Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Ironwood — A weather record fell for the second day in a row in Ironwood Friday as steady rain turned into snow.
After 2.45 inches of rain fell for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Thursday, another 1.25 inches of precipitation was recorded for the period to Friday morning, including 7 inches of slushy snow.
Both the Thursday and Friday precipitation totals set daily records over a 110-year span.
That brought the November precipitation total to 4.04 inches, or three times the normal amount for this time of the month.
With all of that precipitation, Michigan hunters can expect to see woods roads extremely muddy for the Sunday gun-deer opener. Most of the snow will likely be gone, too.
Since the thermometer was expected to hit around 50 today and the mid-50s on Sunday, the snow is of the nuisance variety. It isn’t good for much, other than making an early snowman, and won’t last long.
Schools didn’t cancel classes Friday as 7 inches of snow pales in comparison to some of the storms that hit the Ironwood area a year ago.
When the thermometer dipped to 32 degrees on Thursday, that triggered the rain to change to snow.
Greater snow totals were recorded in other spots of the Gogebic Range. The National Weather Service reported 8.2 inches as of Friday morning at the Bergland dam.
A Duluth television station reported live from Gile, Wis., where around 12 inches fell. Last year on Nov. 13, Gile was in the midst of receiving two feet of snow and the season total for Ironwood was up to 37 inches.
Bad accident
Roads were slick both Thursday and Friday.
Troopers from the Michigan State Police Negaunee Post and Munising detachment investigated a one-vehicle personal injury traffic crash reported at 9:25 a.m. Friday in a rain-snow mix.
The accident was in Limestone Township of Alger County.
Robin McClellan, 53, of Rapid River, was traveling north on U.S. 41 about a mile south of Diffin Road when he lost control of his 1998 Toyota Rav. It left the roadway to the east and rolled.
McClellan, the lone occupant, was not wearing a safety belt and was ejected from the vehicle. He was transported to the Marquette hospital with a serious head injury and was listed in “critical” condition, police said.
Slush was accumulating on the roadway, but police said it was unclear if the weather conditions played a role in the crash.
