Drivers end up in ditches during Alan

BROWN COUNTY - "We're all in at this point,” said Brown County engineering manager Paul Fontecchio.

As the snow from Winter Storm Alan came down, the plows came out.

“The state section plows went out at 9:30 a.m. County roads went out at noon and we just called in all the town roads, too. We're all in,” he explained.

The full 41 truck fleet from Brown County and municipalities loaded up with salt and took to the streets.

“Problem areas are going to be the bridges and the high speed areas where people haven't figured out to slow down,” said Fontecchio.

High speed areas like Interstate 43 saw dozens of cars in the ditches, including one crash just south of Denmark. It closed down one of the southbound lanes of the highway around 1:30 Sunday afternoon, as the snow really began to coat the roads.

"The roads are slick and nasty, and no thank you,” said Corrine Hill, driving in from Shell Lake.

Drivers said though they're being cautious, they're nervous being around others who are out on the road and may not be paying attention to safety.

"I’ve had a lot of people going really slow, so I’ve been going with them and all of a sudden these guys will zip past me and start swerving. It's like, 'Oh God, don't hit me,'” said Hill.

The Wisconsin State Patrol said even though we live in Wisconsin, we haven't seen snow like this for awhile. So, drivers need to brush up on their winter driving habits before brushing off their vehicles and hitting the road. Especially with the Packers game at Lambeau.

"Slow down, and keep a distance between you and the car in front of you. There will be a lot more traffic, a lot more cars so keep a couple car lengths ahead. Slow down and expect backups,” said Trooper Les Boldt.

Troopers said if you're taking precautions, you'll be less likely to end up causing one of the many backups out there during the storm.

The state patrol said moderate snowfalls like Winter Storm Alan can actually yield more crashes. They say with heavier snow, like a foot or more, fewer drivers would be out on the roads.