Ann Arbor area begins digging out after winter storm
Pedestrians walk down Liberty Street amid the snow today in Ann Arbor.
Juliana Keeping | AnnArbor.com
Now that most of the snow is over, it's cleanup time in Washtenaw County. Winds could hamper those efforts, however, causing blowing and drifting snow.
A winter storm that began Tuesday had dumped 9.5 inches of snow on the Ann Arbor area as of 8:15 a.m. today, said University of Michigan weather observer Dennis Kahlbaum.
The storm prompted public and private schools to close for the day and shut down Eastern Michigan University and the Ypsilanti District Library.
The storm has moved off to the south and east, and only about another half inch of snow accumulation is expected, said Dave Kook at the National Weather Service in White Lake., but a winter storm warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Winds will pick up in the next couple of hours, he said. The area could have sustained winds of 20 mph with gusts reaching 30 mph until around sunset. The high today will be near 26.
A dispatcher for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department said there were a few crashes on area highways this morning but nothing blocking traffic.
The Washtenaw County Road Commission has all 46 plow trucks on the road as well as a couple of graders and other miscellaneous equipment, said Jim Harmon, director of operations. All the major roads have been plowed, but that doesn't mean they're not slick.
"Things are going well for us. ... We've got all the troops deployed. We've still got snow cover and some slippery spots."
Harmon asked drivers to slow down. "Give our people lots of room," he said. "We're going to keep at this, and by the end of the work day, we think we'll be in pretty good shape."
Crews will begin to focus on secondary roads and subdivision streets today, he said. But high winds could slow the process. "This snow is pretty light snow, and that can cause some blowing and drifting," he said. Significant drifting will force plows to halt work on secondary roads and return to major thoroughfares.
In Ann Arbor, crews are continuing to work on major streets and have begun clearing residential streets, said Kirk Pennington, field operations supervisor.
"Major streets are in various conditions," he said. "All have been plowed. We're treating them to remove compacted snow and ice." The city has 33 trucks of various sizes deployed today, he said.
The overnight period was mostly quiet on area freeways, with just a few drivers sliding off the road, said Sgt. Chris Pascoe of the Michigan State Police post in Ypsilanti. Pascoe was grateful the morning commute was going reasonably well, a welcome change after slippery roads caused several crashes Tuesday, including one fatal accident on I-94.
"Things have quieted down," he said. "... I think the school cancellations helped. A lot of people are staying home."
This afternoon and evening could bring a few additional snow showers to the area and winds will continue to blow with gusts up to 25 mph overnight. Thursday will be mostly cloudy with highs near 27. Friday will bring sunshine and a high near 26. The weekend forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of more snow showers.
Not everyone viewed the storm as a major inconvenience. Stephen Tyndall, a University of Michigan graduate student from Georgia, took advantage of the snow to take photos at Veterans Memorial Park Tuesday night. “I think it’s pretty awesome, actually,” he said.
Comments
spm
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 7:09 a.m.
I live off Liberty and by mid-afternoon our street had been plowed. I say good work guys. Also, if you want a good car to get around in the snow get a Subaru...made in Indiana.
Bridget Bly
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 7:01 a.m.
Jessica Webster, I wonder if you could check out whether this is true or not: Our street and the streets between us and Geddes were not plowed much or at all yesterday. My husband called the city and was told that they didn't plow "if you had garbage removal scheduled" because the trash cans were in the way. Can this be true? And to all those posters who are so judgmental about other people's lack of driving ability: it doesn't take much of an incline to stop someone in a reasonable car with reasonable tires from getting around. Some streets are hilly, and they need to be plowed for people to get to work (yes, even on garbage pickup day).
Hunterjim
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 7:04 p.m.
I live just a few blocks from Haisley school and all the streets are plowed! My only issue is that a City pickup truck was cleaning the cal-de-sac and spent almost 1/2 hour clearing it.This is after the big plow truck already had come by twice! It is nice to have such attention, but I think he could have spent his time and gas more wisely and attended to others who need their streets cleared. In these tough economic times maybe a little less attention to the minor areas to please a few folks and make sure the entire city is cleared would have been wiser.
leaguebus
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 3:17 p.m.
I live on Duncan street, the only way in and out of Haisley School. It is usually last to get plowed. Yesterday the city came through our neighborhood and presalted a bunch of streets, but stopped at the end of Duncan. The problem with Duncan is that because of all the school busses and teacher/parental traffic, the road gets down to about two tracks with a ton of snow and ice off to the sides of the two tracks. It makes it hard to get out of driveways, unless the homeowner shovels the street at the end of the driveway. I have tried for a couple of years to get Duncan into the regular route (they do all the hills in the neighborhood and Arborview first) but no one listens. Our generous tax dollars at work!
Adam Jaskiewicz
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 2:08 p.m.
I'm mostly saying that your driving ability and the type (summer-only/all-season/snow), quality, and condition of your tires have more to do with how well you can get around in the winter than how many wheels your engine is connected to.
Lokalisierung
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 1:55 p.m.
Disagree but no biggie. We are agreed in the fact people like to wail and moan and have lost the ability to drive these days.
Adam Jaskiewicz
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 1:48 p.m.
All-wheel drive is overrated. Any average passenger car will do just fine in the snow. By "average passenger car", I mean a compact or mid-sized front-wheel-drive car, something like a Taurus, Neon, Civic, Focus, Corolla, or Malibu. If you drive something like that, and you have trouble driving it in average S.E. Michigan snowfalls, a new car won't help you much.
Lokalisierung
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 1:33 p.m.
Hence the "" around "American." I was going to say buy a Subaru but the tears that would start flowing in this cold weatehr could be dangerous.
tdw
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 1:26 p.m.
Fusions are built in Mexico
Lokalisierung
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 1:04 p.m.
maybe you should look into a better car. Perhaps somthing with AWD...Ford Fusion is available if you want to buy "Amercian."
Adam Jaskiewicz
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 1:03 p.m.
A typical passenger car with snow tires or even good all-seasons won't have much trouble in this stuff, especially once a couple cars go by and pack stuff down. You just have to get a little momentum going, and not lose it by giving it too much gas and spinning the tires. I got around the U.P. just fine for a few years with a little two-door Saturn, and I had to drive to class in much worse conditions than this.
pvitaly
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 12:45 p.m.
why is 10 inches a little bit of snow? none of the cars in my household could get out of our street. Has nothing to do with being "scared" of driving in the snow. It was just impossible to go farther than 20 ft.
Adam Jaskiewicz
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 12:34 p.m.
If you're having so much trouble driving in a little snow, you probably need new tires.
uawisok
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 12:31 p.m.
I street park and the street I park on hasn't been plowed yet and no problem getting around with a front wheel drive passenger car....what's up with folks who say they can't even get out of their driveway?? This has been a mild winter so far, curuios how these folks would fair during a "normal" winter??
bs
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 12:15 p.m.
we've become a society of wimps! this is hardly a snowfall.... why, when I was a kid......
pvitaly
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 12:01 p.m.
I can't get out of my driveway because my street has been completely un-touched. this is crap. it better got plowed today.
The Grinch
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 : 11:53 a.m.
Streets are untouched? Hardly. Every major thoroughfare I drove on today between 8 and 9AM had been plowed and sanded.