County gets freezing rain and high winds, but where did all the snow go?
It was supposed to be the biggest snowstorm of the season. Forecasters were predicting anywhere from three to 10 inches of snow for northeast lower Michigan. One television report Saturday predicted 10 to 16 inches for Presque Isle County, but it just didn?t pan out.
Schools closed early Monday, and some operated on a delay Tuesday, before closing for the day, but it didn?t have much to do with snow. The snow amounts were more in the range of one to two inches by Tuesday morning, (not including Monday?s snowfall of about four inches).
?SCHOOLS MADE a wise decision to close, looking at the conditions that were there, and the forecast conditions of 45 mile per hour winds,? said Brian Hirsch, National Weather Service (NWS) warning coordination meteorologist. The absence of significant snowfall amounts made Tuesday more bearable, with windchills at five above. NWS on Sunday predicted three to seven inches of snow from the storm.
?The Weather Service forecast never actually called for, quote, ?a lot of snow,? ? said Hirsch. ?Our forecast all along pointed toward a mix of precipitation.?
And that did occur, as freezing rain fell off and on Monday afternoon and evening. Hirsch said warmer air moved into the area, not at the surface, but at 5,000 feet. ?It?s something we monitor with computer models and with our weather balloons we launch twice a day,? said Hirsch. ?We continued a course of mixed precipitation last night and into today and really stressing the strong winds.
?If you were out late (Monday) night, there was freezing rain at 9 p.m. That was a lot of what would have turned into a lot of snow for you.?
SAULT STE. MARIE received a foot of snow, according to the NWS, Cheboygan six inches, while Pellston received three inches. Blizzard conditions and icy roads were reported all across northern Michigan Tu
The winter storm warning for Presque Isle was changed to a winter weather advisory Monday night. A high wind advisory was in place most of the day Tuesday. The Presque Isle County Road Commission in Rogers City has recorded 47 1/4 inches of snow for November through January this season, which is 10 inches of snow ahead of the winter season of 2001-2002.
January?s 29 3/4 inches was the most in the Rogers City area in four years. Most of the snow last season came in February when 32.5 inches of snow was recorded.
