Photo By Scott Sturkol | An equipment operator with the Fort McCoy snow-removal contractor, Kaiyuh Services...... read more read more
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Fort McCoy saw its first significant snow of the winter season in late November, and then continued to see snowfall throughout December, including a significant snow event Dec. 28-29 which has kept the Fort McCoy snow-removal team busy.
On Dec. 28-29, according the National Weather Service’s (NWC) La Crosse (Wis.) station, “A strong storm system brought a nasty mix of winter weather to the region on Sunday, Dec. 28 into Monday morning. Precipitation initially fell as light rain with temperatures above freezing. That quickly changed as an arctic cold front swept through the region, bringing plummeting temperatures and a west-to-east transition to snow.
“An initial slushy coating on pavement quickly turned to ice and became covered by accumulating snow, creating very slippery travel conditions that led to numerous accidents and slide offs. Snowfall totals were highest (6-8 inches) generally north of I-90, with lesser amounts further south. Additionally, strong northwest winds gusting 35-55 mph created blizzard conditions and drifting in rural areas mainly west of the Mississippi River Valley. This led the Minnesota Department of Transportation to advise no travel in southeast Minnesota. Conditions gradually improved through Monday morning as snow departed and winds slowly diminished, but cleanup was made more difficult due to the frigid temperatures and icy surface layer on pavement.”
Equipment operators with the Fort McCoy snow removal contractor, Kaiyuh Services LLC of Anchorage, Alaska, were busy clearing the new snow Dec. 28 and 29 at Fort McCoy. Fort McCoy also held a late reporting of personnel on Dec. 29 due to deteriorating driving conditions.
Winter in Wisconsin can provide all kinds of bad weather, including freezing rain, snow, or sleet at any time or even all in one day. When that happens, the Fort McCoy snow-removal team plows through whatever Mother Nature dishes out.
The team includes the contractor’s team as well as Directorate of Public Works personnel. The team helps keep more than 400 miles of roads, sidewalks, and parking areas clear so the Fort McCoy workforce can operate safely.
The team also went to work on Dec. 31 when more than several more inches of snow fell throughout the installation.
Fort McCoy Installation Safety Manager Edson De Leon with the Installation Safety Office reminds everyone to be prepared for cold weather, especially when driving.
“Freezing temperatures and hazardous road conditions are to be expected for the next several months as we go through winter,” De Leon said. “On average, Wisconsin experiences over 18,000 motor vehicle crashes a year. A small percentage of those accidents ends up in a fatality.”
So, whether you’re doing winter driving in Wisconsin or elsewhere, De Leon said to just be prepared for anything.
“Winter weather conditions make driving more complicated but slowing down, keeping your vehicle properly maintained to handle the conditions, and some basic risk management considerations will help you avoid a winter car accident,” De Leon said.
See more about being prepared for winter driving by visiting https://www.dvidshub.net/news/460504/remember-safe-driving-practices-more-during-winter. Also see more about winter safety by visiting the Army Combat Readiness Center’s website at https://safety.army.mil.
And also visit https://www.ready.gov to learn about building home and vehicle winter safety kits.
Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: | 12.31.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.01.2026 02:20 |
| Story ID: | 555633 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort McCoy snow-removal team gets to work during December 2025 snowfall events, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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