The Great April Ice Storm of 2026

STEVENS POINT/WAUPACA — An ice storm brought nearly half an inch of ice to the Waupaca and Portage Counties on April 2. Residents awoke to crystallized trees slathered with ice and utility lines sagged with the extra weight. Tree branches broke from the increased weight, making the sound of a rifle shot and that was followed by a thunderous boom and a glass-like shattering of exploding ice shards as the branches impacted the earth below.
As a result, most of both counties lost power, with estimates ranging that over 25,000 individuals were without electricity. Due to the widespread outage, power restoration took days to fully restore. In addition to the volume of power lost, downed trees and power lines made the work even more difficult.
Wisconsin Public Service announced that by Thursday morning, their linemen crews restored power to more than 44,000 customers. The utility said that communities in and around Stevens Point, Green Bay and Wausaukee are among those most affected by the outages.
In a press release, Stevens Point Fire Chief JB Moody stated the city’s fire department responded to 76 calls from the beginning of the storm on April 2 to the evening of April 3. Over 25 incidents were reported regarding fallen trees over power lines. He stated calls ranged from downed trees, power line hazards, fire alarms, and other weather related emergencies.
Dispatchers at the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office handled approximately 400 calls related to the ice storm from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Officers sent/received over 1,500 radio transmissions and there were more than 160 calls for service. Calls ranged from collapsed power lines and trees blocking roadways.

“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone who stepped up when our community needed it most. Our local fire departments, EMS services, county highway crews, utility companies, street departments, deputies, local police departments, and our city, village, and township partners all worked tirelessly around the clock to keep people safe. Those efforts continued through the night and are still ongoing today as they embrace the long process of clearing roads and restoring normalcy. Your dedication does not go unnoticed,” wrote Sheriff Timothy Wilz in a memo to the staff and public.

Flood emergency
On April 4, Zachary Van Asten, Director of Waupaca County Emergency Management, declared a flood emergency for the waters of the Wolf River in Waupaca County downstream of the City of New London.
The declaration imposes a SLOW-NO-WAKE zone on the Wolf River in accordance with Chapter No. 40 of Waupaca County Ordinances: “No person shall operate a boat faster than slow-no-wake in the waters of the Wolf River in Waupaca County located downstream of the City of New London within 500 feet of any permanent building, not including fishing rafts during a flood emergency.
The order is enforced by the Waupaca County Sheriff Water Patrol. The declaration will remain in effect until the waters of the Wolf River recede to a non-threatening level.

Smaller creeks and trout streams were also flooded. The Waupaca River breached its banks over the weekend. At the Waupaca River Fisheries Area on County Trunk Q, the flood waters covered ground that was normally dry. If an angler were to stand those spots, the depth would be approximately knee-to-waist deep. The ice storm crashed numerous trees and branches into the river which will be new obstacles and snags for paddlers this spring. The Waupaca River is considered to be one of the top kayaking destinations in the state as mentioned on the website milespaddled.com.

Hungry after hibernating
So far this spring: Blizzard. Check. Ice storm. Check. Flooding. Check. Next: bears. The Waupaca Police Department issued a bear alert and safety tips in early April. The department received reports of increased bear activity in the City of Waupaca, especially in the area near High Street. They offered numerous preventive measures to avoid bear-human encounters such as securing garbage bins, setting out garbage right before the pickup and not the night before, closing down bird feeders, keeping an eye on pets and maintaining careful barbecuing practices.
In December of 2022, Ald. Dmitri Martin briefed the city council about a troublesome bear causing havoc in a neighborhood at the end of South Western Avenue where the street branches off into three smaller lanes: Mead Drive, Charles Wright Drive and Sunridge Drive. It was a medium-sized bear that developed a penchant for ransacking garbage bins, climbing on porches and probing outdoor grills.
Bear encounters should be reported to USDA Wildlife Services at 920-324-4514 or the Waupaca Police Department.