Fire crews respond to a downed power line on Pewaukee Road.
MILWAUKEE - Ahead of this weekend's forecasted winter storm, high winds on Friday, March 13, are already causing numerous power outages across southeast Wisconsin.
You can check out the full outage map on the We Energies website.
3 p.m. update
What we know:
As of 3 p.m., more than 71,000 customers are without power, according to the We Energies outage map.
More than 23,000 customers are affected in Milwaukee County and more than 25,000 customers are affected in Waukesha County.
2 p.m. update
What we know:
According to We Energies, as of 2 p.m., more than 67,000 customers are without power.
Of that, more than 20,000 customers are without power in Waukesha County, and more than 21,000 customers are without power in Milwaukee County.
Kenosha County, Racine County, Ozaukee County, and Washington County are seeing thousands of customers without power as well.
Many buildings, including the Racine County Courthouse and the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, Carroll University, and Waukesha City Hall, are all closed due to power outages.
1 p.m. update
What we know:
As of 1 p.m., more than 60,000 customers are without power.
Of that, more than 23,000 customers are without power in Waukesha County, and more than 18,000 customers are without power in Milwaukee County.
Kenosha County, Racine County, Ozaukee County, and Washington County are seeing multiple outages as well.
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Southeast Wisconsin winter storm watch; snow, ice, dangerous wind gusts
A winter storm watch has been issued for southern Wisconsin as a weekend storm could bring snow, ice, strong winds and dangerous travel from Saturday night through Monday.
Statement from We Energies
What they're saying:
"We Energies crews are working quickly and safely to repair scattered power outages across the state caused by strong winds. We’ve restored power to over 22,000 customers since this morning."
"Our crews are finding significant damage from the high winds and lightning — including downed power lines, downed trees and limbs that have fallen into our electric equipment. All available crews, including extra contract crews, are working across the state to restore power to customers."
"We anticipate we may see more outages throughout the day as strong gusty winds are expected through the evening. Crews will work nonstop until power is restored to all affected customers."
Power line safety
What you can do:
Customers should stay at least 25 feet away from any downed wires, and report the downed wire to We Energies or a local law enforcement agency right away.
You can also report a power outage by calling We Energies at 800-662-4797.
The Source: Information in this post is sources from We Energies and FOX6 crews. FOX6 reporters are also noting organizations and government buildings that are closed due to power outages.