Storm snarls morning commute; 3.8 inches of snow reported in Ann Arbor; 1 school closed
The first major winter storm of the season turned the morning commute into a giant headache in the Ann Arbor area today as drivers negotiated snow-covered and slick roads.
Numerous accidents littered area freeways, police said, and a semi rollover caused a several-mile backup on I-94 at State Street.
Despite the storm, which also made for tough going on roads and highways Thursday afternoon and evening, only one school in Washtenaw County was closed.
A City of Ann Arbor salt truck salts a section of East Stadium at Packard on Thursday afternoon.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Students at Spiritus Sanctus Joy at 4101 East Joy Road in Ann Arbor will be off today. The private Catholic Spiritus Sanctus Plymouth also is closed.
The backup on westbound I-94 extended for miles after a semi rolled over on I-94 at State Street in Ann Arbor about 6 a.m., said Sgt. Chris Pascoe at the Michigan State Police post in Ypsilanti. Police closed the freeway for about half an hour during the cleanup, but it was reopened about 7:45 a.m., Pascoe said.
He said several crashes occurred in the area of the east and west triple decker intersections of US-23 and M-14. There was also a multiple-car crash at US-23 and Geddes Road on Ann Arbor's east side, he said.
"The highways are very slippery," he said. "Even after they're plowed they're slippery."
But no serious injuries have been reported he said.
The Ann Arbor area saw 3.8 inches by the time the storm ended, according to the National Weather Service in White Lake Township. Across the region, communities have seen an average of 3 to 5 inches - with the highest snowfall of 6 inches reported in Saginaw, meteorologists said.
Several communities have declared snow emergencies, but Ann Arbor is not on that list thus far. The area was under a winter weather advisory until 7 a.m.
Jim Harmon, director of operations for the Washtenaw County Road Commission, said all the county's freeways have been plowed, and crews are working on secondary roads.
The snowfall total is below the threshold of 4 inches now mandated for the Washtenaw County Road Commission to send crews out on overtime to plow subdivision streets. The change is an attempt to cut costs in light of shrinking revenues.
Harmon said confusion has arisen over that change and stressed that overtime is still being used for the main roadways - and subdivisions will continue to be plowed, just not on overtime.
The road commission's fleet of 46 trucks worked to keep the roadways cleared from morning until 8 p.m., he said. A smaller overnight crew was used to keep the main thoroughfares scraped overnight, and the entire day contingent was called back at 4 a.m. to get working before rush hour, Harmon said.
"We're watching the temperatures drop and the wind will be 15 to 20 mph, so we're watching closely for blowing snow," Harmon said. "So far things are going well. People seem to be getting acclimated to winter driving conditions, and speeds are lower."
Because the snow fell mainly overnight, the 4 inch rule isn't likely to impact subdivision plowing, Harmon said.
"This is a work day, so it's not overtime, and we'll be out there clearing," Harmon said. "It would be different if it was a Saturday."
Michigan State Police Trooper Lee Victorian said the overnight period was relatively quiet. Victorian said he had only handled two traffic incidents on his shift and had expected 15 to 20.
Today's forecast calls for winds that could be intense enough at times to blow snow across already messy roadways, the weather service said.
Cindy Heflin contributed to this report.
Comments
tdw
Sat, Jan 9, 2010 : 2:02 p.m.
Can someone set me straight.Is'nt it the county that takes care of the main roads and the city or townships take care of the side streets?
wlhneighbor
Sat, Jan 9, 2010 : 1:55 p.m.
I came to Ann Arbor from Connecticut in 1992. I was surprised that in the City of Ann Arbor, some streets are not plowed at all. In Connecticut I lived WAY OUT IN THE COUNTRY. Even there, snow removal was great. All country roads were plowed. When I lived in a subdivision in East Hartford, it was the same. Also, the City put green boxes of a sand-snow mix on street corners for residents to use. Fortunately, now, I live on a main thoroughfare so my streets are plowed and salted. My daughter lives in a subdivision, and her streets look like they have not been plowed at all.
MjC
Sat, Jan 9, 2010 : 10:26 a.m.
Clearing the roads in Washtenaw County has always frustrated drivers - it's been bad since I first came to town in my 1973 Ford Pinto (and that, my friends, was not a car made for driving in snow!). My understanding back then, as it is today, is that we put less salt down than most counties because we are an environmentally friendly city. It's never been about saving money as much as it has been about saving our roads, trees, grass, and rivers. And because we use less salt, we can't plow as often because you need that snow for a bit of traction. Either way in this county you have to drive more cautiously on bad winter days. So slow down, get off your cell phone, focus, leave plenty of space between you and other drivers, and don't forget to buckle up!
bugsmum
Sat, Jan 9, 2010 : 10:11 a.m.
Honestly, I was a bit frustrated that more schools weren't closed yesterday also... My daughter and I resigned ourselves to the fact that we would leave incredibly early and drive very cautiouslessly... which we did until a salt truck coming in the opposite direction on Geddes Road decided it needed to take up 1/2 of our lane also. I veered slightly toward the shoulder to miss his big plow underneath the truck and snow grabbed my tires and we went for a ride! Spun twice and ended up in a ditch over by Botanical Gardens. I'm not blaming the truck, I'm actually grateful he was out there clearing roads at all. However, I'm having a difficult time explaining to my daughter why anyone would put childrens lives at risk when the rooads were clearly very bad. Even taking all the necessary precautions, (leaving early, driving VERY slow, etc.) we were still put in a dangerous situation. Next time, I think I'll just choose as her mother to keep her safe at home. Aren't our children lives more important than the counts at school?
Adam Jaskiewicz
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 4:45 p.m.
a, this is Michigan. If we shut everything down every time there was a little bad weather, we wouldn't get anything done. It gets cold here and snows. You just have to leave a little earlier and take it easy. Keeping some emergency supplies in your car can't hurt.
Lokalisierung
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 3:23 p.m.
Ann Arbor has ALWAYS had horrible snow removal for roads. You could always tell when you hit Pittsfield of Ypsi becasue you'd cross ove a road and the rest of the way would be completely clear.
Michigan Libby
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 2:59 p.m.
Mr. Phdeez - I'm sure you have lived here long enough in your six years to see efficient snow removal is a chronic problem for this area. I grew up here and I can remember when I was in high school (30 plus years ago!) you could always tell exactly where Washtenaw County ended because the roads in Wayne County were cleared so much quicker and more completely. Now I live in Wayne County and drive out here to work. I leave home thinking the roads aren't bad - until I hit Washtenaw County. Does anybody out there know why this has always been and continues to be a big problem for Washtenaw County - even BEFORE the budget issues?
Life in Ypsi
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 2:23 p.m.
My child attends Lincoln HS and I was VERY upset school was not cancelled. The roads were covered in ice at 7 AM. What were they thinking?
tdw
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 1:27 p.m.
@Adam 4 in is not a lot of snow.I think people just don't how to drive anymore.I think there are basicly 2 types of drivers.One thinks cause they have a SUV they can dreive any way they want and the other is so scared they should'nt be on the to begin with
Adam Jaskiewicz
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 12:10 p.m.
Why does 4 inches of snow cause such a problem? It's just not a lot of snow. Even if it isn't cleared very well, 4 inches shouldn't pose much of a problem for most cars if you take it slow and steady. I'm looking forward to breaking out my skis this weekend!
a2cents
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 11:24 a.m.
must be a hockey / basketball weekend... side streets along State getting plowed. Does the U pay for this?
phdeez
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 10:47 a.m.
This is my sixth winter here in Ann Arbor, and I am always amazed at how less than four inches of snow can cripple the city. Why is more money not allocated to keeping the roads clear? I have lived in the mountains of northern Utah and the hills of western Pennsylvania. Both areas get significantly more snow than Ann Arbor, and both areas clear their roadways more quickly and more consistently. A four inch snow storm should not take 24 hours to dig out of. Is it possible to shift some money around to rent some more plow truck and hire some of the thousands of unemployed people in the area to drive them?
Sarah
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 10:09 a.m.
We saw a city bus basically spin out this morning, ending up sidewards on Packard across three lanes of the road. He corrected quickly and our traffic was moving cautiously enough that there was no danger of accidents. Kudos to that. But, really. I am continually frustrated that the road conditions on Packard were that bad that it happened. It was over 12 hours since the storm ended and it's a major road (this was near the traffic light closest to the church/synagogue). Add to that a driver who cut off a bus and it was a stack-up of my pet peeves of driving in Ann Arbor with snow. But hey, on the edge of campus, we saw three city sanding trucks in a row!
unclemercy
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 9:29 a.m.
the elusive salt truck. next this photographer should track down bigfoot and tiger woods. thank you for the continued coverage.
Ignatz
Fri, Jan 8, 2010 : 6:39 a.m.
My fellow resident drivers and pedestrians: Please be careful on the roads and pay attention. Yesterday at 4 PM during the snow I saw a human driving while yakking on the phone and two human youths crossing a busy street in the middle of the block. I'm sure we all know deep down that our vehicles will not stop on a dime in these conditions, so follow your instincts.