May 10, 2020 – Hat tip to Ruth Marks for planting the seed on what occurred 30 years ago today on May 10, 1990.
It was late spring, baby birds were in the nest, trees and plants were blossoming and Mother Nature decided to heave 10 inches of heavy, wet snow into our lap.
The heaviest snowfall was in Hartford, WI and Hartford’s mayor asked people to stay inside and a state of emergency was issued. Below is the featured report from WISN Channel 12. Those were the days of Dennis Dean, Marty Burns Wolfe and Jerry Taft.
Below are Ruth’s memories… what are yours?
I well remember this storm. I was working 3rd shift at A.O. Smith the night it hit. It was mostly over by the time my shift ended at 7am. first shift came in with stories of all the leafed trees splitting under the weight of the snow. I was easily able to drive out from Milwaukee but exiting the highway was a very different story. I41 was not yet freeway status. The Highway 144 exit was filled with cars and trucks spun out and unable to get up the hill. I exited at Cedarview Road but soon could go no further due to very deep snow that was not yet plowed. I abandoned my car with the intention of walking the rest of the way. But a very kind man with a 4-wheel drive vehicle took me a number of miles to my door. As was my habit, I went right to sleep. When I woke up to a very warm afternoon, most of the snow had melted. I called my mom to pick me up and take me to get my car.
Below is a nugget from the National Weather Service
Sarah J Atchison I remember this storm. I was in kindergarten and my school didn’t cancel because they were doing standardized testing which they didn’t want to reschedule. When we tried to go to school, a 100+ year old tree broke, and fell on our car while we were driving!
Bonnie Liepert That was an expensive storm for me also…the weight of the snow pulled branches across the wire to the mast of the house thus bringing the mast down across the hood and roof of my car, and so losing power in the house where my Sheltie just had a litter of puppies. I lost all of them too!!! 😢😢
