"Loons plummet from sky in Wisconsin due to cold snap"
A mix of cold air and moisture in the Upper Midwest is causing ice to form on the wings of some loons in high altitude flight, leading to reports of the birds crash landing in Wisconsin. The late April cold snap is creating icing conditions for loons as they fly north, following lake ice-outs. Loons are likely more susceptible to icing hazards because, unlike most birds, they can’t perch in a tree to wait out a storm. A late-season freezing drizzle or freezing rain event and lake ice-out timing create perfectly bad conditions for loons.