Powerful winds and plunging temperatures Sunday into Monday may bring to Michigan power outages, blizzard conditions and waves as large as those that sank the SS Edmund Fitzgerald a half-century ago, forecasters say.
Steve Freitag, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, says power outages comparable to those after northern Michigan’s historic ice storm in March may occur after winds blow between 25 to 60 miles her hour in southeast Michigan.
“This is a real deepening strong low that’s going to be moving through southern Lake Michigan and into southern Lake Huron tomorrow morning (Monday) and really deep near Georgian Bay, which is eastern Lake Superior,” Freitag said.
Emergency management officials advise residents to secure outdoor furniture and ensure backup power sources are ready.
A powerful winter storm was sweeping east from the Plains on Sunday, driven by what meteorologists describe as an intense cyclone, setting off a chain reaction of snow, ice, rain and severe weather expected to affect much of the country.
Blizzard-like conditions and dangerous travel are expected across parts of the Upper Peninsula. Snowfall totals were expected to exceed a foot across parts of the upper Great Lakes, with up to 2 feet possible along the south shore of Lake Superior.
Southeast Michigan will likely experience snow squalls — short, intense bursts of heavy snow and wind that can reduce visibility to near zero in seconds creating hazardous driving conditions.
Consumers Energy said it will mobilize nearly 500 crews to start restoring power as of 10 p.m. Sunday when gusts start in southern Michigan and then continue statewide.
“We have been watching the forecast closely and want our friends and neighbors to know our crews will be ready to respond,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for restoration. “We understand it can be frustrating to see more storms for the second time in a week, and we are committed to restoring power to our customers as quickly and safely as we can.”
Crews are preparing to work after restoring power to 90,000 customers affected by Friday’s ice storm.
National Weather Service and Accuweather meteorologists were tracking a rapidly intensifying low-pressure system Sunday.
Southeast Michigan will likely experience snow squalls — short, intense bursts of heavy snow and wind that can reduce visibility to near zero in seconds creating hazardous driving conditions.
Mariners are urged to remain in port, as the NWS has issued storm warnings across the region.
In the Upper Peninsula, forecasters are warning that waves will likely reach 34 feet on Lake Superior by dawn Monday. The 1975 storm that took down the Edmund Fitzgerald produced waves between 25 and 35 feet.
Significant waves also forecast for the other Great Lakes as well. Freitag says Lake Superior would see waves above 25 feet in the southern part of the water Monday morning, up to 30 feet in Lake Huron, between 20 to 25 feet in Lake Michigan. Lake Erie is expected to see 24-foot waves and Lake Ontario to see waves topping at 20 feet.
Severe freezing spray is expected to coat vessels remaining on the water and shoreline infrastructure in thick ice, as arctic air rushes over the warmer water.
Associated Press contributed.
