• Power Outage in Kenosha, WI - Report Power Outage (2024)

Kenosha Power Outages Caused by Weather

Events

March 9, 2023 - Winter Storm

Snow accumulation of 6-9 inches. Some branches and power lines down.

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February 22, 2023 - Ice Storm

Freezing rain with ice accumulation of 0.50-0.70 inches. Tree branches and power lines down. Power outages for thousands of customers. Snow accumulation less than an inch.

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November 5, 2022 - Thunderstorm Wind

Scattered trees and branches down, including power lines, from Salem Lakes to Lake Michigan.

Salem - Downtown Kenosha

November 5, 2022 - High Wind

Kenosha Regional airport ASOS measured a 58 mph wind gust. Scattered trees, branches, and power lines down throughout the county.

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September 25, 2022 - Thunderstorm Wind

Several trees and branches down, some on powerlines.

Downtown Kenosha - Downtown Kenosha

Episodes

January 19, 2013

High winds affected parts of southern Wisconsin during the evening of January 21st as very strong west to northwest winds behind a strong cold front ushered in the coldest air to that point of the winter season. Widespread wind gusts in the 45 to 50 mph (39 to 43 knots) range occurred at the surface, with peak gusts of 58 mph (50 knots). Newspaper articles reported scattered power outages as wind-broken tree limbs impacted power-lines. The high winds were related to a tightening pressure gradient around a low pressure system that rapidly deepened as it tracked across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to southwest Quebec. Meteorologically, strong winds of 40 to 50 knots (46 to 58 mph) about 5,000 feet above the ground were mixed down to the surface.

August 2, 2011

A broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms formed along and ahead of a cold front...with lift further enhanced by a short wave passing through the region. Southern Wisconsin was in a strongly unstable air mass ahead of the front, with temperatures in the lower 90s and dew points in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees F. Mixed Layer CAPE values reached 3000 to 4000 J/Kg, and when combined with deep layer shear of 30 to 40 knots, set up conditions favorable for organized storm modes, including supercells and bowing segments. The resulting severe thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging wind gusts across portions of Rock County and the southern-most counties of Southeast Wisconsin. Up to 11,600 We Energies customers were without power in Racine and Kenosha Counties alone at the height of the storms.

June 15, 2011

Focused warm air advection ahead of a short wave trough produced showers and thunderstorms that moved across southern Wisconsin early in the morning of June 15th. A wake low developed behind the departing line of showers and storms, creating damaging wind gusts between 40 and 70 mph (35 to 61 knots) in eastern Kenosha County within 2 to 3 miles of the Lake Michigan shore. The marine observation site at Kenosha Harbor clocked a 67 mph (58 knot) wind gust, while the Kenosha Municipal Airport recorded a gust of 45 mph (39 knots). The gusty winds blew down trees and a few power lines in the city of Kenosha, and felled trees that blocked some roads in Pleasant Prairie.

February 1, 2011

A powerful low pressure center, passing south of Wisconsin, produced blizzard conditions across much of southern Wisconsin from the evening hours of Tuesday, February 1st into the early morning of Wednesday, February 2nd. Snow associated with the system began in the mid-afternoon hours of February 1st in far southern Wisconsin and became heavy as it pushed northward into the state through the evening. Very strong winds were associated with this storm for an extended period of time. Sustained northeast winds of 30 to 40 mph were common through the event, with peak wind gusts between 45 and 65 mph, with the stronger wind gusts near Lake Michigan. The lakeshore observation site at Kenosha reported a 64 mph wind gust at 120 am CST on February 2nd. The canopy over gas pumps at a gas station in the City of Kenosha was damaged by the high winds. The combination of high winds and heavy snow created widespread sustained visibilities of less than 1/4 mile, with frequent whiteout conditions and near zero visibilities. Twenty-four hour snowfall totals were between 20 and 26 inches, with 26 inches of snow measured in Pell Lake, and 24 inches recorded at both the Racine Wastewater Treatment Plant, a one-day record, and by a cooperative observer 4 miles southwest of the city of Kenosha. In addition to the snow that fell during the blizzard, several inches of snow fell on Jan 31, with light lake effect snow through the day on Feb 1st. It's possible that some locations did not see a break in snowfall between the evening of January 31st and the morning of February 2nd. Racine set new two-day (1/31-2/1) and three-day (1/31-2/2) record snowfalls with 26 inches for each period, and Kenosha also set new two-day (1/31-2/1) and three-day (1/31-2/2) record snowfalls with 25.3 inches and 27.3 inches respectively. Snow drifts of 4 to 12 feet were common, with reports of some drifts reaching up to 15 feet in open rural areas. A Civil Danger Warning was issued by Wisconsin Emergency Management concerning the dangerous driving conditions. Drifting snow closed Interstate 94 from the Illinois border north to Milwaukee and Interstate 43 from Beloit to Mukwonago with many stranded motorists having to be rescued from vehicles buried in the drifting snow. Several Kenosha County sheriff deputies had to be rescued from their squad cars on I-94 after being stranded for six and seven hours. About 100 National Guardsman were mobilized statewide in response to Gov. Scott Walker's emergency declaration for 29 counties to help rescue motorists and run emergency shelters at armories. The Racine Fire Department alone responded to 150 emergency calls related to the storm. Emergency rooms across Southeast Wisconsin reported dozens of heart attacks and injuries from snow blower accidents. A 52-year old Yorkville (Racine County) woman died from exposure after being dropped off by a tow truck driver at the foot of her driveway and became disoriented in the whiteout conditions. Her body was found 300 feet from her home. At the height of the storm, WE Energies reported 5,200 customers were without power across Southeast Wisconsin. An estimated $1.4 million dollars was spent for snow removal in Racine County alone. Trucks dumped snow that had been cleared from area streets at Pershing Park, with snow piles reaching 60-70 feet high.

December 23, 2009

The area from Marquette County east to Sheboygan experienced snow accumulations ranging from 1.5 inches near Lake Michigan to 3 inches in Green Lake County. Near the end of this event, a glazing of freezing rain occurred with ice accumulations of less than 1/10 of an inch. This combination resulted in Interstate 43 in Sheboygan County being closed for 3 hours during the morning of December 24th due to vehicle accidents.||Just south of this winter weather event, winter storm conditions were experienced. A band of moderate, to at times heavy, snow extended from near Milwaukee, to just north of Madison to the Wisconsin Dells area, producing 4 to 6 inches of accumulation before changing over to sleet and freezing rain overnight. Counties along the Illinois border saw snow quickly turn over to freezing rain Wednesday afternoon that restulted in an ice storm. Ice acumulations of 1/4 to 1/2 inch coated trees and power lines, causing them to break. Synoptically, warm air advection with a short wave aloft followed by a surface low pressure lifting northward from the southern Plains brought a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to Southern Wisconsin the afternoon of Wednesday, December 23rd into the morning of Thursday, December 24th.

Power Outage FAQs

What is Power Outage?

Power outage (also called a power cut, a power blackout, power failure or a blackout) is a short-term or a long-term loss of the electric power to a particular area.

What Causes Power Outages?

  • Severe weather (high winds, lightning, winter storms, heat waves, rain or flooding can cause damage to power lines or equipment);
  • Other damage to electric transmission lines (vehicle accidents, trees, and animals can cause damage to power lines or equipment);
  • Repairing, maintenance or upgrades on power lines and equipment.

What are the Top Outage Safety Tips?

  • Stay away from the downed power lines, park vehicles in protected areas;
  • Unplug appliances and electronics, limit cell phone use to conserve battery life;
  • Use portable generators outdoors only, well away from open windows and doors;
  • Pack perishable foods into a cooler, keep refrigerator and freezer doors shut as much as possible.
• Power Outage in Kenosha, WI - Report Power Outage (2024)
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