Weekend snowstorms forecast for Ironwood

By RALPH ANSAMI

ransami@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — April continues to seem more like February on the Gogebic Range as continued cold temperatures and snow are in the forecast the weekend.

“April showers may bring snow plowers,” a Facebook post on Monday proclaimed.

There’s an 80 percent chance of snow for Thursday and Friday, although with highs of around 44 degrees, there could be rain in the mix, too.

Saturday calls for a 70 percent chance of precipitation, with up to 8.7 inches of snow possible, according to the National Weather Service.

That’s not nearly as bad as the following weekend — April 20-22 — when as much as 20 inches of snow is predicted for the three days, according to MyForecast.com, which bases its predictions on the National Weather Service station forecasts from Marquette.

The 15-day forecast doesn’t offer any 50-degree readings for Ironwood, as the frigid overnight weather will continue.

The thermometer dipped below zero early Sunday across the Gogebic Range, following drifting snow on Friday and Saturday.

Antigo, Wis., posted a record low of minus-8 on Sunday morning.

There’s still well more than a foot of snow on the ground in forests on the Gogebic Range and the Little Girl’s Point deer herd is struggling to cope with the effects of a long, cold winter. The deer are lethargic along roadsides and there are scarce opportunities for food, other than dry grass in some areas, and hand-outs from Point residents.

Many area lakes still have a foot or more of ice cover and the fishing openers next month in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula could require ice augers, rather than boats.

Indianhead Mountain, near Wakefield, still had a 24-inch base for skiing over the weekend and 22 of 30 downhill trails were open. The mountain had received 167 inches of snow for the winter and 15 inches this month, allowing it to be open on weekends.