[Southsider2k12]

Is everyone ready for another snowy wintery day? The forecast is calling for 3 to 6 inches today. Ugh. Is it June yet?

[Southsider2k12]

This is a bulletin from the official City website


Phase I Snow Removal

Mayor Chuck Oberlie and James T. Elwell, Superintendent of Central Services, issued the following statement today:

“Based on the weather forecast, effective immediately, a Phase I Snow Removal has been declared and will remain in effect until further notice.”

The Phase I Snow Removal Condition places a parking ban on both sides of all identified Snow Routes and on the north and west side of all other remaining city streets.

Mayor Oberlie asks for the cooperation of all citizens so that roadways can be kept open for everyone’s convenience and safety.

“If conditions don’t warrant, its continuation, it will expire at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday) night, January 10th.

[Homey]

Some of the real estate listings in Florida are looking better all the time.

[IndyTransplant]

I Love it! Of course I do not have to drive in it. I am formerly from Indianapolis and we tended to get more icy days than snowy days. Snow is beautiful!

[Southsider2k12]

Holy crap the forecast looks UGLY for this week. They are talking about potential blizzard conditions, followed up by below zero temperatures. Someone remind me why I live in the Midwest again.

[Ang]

Our weather has been very mild this year. Even while I was there, the weather here was in the 40's. We get a little snow here and there, but it's gone within a couple days. I guess we're pretty lucky this year.

[Southsider2k12]

Our weather has been very mild this year. Even while I was there, the weather here was in the 40's. We get a little snow here and there, but it's gone within a couple days. I guess we're pretty lucky this year.

This winter has sucked so far, and it doesn't look to be getting any better, anytime soon!

[lbl]

This winter has sucked so far, and it doesn't look to be getting any better, anytime soon!

C'mon!!! The snow is why we live here!!! It's fun. It hasn't been that cold, yet. Just bundle up, grab your kids, or someone else's, and rediscover why it's so fun!

Just don't pull a Bono!

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=55777.57

Serious snowfall will continue

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Michigan City received 8.8 inches of snow between Friday and Saturday.

According to B. J. Simpson, a National Weather Service meteorologist based at the North Webster, Ind., office, the local area can expect between 3 and 5 inches more by Tuesday.

"On Tuesday we're expecting a lot of wind, 25 miles per hour with higher gusts. We'll have low visibility," he added. By Thursday, temperatures can be dangerously low, with highs in the single digits and lows below zero, he added.

Locally, everyone working on snow removal has been on a 12-hour shift rotation since Friday, said Jim Elwell, superintendent of Central Services.

"On Friday, we met with the mayor, the fire and police departments as well as emergency management," to review strategies for dealing with extreme cold and snow storms, Elwell said.

In addition to the street department, the refuse department chips in by hauling snow away from the downtown area.

Even the city's vector control officer Dave Morlan, animal control officer Bruce Wren and forester Frank Seilheimer pitch in with snow removal, Elwell said.

Elwell said local residents have been especially cooperative during this last storm. "People have been out there cleaning off their cars and moving them out of the way as quickly as possible," he said.

Today at noon, the city will move into Phase II of snow removal, which means no parking on snow routes and no parking on east and south sides of streets.

Phase I calls for no parking on snow routes and no parking on west and north sides of streets.

Elwell is worried about whether the city will have enough salt for the rest of the winter season. "Right now we have about 1,500 tons left," he said.

Theoretically, that could last for the rest of the season, but if it's a particularly rough winter, the city could run out.

"We couldn't get any more salt," Elwell said. Suppliers chose not to sell any salt to some customers, he added. Last year the city paid $38 per ton. This year, the price leaped to about $103 per ton.

The city uses a sugar beet solution to extend the salt supply and to extend the life of the salt.

Elwell hates to think about using sand because it's so hard on the sewage system.

"Sand has to be literally vacuumed from the sewers," he said.

[lbl]

C'mon!!! The snow is why we live here!!! It's fun. It hasn't been that cold, yet. Just bundle up, grab your kids, or someone else's, and rediscover why it's so fun!

Just don't pull a Bono!

Sonny Bono, that is.

[JHeath]

C'mon!!! The snow is why we live here!!! It's fun. It hasn't been that cold, yet. Just bundle up, grab your kids, or someone else's, and rediscover why it's so fun!

Just don't pull a Bono!

Exactly. Sledding, snowboarding, skiing...whatever. Build a snowman, make snow angels. Come on, the kids will love it!

[Homey]

Sorry I can't join in your enthusiasm. I ice skated when I was in high school...many, many years ago...can't snowboard or sled. It's not why I live here...it's just a reality of living here.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Just look out the window...

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=20258

City braces for blizzard
Parking restrictions continue; warming shelters open

From Staff Reports

MICHIGAN CITY - Mayor Chuck Oberlie and John Jones, the city emergency management director, said Monday they are planning for a week of severe winter weather.

At press time, a winter storm warning was in effect through 6 tonight, followed by a blizzard watch Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning, and exacerbated by plummeting temperatures and wind-chill factors below zero.

Oberlie said the Phase II snow removal condition, which started at noon Monday, will continue through noon today. A Phase II Snow Removal Condition places a parking ban on both sides of all identified snow routes, and on the south and east sides of all other remaining streets. Residents should tune into local media outlets for further information.

At 6 tonight, the city will revert to Phase I and remain so until further notice, Oberlie said. Phase I bans parking on both sides of snow routes and on the north and west sides of other streets.

Warming shelters will be open all week at the following locations:

• City Hall, 100 W. Michigan Blvd., 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Michigan City Senior Center in Washington Park, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; however, it is closed when Michigan City Area Schools are closed.

• The La Porte County American Red Cross, 113 Warren Road, which is on Bus Route 1. Beginning today, the Red Cross shelter will be open 24 hours through Saturday morning.

Anyone who experiences a heat outage can come to one of the shelters. Anyone who loses heat and has no transportation can call the Michigan City Police Department for assistance at 874-3221. If coming to the overnight shelter, take a sleeping bag or blankets and a pillow, if possible.

Travel should be limited to necessary travel only, and commuters should heed the following suggestions:

• Make sure your gas tank is topped off. Take extra clothing and blankets in the car, as well as water, snacks and needed medications. A flashlight, flares or other lighted warning devices always should be maintained.

• Check on neighbors and monitor local media for changing conditions.

Also, the city Street Department will begin using a salt and sand mixture today to better combat the expected ice conditions.

On Monday, school starting times were delayed two hours when a salt-spreader truck broke down early Monday morning.

Betsy Kohn, Michigan City Area Schools communications director, said snow-removal crews worked all weekend to clear lots and sidewalks at the 15 school locations. The delayed starting time was called when one of the two salt spreaders broke down and adding the deicer to all locations took longer than expected.

"For the safety of our students, we needed to make sure buses were able to access all areas of our schools," Kohn said. "We decided to wait until everything was taken care of before starting school."

[Ang]

Wow! You guys are getting nailed with the snow, huh? I'm glad I didn't get stuck there. Today the sun is shining and it's supposed to be 45 degrees. The snow we got yesterday morning should be gone by sunset tonite.
One thing I don't miss about NW Indiana is that they don't salt the roads in Wyoming, they use a sand/gravel mixture. It actually provides better traction and doesn't get your windows & car all icky. Plus, the crunch of the gravel helps to keep ice from forming on the roads.

[Roger Kaputnik]

It is beautiful.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=50639.91

Where to find the latest weather updates

From Staff Reports

If poor weather - icy/snow-covered roads, blowing snow, sub-zero temperatures, fog - delay or close Michigan City Area Schools, officials make every attempt to announce the closing prior to 6 a.m.

That's according to Betsy Kohn, MCAS director of communications, who gave several suggestions for learning about closings or delays:

• Check the MCAS web site at www.mcas.k12.in.us. Click the flashing snowflake on the right side of the home page for delay and cancelation information.

• Call the MCAS Delay and Cancelation Hotline at 873-2000 (press 2).

• Tune in to local media for closing information. MCAS notifies the following radio stations: WEFM (95.9 FM), WLOI (96.7 FM), WIMS (AM 1420) and WAKE (AM 1500). Residents also can watch the following TV stations: WSBT Channel 22, WSJV Channel 28 and WNDU Channel 16. If there are fewer than five school districts closing, some TV stations may not run the closing or delay on the "crawl" at the bottom of the screen. They will announce it only during local news breaks.

• Sign up for a text-message alert from WSBT (follow the link on the MCAS web site, www.mcas.k12.in.us.)

Local weather updates also are available through The News-Dispatch Web site at www.thenewsdispatch.com. Click the small weather drawing near the top-left corner for detailed reports.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=20274

Blizzard Beach

From Staff Reports

MICHIGAN CITY - The Michigan City area got a taste of blizzard-like conditions Tuesday morning, but the wintry assault lessened, and the National Weather Service canceled both a winter storm warning and a blizzard watch.

Still up to a foot of lake effect snow may be coming, the Weather Service said, followed by dangerous wind chills.

A lake effect snow watch is in effect from this afternoon through Thursday afternoon, as this second storm of the week hits the area, along with the coldest air of the season.

"Isolated near-blizzard conditions are possible in the strongest lake effect snow bands as winds of 15 to 25 mph are expected, with gusts to 30 mph," the Weather Service forecast.

Up to 5 inches of snow was measured in the Michigan City and La Porte area on Tuesday. During the morning, it was driven by winds that made for limited visibility in open areas. Schools were closed all through La Porte County except for Michigan City Area Schools, which opened two hours late. Wind subsided Tuesday afternoon, and the sun shone through the clouds occasionally.

Snow accumulation of 2 to 3 inches is expected today, with highs of 10 to 15. Southeast winds will be 5 to 10 mph shifting to the northeast in the afternoon. Wind chills will be 8 below to 2 above zero.

Tonight will bring another 4 to 8 inches of snow. Lows will be zero to 5 above. Northwest winds will be 5 to 10 mph becoming 15 to 20 mph after midnight, with gusts up to 30 mph and wind chills 4 below to 14 below zero.

Snow showers are likely Thursday morning, with light snow accumulations. Highs Thursday will 5 to 10 above, and lows overnight zero to 10 below. Gusts up to 25 mph Thursday evening will send wind chills 19 below to 29 below zero.

Travelers are being advised to check updated forecasts for possibly dangerous conditions, including reduced visibility.

On Tuesday, Fifth Ward City Councilman Willie Milsap said he was sending two-man teams to neighborhood residents in need of snow removal. Milsap started a snow removal project five years ago to serve seniors and disabled people who otherwise were unable to get the job done.

Mayor Chuck Oberlie announced a Phase I Snow Removal will be in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday, based on projected weather conditions. Phase I Snow Removal bans parking on both sides of all identified snow routes and on the north and west sides of all remaining city streets.

[Ang]

I have to laugh every time I read these kinds of stories where they talk about 15-20 mph winds and 30 mph gusts. That's nothing! A drop in the bucket when compared to our 30-40 mph sustained winds and 60-70 mph gusts all winter long.

Oh! to have only 15-20 mph winds would be heavenly!

[Southsider2k12]

School has already been closed for the MCAS tomorrow!