Ann Arbor area begins digging out after winter storm

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.