Winter Weather

Right before a historic blizzard hit northern Michigan last month, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a snowmobiler that was stranded on an ice flow in the Straits of Mackinac. He was soon after deported, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Just under 2,000 year-round residents across three islands along the St. Marys River had limited access to the mainland due to heavy ice build up.

Nearly the entire Upper Peninsula is under an ice storm warning, with as much as half an inch of accumulation predicted in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service office in Gaylord told WCMU they don't expect the incoming system to be as severe as the ice storm and blizzard that struck the region a few weeks ago.

Alcona County Undersheriff Keith Meyers speaks with WCMU's Tina Sawyer about the latest conditions in the northeast Michigan county that sustained heavy damage from an ice storm that swept across the region Monday.

Warming centers and resources are available for residents in counties across the northeast, as around 100,000 homes and businesses remain without power following a major winter storm.

The National Weather Service reports that some areas of the Upper Peninsula received up 4 feet of snow.

An ice storm followed by blizzard conditions coated trees and powerlines with ice leaving more than 100,000 northern Michigan residents without power.

State and local officials across the Upper Peninsula are urging people to stay home and not travel unless necessary as a major winter storm continues to wreck havoc on the region, causing white-out conditions and heavy snow.

The Mackinac Bridge Authority said they've closed the bridge as a precaution as the winter storm heading towards northern Michigan has created low visibility for motorists. It's unclear when it will reopen.