Photo by Bill Petzold • The Strand Theatre’s marquee spells out how the two men clearing the sidewalk must feel as they work to remove snow Tuesday morning.
By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
MICHIGAN — Snow-mageddon?
It could well be with all the snow, blowing and drifting and dangerous double-digit below-zero temperatures.
As of 10 a.m., Monday, wastewater treatment plants throughout Tuscola County each reported over a foot of snow with the city of Caro in the lead for the most.
“We’ve got 16 inches of snow from this storm,” said Caro City Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor Curtis Wells. “I’ve been here nine years, and that’s the most that I’ve seen.”
The wastewater treatment plant is located at 724 Columbus St., Caro.
“We had about 12 inches a few years back from an overnight storm. I haven’t seen anything like this,” said Wells.
Snow totals in the city of Vassar are a close second.
“We’ve got 13 inches here,” said Vassar Wastewater Superintendent Carl Miller from the plant’s location 5515 S. Vassar Rd.
Cass City Wastewater Treatment Superintendent Rick Mohr reports 12.5 inches there.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Millington received 16 inches of snow, and North Branch received 17 inches.
The NWS reports Saginaw County has 11.9 inches of snow, Genesee County 17.1 inches, and Shiawassee 18.7. NWS has also issued a “wind-chill warning” until 7 a.m., Wednesday for temperatures that could reach as low as -30 degrees in Tuscola, Bay, Saginaw, and Midland counties, and they did. Tuesday morning, the NWS posted the temperature in Caro was -33, -36 in Lapeer, and -34 in Huron County.
In Sanilac County, the courthouse and the sheriff’s records department were closed Monday and Tuesday.
On Monday, Tuscola County officials ordered the courthouse and county offices closed, and the state of Michigan closed Secretary of State Offices in Huron, Lapeer, Tuscola, Livingston, and Shiawassee counties. They are now back open.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.