SNOW EVENT BRINGS UNPRECEDENTED POWER OUTAGES
McLeod Co-op Power faced a two-day outage event starting on Halloween Day, October 31st, and continuing into Friday, November 1st. The storm brought heavy, wet snow that wreaked havoc on the cooperative’s power lines, causing widespread outages across the entire service area.
Storm Dynamics and Damage Overview
The storm’s impact began as rain transitioned into heavy snow early Thursday morning. This snow, carrying an unusually high moisture content, accumulated rapidly on power lines, creating significant stress. The typical snow-to-water ratio is roughly 10:1, with 10 inches of snow equating to 1 inch of water. However, in this storm, the ratio was much higher, leading to snow so heavy that it caused lines to twist and snap entirely in some areas.
Operations Manager Emerson Brady explained, “This was a unique event as there were not a lot of broken poles and minimal trees through lines. Instead, we found twisted lines and many other outages caused from the lines slapping together. The sheer number of outages across the service territory added some complexities to our restoration work.” Outages occurred as the snow melted during the gradually warming daytime temperatures. The release of weight as the melting snow fell off the lines caused lines to snap back or “bounce,” which resulted in tangled lines and further outages, and in some cases intermittent “blink outages” where electricity flickered on and off.
Tree-related outages, while typical for winter storms, were minimal during this event, accounting for less than 10% of total outages. This is a testament to McLeod Co-op’s ongoing vegetation management program, which had focused tree trimming efforts earlier this year in areas around Hutchinson and Silver Lake.
A Rapidly Escalating Situation
The outages began trickling into our Outage Management System around 8:00 AM Thursday but soon escalated from there. By 10:00 AM, there were roughly 130 accounts without power. By lunchtime, the number had surged to over 600, and it became clear this was no ordinary snow event.
The peak came Thursday afternoon, with more than 1,700 meters reporting outages at that time. To manage the scale of the crisis, McLeod Co-op pulled in help from some neighboring utility companies. By late afternoon, five additional crews arrived, increasing the workforce from four McLeod Co-op crews to nine. These crews tackled outages across the service area, with McLeod Co-op line crews working in the Brownton, Hutchinson, Buffalo Lake and surrounding areas while mutual aid crews focused on Winsted, Silver Lake, Glencoe, and areas to the south.
Safety and Overnight Protocols
For safety, line crews were pulled from the field at 11:00 PM Thursday after completing 16-hour shifts. Working in the dark while fatigue increases the risk of accidents, while also complicating repair work as troubleshooting can become difficult. Crews resumed work early Friday morning with nine teams, later joined by two additional crews from another nearby cooperative.
Member Communication and Lessons Learned
Throughout the event, McLeod Co-op kept members informed through its website, Facebook page, and SmartHub alerts. This helped members stay updated despite the challenging circumstances.
Brady credited the cooperative’s vegetation management program for preventing additional tree-related outages, which could have significantly slowed restoration efforts.
The relatively mild temperatures also played a role in how we were able to respond. “Although it was damp, we didn’t face the challenges of extreme cold that often come with winter storms,” he noted.
Looking Back and Moving Forward
By the end of the event, McLeod Co-op crews, along with support from the City of Chaska, Steele-Waseca Cooperative, Minnesota Valley Electric, and Kandiyohi Power Cooperative, restored power to all affected members. Over 2,868 meters experienced outages during the storm, but the cooperative’s swift coordination and mutual aid worked efficiently to restore power.
“I want to thank our members for their patience during this challenging event,” Brady said. “We also owe a great deal of gratitude to the crews who came to assist us. Their support was invaluable.”
The Halloween storm served as a reminder of the challenges posed by extreme weather and the importance of preparation, cooperation, and clear communication in managing large-scale outages.