4-4-24 spring snowstorm

Thousands of homes and businesses are without power as severe weather roars through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornados. A strong weather system in northeastern Oklahoma with heavy rains produced three suspected tornadoes. The storms were blamed for the death of a 46-year-old homeless woman in Tulsa who died inside a drainage pipe. In  Wisconsin, a spring snowstorm dropped more than a foot of snow in some areas.   Forecasters warned more than a foot (30 centimeters) of heavy snow  in eastern parts of the state, including the Green Bay area.   The state’s top election official, Meagan Wolfe, was urging residents voting in Tuesday’s presidential primaries to  vote earlier in the day to avoid travel woes.   The National Weather Service said snowfall totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) over central Wisconsin and 8 to 14 inches (20 to 35 centimeters) over eastern Wisconsin, while wind gusts of 30 mph to 50 mph (48 kph to 80 kph)  created very limited visibility and make travel difficult.  Dozens of vehicles ended up in the ditch in Fond du Lac County.   “Just three weeks ago, we were in the 70s. So that kind of got people thinking spring is right around the corner — and here we’re in April and we’re getting a major snowstorm,” meteorologist Scott Cultice with the weather service’s Green Bay office said. “As people say, ‘That’s springtime in Wisconsin.’”   More than 70,000 homes and businesses in Wisconsin had lost power Tuesday night, according to poweroutage.us.