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Heavy snow and high winds have pummeled the Marquette area Wednesday afternoon, causing massive power outages and causing power outages. The National Weather Service has blizzard warnings in effect through Thanksgiving morning, not only for Marquette, but for all of the Western U.P., Copper Country, and Alger County.
The snow has piled up on roadways as crews struggled to keep up. In Marquette at around 3:30 in the afternoon, a large traffic jam developed on US-41 on the city’s west side. High winds are causing blowing and drifting of snow in many areas along Lake Superior.
Michigan State Police are urging people to travel only if necessary. Marquette County offices closed early on Wednesday, many Marquette and Harvey businesses also closed early or had only limited services available due to power outages. The Northern Michigan University men’s basketball game scheduled for Wednesday afternoon was cancelled.
POWER OUTAGES WIDESPREAD
As of 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, the Marquette Board of Light and Power reported more than 2,000 customers were without power. Thousands were also without power across the Western UP counties, according to the Upper Peninsula Power Company.
“Upper Peninsula Power Company is actively working to restore power in Ontonagon, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Baraga Counties,” the company said on Wednesday. “Blizzard conditions and oversaturated ground are making travel and line access challenging, which may extend restoration times. We’ve added contractor crews in Ontonagon and Houghton to support our teams already in the field. We’re closely monitoring the storm as it moves through the region and are ready to respond.”
“Keeping our customers and crews safe remains our top priority. Thank you for your patience and support as we work to get the lights back on,” said Dan Freeborn, Manager of Communications and External Affairs.
Never approach or touch a downed power line or anything in contact with one. If you see a downed line, stay at least 35 feet away and call 9-1-1 immediately.
To report an outage, UPPCO customers should call the Customer Care Center at (906) 449-2011, email customerservice@uppco.com, or through accessing their online portal at uppco.com. Customers may experience longer than usual wait times when contacting the Customer Care Center due to weather related call volumes.
PARTS OF UPPER PENINSULA SPARED, FOR NOW
Further south, in Escanaba and Menominee, there was literally no snow on the ground as of 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, as rain and wind pelted areas along Lake Michigan.
Delta, southern Schoolcraft, Iron, Mackinac, and Chippewa Counties are under Winter Storm Warnings. Dickinson and Menominee Counties have Winter Weather Advisories.
The list of current warnings is posted below, by region.
Including the cities of Gwinn and Marquette
…BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST THURSDAY…
Blizzard conditions. Additional snow accumulations between 4 and 18 inches, with lowest accumulations near Arnold and Watson, and the highest accumulations in the Michigamme Highlands north of US-41. Winds gusting as high as 55 mph.
Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow, especially near the lakeshore, could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact the Wednesday evening and Thanksgiving morning drives. Strong winds could cause tree damage.
Including the cities of Munising and Grand Marais
…BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THURSDAY…
Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 7 and 15 inches, with the lowest accumulations at the immediate lakeshore. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph.
Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow, especially near the lakeshore, could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact the Wednesday evening and Thanksgiving morning drives. Strong winds could cause tree damage.
Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.
Including the cities of Ironwood, Copper Harbor, Hancock, L`Anse, Houghton, and Ontonagon
…BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/ THURSDAY…
Blizzard conditions. Additional snow accumulations between 4 and 14 inches, with the highest accumulations along the Spine of the Keweenaw, the higher terrain of Baraga County, near the Porkies and the higher elevations of Ontonagon County, and from Ironwood to Bergland Dam. Winds gusting as high as 55 mph.
Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact the Wednesday evening commute and Thanksgiving morning travel. Strong winds could cause tree damage.
Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.
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