Tagged: winter weather

There’s another sign that winter never really came to Michigan this year.   And it can be found along the state’s roads.

Every year in preparation for the Spring thaw, county road commissions impose weight restrictions on trucks to reduce wear on roadbeds made brittle by winter’s cold.     But not this year.

About two/thirds of Michigan road commissions haven’t imposed restrictions, and most probably won’t, because freezing winter weather never materialized.    

John Niemela is the director of the County Road Association of Michigan.      He says road commissions expect fewer problems with potholes and other normal winter weather damage.

And Niemela says less money spent cleaning up from the winter months means more can be spent dealing with other needs.

A winter storm is bringing wet snow and slippery roads to southern Michigan, with up to 9 inches
forecast in part of the state.

The National Weather Service says winter storm warnings were in effect for much of the southern Lower Peninsula on Friday. About 5 to 8 inches was expected in areas including Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. Parts of southeast Michigan could get up to 8 inches. The weather service says areas closer to Detroit and southwest of the city toward the Ohio border could get 2 to 5 inches. Crews were on the road early Friday to put down salt.

The storm comes after parts of Michigan, including the Detroit area, haven't seen a lot of snow so far this winter.

INDIAN RIVER, Mich. (AP) - A northern Lower Peninsula sled dog race has been cancelled because of a lack of snow.

The Cheboygan Daily Tribune reports the 2nd annual Indian River Sprint Dog Sled Race has been cancelled. Race Committee President Jane Schramm says it originally was set for Jan. 28-29 before being postponed until this Saturday and Sunday.

The original postponement was made because there was too much ice.

Warmer than usual weather and a lack of snow have led to the postponement or cancellation of several winter events recently in Michigan.

It's been a mild winter, and, so far, a big disappointment for people who enjoy playing in the snow.

Some people are getting desperate.

Amy Biolchini reports for the Port Huron Times Herald that people in the small city of St. Clair held an informal dance ritual last night commanding "the power of the Finnish God of Snow" to bring down the white stuff.

The town needs snow for its annual "Winter White Out" festival which includes a snowman building contest, a snowball toss, and frozen chicken bowling.

The impromptu dancing seemed to pay off. From the Port Huron Times Herald:

Shimmying and shaking, hooting and hollering, the group of enthusiastic dancers called for "Snow! Snow! Snow!"

As they danced, the flakes actually did appear to increase in intensity -- coating the area in a glittering blanket.

"I can't believe it worked!" Skonieczny said, citing the 0% chance of precipitation in the forecast for the city.

As Biolchini reports, there are no official moves to the snow dance, so the ubiquitous "jazz hands" were employed.

The lack of snow has led to a tough winter season for some businesses in Michigan. Interlochen Public Radio's Peter Payette recently reported for the Environment Report that most ski resorts up north are doing o.k. because they've been able to make snow:

But for businesses that depend on snowmobile traffic this time of year, things couldn’t be much worse. They’ve had just one weekend of business all winter.

If there isn't enough snow for the Winter White Out festival, it sounds like they'll still have fun. There are less snow-dependant events like poetry contests, a "dunk tank," and a McDonald's "bun toss."

A winter storm brought at least 7 inches of snow to parts of Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula and could bring more than a foot to parts of the Upper Peninsula.

The National Weather Service says winter storm warnings were in effect Friday for much of the western Lower Peninsula along Lake Michigan and the northwestern Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior.

The storm moved in Thursday. Forecasters say 1 to 3 inches could fall Friday in areas including Detroit.

The weather service says areas around Grayling and Houghton Lake reported 7 inches by Friday morning, while snow totals in other parts of the northern Lower Peninsula ranged from 3 to 6 inches.

In West Michigan, 2 to 6 inches fell. Ironwood in the northwestern Upper Peninsula got at least 8 inches.