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Parts of northern Michigan get 20 inches of snow, power still out for many

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A winter storm passed over the northern part of the state starting last Friday night.

One meteorologist described it as a "cement-mixer" type of snow.

Interlochen Public Radio's Peter Payette reported "the heaviest snow came down on Leelanau County this weekend where 20 inches fell according to an estimate from the National Weather Service."

The snow was wet and clung to trees and utility lines around the region. All phone service went down in Leelanau County, even cell phone coverage. Much of that was restored by Saturday evening but many roads there and elsewhere remain impassable due to downed trees and snow. On Saturday the American Red Cross scrambled to set up warming shelters from Baldwin to Cheboygan. And many hotels in Traverse City filled up Sunday night.

And the Associated Press reports that many customers are still without power:

Consumers Energy says 35,000 customers still have no power in northern and northwestern Michigan due to storms that began Friday. Nearly half the outages are in Leelanau, Benzie and Grand Traverse counties. The utility says the "destructive nature" of the storm has been a challenge to repair crews. Most customers north of U.S. 10 should get their power back by midnight, but the wait in some of the hardest-hit counties could stretch to Tuesday. Those counties include Benzie, Charlevoix, Crawford, Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Manistee.

Public schools in Traverse City are closed today, and people who see downed power lines should call (800) 477-5050 or local police.

Mark Brush was the station's Digital Media Director. He succumbed to a year-long battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, in March 2018. He was 49 years old.
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