CEDARBURG, Wis. — Early morning snowfall brought travel disruptions across southeastern Wisconsin on Sunday, causing flight delays and cancellations at General Mitchell International Airport and creating hazardous driving conditions on area roadways.
As of Monday afternoon, more than four dozen flights experienced delays at Mitchell Airport, while four additional flights were canceled entirely, according to FlightAware. The disruptions left passengers scrambling to make alternative travel arrangements during the busy holiday travel period.
Watch: How travelers across southeast Wisconsin are dealing with winter weather headaches:
"I got the notification: We're sorry. Your flight's been canceled. That's what it starts with," said Jameson Zaballos, who was traveling to Austin.
Zaballos was initially rebooked on a flight to Minneapolis, but that flight was also delayed, meaning he was set to miss his connecting flight. He and his fiancée ultimately booked a new direct flight on a different airline to avoid getting stuck in Minnesota.
"It was incredible. I got to spend time with my whole family," Zaballos said about his holiday visit. "I gotta invent a time travel machine or something."
Road conditions proved challenging as well, particularly in northern areas like Cedarburg, which received 2.5 inches of snow. While the snowfall total was quite modest by Wisconsin standards, it was enough to create treacherous driving conditions during the early morning commute.
"I drove in probably about 7 o'clock this morning. It probably took me over an hour or so," said Erik Reichertz, who works in Cedarburg. "[I] saw a couple guys spinning out. Saw someone trying to pass, and almost get hit going the other way."
By late morning, the primary concern shifted from slick roads to strong winds, with gusts exceeding 40 miles per hour creating blowing snow conditions, especially on back roads.
The snowfall marked a return to winter weather after a green Christmas, giving areas like Cedarburg their traditional snow-covered appearance just in time for New Year's weekend.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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