Traverse City Record-Eagle

Grand Traverse County

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December 3, 2008

Winter wallop could bring 18 inches

By MELISSA DOMSIC

TRAVERSE CITY -- Dennis Frantz parked his bike at the Traverse Area District Library and shook the melting snow from his foggy glasses after covering his seat with plastic grocery bags.

Steady snowfall made for a wet ride as Frantz travelled about five miles on Wednesday, but he didn't mind.

"I like the snow, I like cooler weather," said Frantz, of Traverse City. "If we're going to have winter, I'd just as soon have lots of snow."

That's exactly what's in store for the Grand Traverse region as it gets walloped with its second snow storm of the week.

"You can pretty much take it to the bank: snow, snow, snow," said Dave Lawrence, a meteorologist at Gaylord's National Weather Service station. A winter storm warning for the region was issued through 4 a.m. Friday.

At least three to five inches are expected to accumulate today, and a total of 12 to 18 inches could blanket the area by Sunday, Lawrence said.

Temperatures will also dip into the mid- to upper-20s today, plunging to the low 20s for highs by Friday.

"We're off to a very quick start, it's usually a little more gradual," Lawrence said of the stormy winter weather. "It'll be interesting to see where the winter heads from here."

The looming storm already forced the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau to reschedule its annual meeting from today to Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Great Wolf Lodge.

Workers from Great Lakes Maintenance & Plow expect to be out around the clock the next few days as calls for snow removal come in. The early and heavy snowfall boosted business and helped make up for those customers who won't pick up seasonal contracts because of the slumping economy, owner Angie Ayers said.

Employees at the Goodyear Auto Service Center on West Front Street also have been busy installing winter tires and performing extra maintenance work, said owner Gary Gorton.

"It's a fun time, but we stay very, very busy," he said.

While some equip their cars with seasonal treads, Emily Palmer of Traverse City fitted her running shoes with special spikes so she could exercise outside in the snow.

"It's not easy, I slipped quite a bit before I put the grippers on my shoes, but it's actually quite pretty today," she said on Wednesday after finishing up a run in her neighborhood.

Amy Fritch also modified her routine to accommodate the snow. She brought a plastic sled to pick up her daughter, Alena, 5, from Traverse City's Montesorri program at the former Glenn Loomis school.

"It kind of kills two birds," Fritch said. "I'm getting some exercise and she loves it."

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