Traverse City Record-Eagle

Breaking News in 2009

December 8, 2009

3 pm: Locals gear up for winter storm

BY LINDSAY VANHULLE

lvanhulle@record-eagle.com

and SHERI McWHIRTER

smcwhirter@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Shovels, ice melt, roof rakes and windshield scrapers are hot sellers at Torch River Hardware in Rapid City.

Owner Thane Pressman stocked plenty of supplies after last winter’s heavy and consistent snowfall. He anticipates more of the same this season.

And with a winter storm warning threatening to dump more than a foot of snow in Northwest Michigan within 36 hours, Pressman has watched the items move from store shelves.

“These are the big-ticket things,” Pressman said. “We expect a big, big rush.”

Residents could awaken to find 6 to 8 inches of fresh snow, with another 7 inches expected through Wednesday and 3 more Thursday, said Scott Rozanski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord.

A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 a.m. Thursday.

The low-pressure system is resulting in “a pretty typical December winter storm,” Rozanski said.

Snowfall amounts likely won’t vary much from Traverse City to Gaylord, he said. But windy conditions will make driving hazardous, especially during morning commutes.

Leelanau County Road Commission plow drivers will be out overnight, with the full crew starting at 5 a.m. to clear expected heavy snowfall, Superintendent Herb Cradduck said.

“We’re ready. All we can do is wait,” he said. “The trucks are ready to go.”

The county will have 24 plow trucks moving snow and working to keep it from becoming ice on roads and highways, Cradduck said.

The possibility of significant accumulation is a delight to snow enthusiasts.

“I’ve been getting calls all day,” said Monica Claycomb, a front desk worker at the All Seasons Resort in Kalkaska, a popular hotel for snowmobile riders near a state-designated trail.

Trail conditions are not good enough for snowmobiles right now, but could be by week’s end. Out-of-town visitors are expected to flock to the region, should the storm deliver the promised white stuff.

“If we get what they say we’re going to get, they’ll be here,” Claycomb said. “They’re all calling back on Thursday.”

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