The winter that will not end

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor
It may go down as the snowiest April on record with 40 to 50 inches so far this month in Presque Isle County.
The weekend storm that started Friday the 13th and continued into Tuesday morning brought more than 2 feet of snow across Presque Isle County.
It had all the ingredients of winter rolled into one: sleet, heavy snow, light snow, ice, slush and hail.
The cleanup started Saturday, and again Sunday, and again Monday and Tuesday, as the snow just would not quit. Totals going into Monday were between 18 to 30 inches, according to the Presque Isle County Road Commission. There were another 5 to 6 inches Monday.
“The snowbanks in certain places are higher now than anytime this past winter,” said road commission superintendent/manager Jerry Smigelski. “The high east wind on Sunday plugged all roads in the open areas that were plowed on Saturday.”
“It’s too much snow at one time,” said Duane Dembny, clearing his driveway along Heythaler Highway.
Churches canceled Sunday morning services and many government offices were closed Monday. Additionally, businesses that had employees that could not get out of their driveways to get to work did not open for the day, or for only a few hours.
There were power outages and schools again were closed Monday and Tuesday, and it is unclear if the days would have to be tacked onto the end of the school calendar in June.
The cost to the road commission is expected to reach six figures.
“The snowstorm we had earlier in the month, April 3 and 4, cost us close to $90,000 and that was during the middle of the week,” said Smigelski. “This past storm occurred on the weekend, so all the labor is at the overtime rate.  I don’t have all the numbers yet but expect it to be close to $210,000 for the three days.”
Crews worked between 13 to 15 hours, Saturday; 9 to 11 hours, Sunday; and another 13 to 16 hours, Monday.  They also were out again Tuesday morning.
To compound the problems, the roadways and gravel shoulders are warm and soft, said Smigelski.
“Our snow removal trucks have been getting stuck all weekend long because of this.  It is not like during the middle of winter when the roadways and shoulders are
frozen, making it easier to plow snow,” said Smigelski.
Rogers City department of public works foreman Roger Wenzel said parked vehicles and drivers posed the biggest challenge to city crews.
“The parking ordinance went off the first of April, so there were cars parked all over the place,” said Wenzel. “Yesterday (Monday), it was people riding around to see how deep the snow was and getting stuck all over.
“And they don’t respect the plow. They are coming right behind you. You stop in the intersection and they go around you. They don’t realize we cannot stop on a dime. People have to use some common sense and stay away from the (snowplow) trucks.”
Wenzel said he has lived in Rogers City all of his life and has never seen this much snow in April.