NORTHERN MICHIGAN -- Another day, another round of school closings with over 125 closing their doors across our viewing area Wednesday due to the weather.
Snow totals across Northern Michigan varied widely, from over a foot to less than 2" in spots. The top snow amount reported was in the Central U.P. in Delta County where the National Weather Service says 19.7" of snow fell near Round Lake. As of this writing, the Michigan State Police telling me that highway M-28 between Wetmore and Harvey (a main trunkline across the Upper Peninsula is shut down due to impassable road conditions).
Locally, amounts ranged from 12" in parts of Benzie county and also an 11" total reported at Kinross in Chippewa County. Other totals as of early Wednesday morning include 11" at Interlochen, 10.5" at Lake Ann, 8" at Vanderbilt, 7.5" for Gaylord and 6" at Manistee. I am sure other spots had just as much if not more with additional reports/measurements still coming in.
The good news for those with travels or wanting to clean up, the lake effect snow will dwindle down to light snow showers and flurries by late Wednesday and they will be mainly confined to the Grand Traverse region where another 1-3" of snow is forecasted.
Those gusty northwest winds will also slowly taper off as the day wears on bringing an end to the blowing and in some cases, extensive drifting of the snow.
Temperatures will fall quickly Wednesday night as skies clear with below zero reading likely along/east of Interstate-75. Sunshine returns to Northern Michigan Thursday!
