Winter in One Fell Swoop?

Weather alert: the National Weather Service is predicting heavy snowfall.  This afternoon's forecast (4-9 inches) has been updated to 9-13 inches overnight, with blowing and drifting snow. Another 1-3 inches expected in the morning with continuing wind.

Jerry Peterson, Manistee County Road Commission Manager, explains how up to 21 trucks may be deployed during this weekend's snowstorm.

The upper range of snowfall for tonight (Friday evening) appears to apply to Kaleva (13 inches max.), Copemish (13), Brethren (13), Wellston (13), Bear Lake (13), Manistee (12), Filer City Twp., Onekama (12), Arcadia (12).

Click here for current Bear Lake weather information.

Updates


3/2/12 at 11:16pm:  There are also reports of power outages at 9th Street and on the north side of Manistee as well as at Memorial Medical Center in Ludington.


3/2/12 at 10:45pm:  There are reports of power outages east of Bear Lake, near Big Four Road, for customers of Cherryland Electric.  In Manistee, there are reports of lines down and slippery conditions on Vine St.  In Bear Lake, tree limbs have come down in residential areas, with occasional brown-outs and short power outages lasting a few seconds.

Looking east down Three Pines Road (Friday, March 2 at 8:30pm)

Looking east down 13 Mile Road, near US-31 in Bear Lake (Friday, March 2 at 6pm)

Dad's the Outboard Motor

Heads have turned to follow unidentified skating objects on Bear Lake over the past few days.  "Someone's windsurfing out there," said a gas station employee.

Friday afternoon, Bear Lake resident Jim Reed confirmed that the vehicle, a 16-foot ice boat, belongs to him.  He and two of his children, ages 13 and 11, traveled across the lake's surface.  "This one will do north of 60 [miles per hour]," he said, adding that the sail allows as much control as on a sailboat.  Reed said a group of ice boaters from Muskegon are expected to visit Bear Lake on Saturday.

About half a dozen ice shanties are currently set up on Bear Lake.  Ice fisherman credit the popularity of the lake to the relatively shallow depth, which permits a faster, thicker freeze.

Click below to play video

The Reeds sail on their ice boat

Bird's Eye View: Syria

If the recent news about Syria just looks like a mess of noise and blurred video, here are a few things to look at:  

View Larger Map

Brief overview (Dec. 29, 2011): http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2011/12/the-arab-winter.html

A perspective from inside the anti-government insurgency (December 29, 2011):
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/12/a-tour-inside-syrias-insurgency/250654/1/

Like father, like son? A look back at the current Syrian President's father (February 4, 2012):  http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/wendell-steavenson/2012/02/hama-rules-again.html

Map of Syria: http://g.co/maps/wssak

Snowbird Departure

Our North Shore columnist heads out

Norconk Trees

Looking east down Norconk Road (January 28, 2012)

Mr. Bear Lake - Remembering Elroy Urbanus

Hundreds attended the January 9 funeral service at Bear Lake School

Pastor Bobby Cabot addresses the attendees

     When Bear Lake said goodbye to Elroy Urbanus three weeks ago, the community reluctantly returned a part of its bedrock to the earth. Urbanus, Bear Lake School’s longtime custodian and bus driver, passed away on January 5 after a long struggle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, or ALS. His constant, friendly face greeted generations of students when they boarded the school bus or walked down the halls. Over 45 years, entire families came to know him on a first-name basis. While teachers and administrators were addressed formally, most everyone knew Urbanus as “Elroy.”

Winter Scenes

Views from the northern side of Bear Lake, two looking south

(January 14, 2012) and one looking north (January 17, 2012)