Area feeling the chill

Ice has started to form on area rivers and lakes and snow is starting to stick around. After a Christmas weekend snowfall, temperatures in southern Wisconsin plummeted and hovered around zero, and were even lower at times. Before getting some relief earlier this week, temperatures remained around zero and wind chills went even lower. (Tom Ganser photo)

By Ryan Spoehr
SLN STAFF
Temperatures hovered around zero degrees throughout the northern part of the United States last week and persisted into early this week, causing southeastern Jefferson County, southwestern Waukesha County, and northern Walworth County to get a temporary feel for what arctic weather is like.
People in the area were turning up their thermostats, bundling up, staying inside more, and hoping their vehicle engines would keep going as the area consistently had wind chills less than zero degrees. For those that couldn’t move around quite as easily, they have been relying on services from companies such as Bonded Oil for fuel deliveries throughout the freezing temperatures.
“I’m hoping it will warm up soon because it’s so cold the salt doesn’t melt the ice,” Palmyra Public Safety Director James Small said.
Small said earlier this week that his department did not receive police or fire calls related to the cold weather. However, some area businesses had their share of calls, including Tri-County Heating and Cooling in Whitewater.
“Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day we were swamped,” said Rodney Dempich, the owner of Tri-County Heating and Cooling. “People have had lots of plugged filters and plugged drain lines on the side of their house.”
For more on the area’s struggle with the recent frigid temperatures, pick up a copy of the Jan. 5 Palmyra-Eagle Enterprise.

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