The weather outside is frightful 🎶

What to know about the winter storm

On the bright side, a white Christmas is guaranteed. | Photo by @honeyoliveblaire

By now, we’re all well aware of the inclement weather upon us. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter storm warning lasting until tomorrow morning. Temperatures are dropping down to -7° and wind chill values may be as low as -35° as a result of 40-50 mph wind gusts.

🔌 Power

If your area loses power, don’t panic. A well-insulated home can remain safely warm for several hours after losing power.

Check out these outage resources in case of an emergency:
MG&E | 608-252-7111 or 1-800-245-1123
Alliant Energy | 1-800-255-4268 or via the outage portal
We Energies | 800-662-4797 or via the outage portal

🗺️ Travel

Those traveling through the MSN airport for the holidays should keep an eye on flight statuses and expect delays and cancellations. If you’re traveling by car, dial 511 to get the scoop on road conditions, or visit the state’s live road condition map to choose the safest route to get you from point A to point B.

🧣 Stay Warm

As my mother would say — layers, layers, layers. With wind chills reaching a possible -35°, frostbite could kick in within just 10 minutes of direct skin exposure. While it can be argued that Wisconsinites are built different when it comes to handling cold weather, it may be best to leave the outdoor reindeer games to Santa and his crew this weekend.

We hope everyone stays bundled up and hunkered down over the weekend, and we’ll see you next year.

Click here to have your event featured.

With the current winter storm, please note events are subject to be postponed or canceled. Be sure to check in with event hosts and businesses via social media to be aware of any cancellations or event updates.

Today, Dec. 23

Pine Cone Ornaments | Friday, Dec. 23 | 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton St., Madison | Free with museum admission | Need a last-minute gift? Stop by with the kids to craft pine cone ornaments, great for a stocking stuffer. 🌲
Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Meeting House | Friday, Dec. 23| First Unitarian Society, 900 University Bay Dr., Madison | $30 | Take this opportunity to tour one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 17 most important buildings.

Saturday, Dec. 24

DJ Pearl Marshall | Saturday, Dec. 24 | 10 p.m. | The Rigby, 119 E. Main St., Madison | Free | Get out of the cold and onto the dance floor for this local DJ’s last set of the year. 🪩

Sunday, Dec. 25

Friends’ Favorite Places | Sunday, Dec. 25 | 1:30 p.m. | Lakeshore Preserve, 1207 Seminole Hwy., Madison | Free | Need a nature break from the festivities? Join Board Members of the Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve for a free, family-friendly, guided walk on easy hiking paths.
Holiday Fantasy in Lights | Sunday, Dec. 25 | 4:30-10 p.m. | Olin Park, 202 E. Lakeside St., Madison | Free | Celebrate Christmas with a leisurely drive through the Electric Group’s holiday light show. 🚘

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

2º | Cloudy/windy | 5% chance of snow
Have we mentioned the winter storm? Stay in the know when it comes to this weekend’s weather — the National Weather Service offers multiple resources, including a live radar.

State

An energy emergency has been declared for Wisconsin. Gov. Evers has implemented a 10-day waiver from certain requirements for those providing energy emergency response supplies. This executive order aims to allow fuel suppliers to get caught up on deliveries in the midst of the storm. (NBC 15)

Number

300 — That’s the percentage that the WI General Fund balance has increased in the last fiscal year. We’re now sitting at a record-setting $4.6 billion positive balance. This, paired with a $365 million decrease of our long-term debt, puts us in the “best fiscal position we’ve ever seen” according to Gov. Evers. (WKOW)

Traffic

Hit the road, cautiously. Before taking to the streets this weekend, check out the state road condition map for live updates. The Madison Streets Division will continue to clear local streets but the wind may pose a bigger issue for those traveling beyond city limits. Buckle up and drive safe, 608. 🚘 (Madison.com)

Sports

Maybe next year, Grambling. The men’s Badger basketball game that was originally scheduled for tonight has been canceled due to weather. This game will not be rescheduled. If you had tickets for this event, check your email for steps on how to proceed. (Channel 3000)

History

Did you know there are 255 National Historic Places in Dane County? Buildings, objects, sites, and city blocks all across Madison are worthy of preservation. Contact your State Historic Preservation Office if you’ve got a tip on an unsurveyed historic place.

DYK

In a recent list, Wisconsin was ranked No. 5 for number of trees harvested and distributed from local Christmas tree farms — which means your friends and family on the other side of the country could very well have a Wisconsinan tree in their home this year. 🎄 (Stacker)

Ranked

Get the confetti ready. Madison made the top 100 of best cities to celebrate New Year’s. Mad City was ranked No. 49 based on criteria that considers everything from the amount of nightlife options to the price of a cab ride at the end of the night. 🥂 (WalletHub)

Drink

Scrambling to find a last minute gift? Enter: Flaviar — a subscription for those who love premium spirits. Send loved ones a gift subscription and they’ll have the opportunity to taste new, rare, and limited edition spirits of their choice each month. 🥃*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

See ya’ next year, 608 👋

Taking a break

Take some time to reflect with us. | Photo by @eur_opalite

As we sit down to our laptops for the last time in 2022, it’s nice to reflect back on the year behind us and be thankful for all the great stories we were able to write.

From picture perfect picnics to giving back in the 608, we had fun sharing this wonderful city with you. Thank you for being a reader of 608today.

We will be taking a break next week, catching our breath and spending time with friends and family. Your next regularly scheduled newsletter will hit your inbox Jan. 4, 2023. We hope you’re able to step away as well. And if you find yourself with some downtime, here are a few ways to get out there and explore 608:

Learn about Wisconsin’s effigy mounds
Jump ~~around~~ back in time to learn the history of Camp Randall
Madison isn’t an only child. Get to know our Sister City, Vilnius

Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.

City Editor Ally

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Ally.

Editor’s pick: I got a chai latte from Ledger Coffee today that changed my life. I highly recommend it to all of our east side readers.

Missed our last newsletter? We explored the wonderful world of curling.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Ally Geiger, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Ana Gibson | Advertise with us.

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