Electrician Heroes in Illinois and Indiana: Dangers Facing Linemen on the Job in Winter Storms

It has been unofficially named “Winter Storm Fern” by The Weather Channel, although no official name has been given to the 2026 arctic blast hitting Illinois, Indiana, and most of the country. See, “Winter Storm Fern Maps Tracker: Alerts, Radar, Snowfall and Ice Forecast and More,” written by Caitlin Kaiser and published by The Weather Channel on January 25, 2026.

Reports are that temperatures in Chicagoland will remain below freezing for the rest of the month, with highs failing to get out of the single digits. Indiana remains under storm watches or warnings as extreme cold and potentially historic snowfall threaten the Hoosier State. Read, “Chicago weather: Bitter cold shuts down schools with snow chances ahead,” written by Mike Caplan and published by Fox32Chicago on January 26, 2026; and “Winter storm warning issued in southern Indiana. Every county under advisory,” written by Ryan Murphy and published by the Indianapolis Star on January 22, 2026.

Things change for most of us during these times: school districts announce closures, and workplaces move things like meetings online. Pantries get filled in preparation for the big storm. One of the most important and critical issues for all of us during extreme winter weather conditions is dealing with power outages and the impact of losing electricity on lighting, heating, and running appliances like refrigerators and stoves.

For some workers, however, the frigid and hazardous winter weather conditions mean one thing: not only will they be on the job, but they will be working long hours in some of the most dangerous conditions facing any of us. Electricians will be needed not only to protect utility use but to restore power when outages occur.

Heavy snow and ice from Winter Storm Fern mean linemen will be quietly at work for everyone in Illinois and Indiana, unsung heroes deserving of our respect and gratitude.

What is a Lineman?

Sometimes known as a “powerline worker” or “powerline technician,” a lineman is an electrician who works with the electric cables and electrical wiring needed in power or electric distribution systems. Read, “What is a Lineman (And How Much Do They Make)?” written by Blake Sutton and published by Electrical Knowledge on February 25, 2024.

Power linemen have the expertise necessary to install, maintain, and repair power lines that direct electricity. They may climb up a power pole or use a bucket truck to reach high-voltage or low-voltage power lines as well as transformers.

While any task involving electricity is inherently dangerous, the job of working as an electrician during “storm recovery work” is recognized as the most dangerous scenario for any lineman. These are the electricians who restore power to our communities during bad storms like Fern. People can die during these situations (and accordingly, are paid significant overtime on these occasions).

In fact, linemen are employed in one of the three lines of work with the highest risk of fatal injuries. Only loggers and agricultural laborers rank higher in fatalities.

Great Dangers Facing Linemen During Severe Winter Weather Storms

For linemen on the job throughout Illinois and Indiana, the risk is never greater for a catastrophic or deadly accident than when they are at work during bad winter weather conditions. Some of the great dangers they face include:

1. The Power of Ice

It takes only a small layer of ice to add literally pounds of weight to tree limbs and branches. The ice accumulation can cause things to sag or to break apart, bringing down poles and live power lines.

The lineman is faced with a line that may be carrying live current, an area around that downed line that may also be conducting electricity, and surrounding trees that may be at risk because of ice.

2. Downed or Re-energized Power Lines

A power line that has fallen to the ground may not look to be carrying electricity at the moment the lineman arrives on the job. There are no sparks, for instance. However, that fallen wire may be deceptive: it may carry deadly voltage. The area around it may be live, too (electricity spreads outward in a “voltage gradient.”) Moreover, any power line can become live again without any advance warning. It’s suddenly and instantly energized.

3. Working From Heights In Bad Weather

Linemen have unique worksites: they are often up in the air. They may need to climb up icy poles. They may use ladders to get to the problem. They may access utility issues with bucket trucks. During winter weather, these situations all come with high risk of slip and falls or trip and falls due to slippery footing.

4. Exposure to Freezing Temperatures

Working in severe winter weather, especially in temperatures well below freezing, will impact the human body. Prolonged exposure to the cold will slow reaction time. It will lessen manual dexterity, something very much needed by the electrician lineman trying to restore power. Fatigue will be a risk that the worker may not realize is creeping up on his abilities. Judgment can be impaired.

5. Visibility During Winter Weather

Particularly when dealing with lake effect snow in our part of the country, the linemen may be faced with trying to work on tasks involving electricity while snow, ice, freezing rain, freezing fog, blowing ice, and thick snowfall hamper things. These situations are especially hazardous when the power outage and repair is needed on or near roadways with moving traffic.

Respect for Our Linemen On the Job During Winter Storms in Illinois and Indiana

Here in Illinois and Indiana, linemen may be faced with all sorts of risks. In Chicagoland, for instance, there is the risk of Lake Michigan’s lake effect snow and our big dips in temperature. Over in the rural areas of Indiana, there will be more trees vulnerable to ice collapse as well as older infrastructure (think older power poles).

Regardless of the particular job site, all linemen working to help restore power during bad winter storms face extreme dangers where they are literally placing their lives at risk in order to do their work and help all of us with much needed electric power.

How can we help them?

First of all, we can appreciate their efforts. They are doing very important work, especially when lives are at stake in frigid temperatures where power has been lost.

Secondly, we can take practical steps:

If we see a downed line, we can report it (call 911) with as much detail as possible (think cross-streets, etc.).
We can help in clearing access routes to help utility trucks get to the problem, shoveling driveways or moving vehicles for the big bucket trucks to maneuver as needed.
We can ask the utility company dispatch if it will be okay to offer coffee or restroom access to the linemen at work on a big job.
We can become volunteers to help during winter storms determined to be at the level of weather disasters. For more, read information provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

Working with electricity is always dangerous. Linemen on the job during winter storms face the greatest danger.

For more on electricity and electric accidents, see:

During the serious and severe winter weather storms common to Illinois and Indiana, the need for electricity is great. Linemen are out in the harsh elements helping us all to have electricity in our homes, hospitals, workplaces, and more. They do so in one of the most dangerous lines of work in the country. Kudos to them. Please be careful out there!