareness_Media_Packet_(safety_tips).pdf

Historical maps of Wisconsin winter statistics: http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/news/2011/2011_Winter_Awareness_Media_Packet_(maps).pdf

Individual maps are available on the ReadyWisconsin website's winter weather facts page: http://readywisconsin.wi.gov/winter/winter_weather_facts.asp

Wisconsin Winter Road Conditions, Road Construction updates, Crash/road incident/restrictions/closures: http://www.511wi.gov/Web/Map.aspx

And for Winter Awareness Week it appears we might get a taste of SNOW. This is the latest outlook from the NWS.

A STRONG STORM WILL BRING A SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION EVENT TO THE AREA LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS OVER AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE.

ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HEAVY BAND OF SNOW ACROSS WEST CENTRAL INTO NORTHERN WISCONSIN. DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY IN THE STORM TRACK AND AMOUNT OF COLD AIR IN PLACE THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF UNCERTAINTY ON WHERE THE HEAVY BAND OF SNOW WILL OCCUR. EARLY INDICATIONS THAT AN ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WOULD OCCUR NORTH OF A WAUSAU TO IRON MOUNTAIN LINE. ANY SLIGHT VARIATION IN THE STORM TRACK OR THE AMOUNT OF COLD AIR COULD SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER LATER FORECASTS. STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS IMPENDING STORM.