Wicked storm drops 8 inches of snow on Presque Isle County, according to NWS

At times, the effort to move snow seemed to be futile Sunday. Strong winds would blow powder-like snow back over areas shoveled or plowed in no time at all. The largest snow event of the winter season hammered northern Michigan starting Saturday and continuing through Sunday and into the day Monday, leaving anywhere from three to 18 inches of snow in places. National Weather Service spotters reported as much as 14 to 18 inches in Alpena and Presque Isle counties during a 36-hour period.

Montmorency County had 14 to 17 inches, Cheboygan County had 10 to 15 inches, while Otsego County had six to 13 inches. Local weather spotter Wally Roeske said the blowing snow made it difficult to measure totals. He recorded about 10 inches in Moltke Township, but the range was anywhere from three to 11 inches, according to the totals he gathered.

THE PRESQUE ISLE County Road Commission office in Rogers City recorded 17 inches of snow by Monday morning. That brings the season snowfall total from November 1 through Monday, to about 94 inches. It appears the county is headed toward its third straight season with 100 inches of snow or more. One hundred inches of snow fell last season, while 105.75 was recorded the year before, although the 19 to 32 inches that blasted Presque Isle County in early April 2003, are not included in the numbers from 2003. The totals are kept for the state from November 1 through March 30.

It was a long 48 hours from Saturday to Monday for county roa

d commission workers, who averaged about 10 to 14 hours per shift each day Sunday and Monday, clearing roads of some snowdrifts that were as high as four to five feet. Area schools still were not able to open Monday, and Rogers City Schools were operating on a two-hour delay Tuesday. There also was power outages that could be weather related, which affected residents from Bismarck to Pulawski townships. Just about the time Mick Jagger started to sing ?Start Me Up? at halftime of the Super Bowl, the power went out because of a transformer fire at 638 Highway and Schleben Road. The power was out for about an hour.

THE STORM started as a mixture of rain and snow Saturday, with little accumulation. By Saturday night, colder air began to work into the area from the north and the rain changed to snow. The snow became heavy at times across the northeast parts of the state. At the same time, winds increased from the north with gusts over 30 miles per hour, resulting in near blizzard conditions at times. More than 90 schools were closed in northern Michigan on Monday, with considerable blowing and drifting in many areas.

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