LITTLE GEMS
The big storm is over, but not without leaving its mark on southeast Wisconsin.
Most of Geneva Lake’s surrounding communities picked up 12-18″ of wet snow, along with high winds and below-zero temperatures. Snow fell at roughly one inch an hour in Walworth County, according to the Deputy Highway Commissioner. He also added that all of the county’s roads are usually not fully cleared until 6 to 8 hours after snowfall wraps up, as was the case here. Some lost power, some roads were blocked, and the Internet went out in several areas. This left some scrambling to find a way to watch the Packers play their first playoff game on Sunday.
A fresh, deep snowpack, with a high-pressure arctic air mass overhead, will cause actual air temps to struggle to rise above zero. Night time temps drop well below zero with a wind chill much cooler than that. If you’re hoping for some time with calm winds, that also won’t be happening any time soon. Wind gusts will stay between 20-30 mph through the week with wind chill numbers as low as forty-four below zero.
A waiver that allowed teens to get a probationary driver’s license without taking a road test has ended.
Toward the start of the pandemic, the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) suspended road tests for teens getting their licenses. Their families could apply for a waiver instead. Teens did have to pass other tests to get driver permits. Teens, ages 16 and 17, who completed driver’s education courses, a 50-hour supervised training, and a behind-the-wheel training course could apply for a probationary license. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation indicated that nearly 145,000 teens applied for a waiver and there was no negative effect on driver safety observed, at least so far.
This pilot program would have required legislative action to make it permanent, however. Other rules have changed since the pandemic began. Teen drivers can now get their permits at age 15 instead of 15-and-a-half. They also need 50 hours of supervised driving instead of 30. Parents and teens should keep in mind that if they want a road test on a specific day, they must plan it nearly three months in advance. For teens who want to get a license the day they turn 16, they’ll have to think ahead.
