Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011

The View from Midland Street.

February 2, 2011
By: Stephen Kent

Well, the Groundhog would NOT have seen his shadow around Bay City today. In fact, he probably wouldn't have been able to get out of the burrow.

But this is Michigan and, hey, what's a little snow? We're prepared and can generally deal with it. Yes, many businesses, all schools, and all government offices were closed for the day, but just for today.

Today's blizzard only dropped 8 to 12 inches, vertically, but the wind was something else. Drifts are four, five, sometimes six feet deep. And at four this morning we were wakened by thunder and lightening.

Your experiences were probably like everyone else's. We wanted to share some of the pictures of the cleanup from West Midland Street. Most of the neighbors started around noon and by four o'clock silence returned as the snow blowers finished their work and put the machines away.

We all did well. Got the sidewalks and drives cleared. A group of us blew the snow off the street where four driveway's converge. Things look good.

Welllllll.... things DID look good. The plows, bless their hearts, just got our side street and we have a little left work to open the drive mouth again. But that's part of the experience. And tomorrow we'll really appreciate our side street being open out to Midland Street.

Here's a collection of pictures from this afternoon. If you have friends or family in warmer climes, use the link at the bottom of the article to send this MyBayCity.com article to them.

Not moving anytime soon. The drifts left the truck in a hole.

The driveway formed a tunnel for the wind and filled to six feet deep in the back.

Doing it the hard way:

A pretty scene

A train of six snowplows clear the road quickly

Business end at 30 mph. Get outta the way!

Start at the garage and work your way out

OK, GIMME A BREAK!

Long may she wave

View before clearing the sidewalk

View after clearing the sidewalk!

Now that's more like it! Big machine clearing the street at mouth of four driveways. (And YES, he was blowing it OUT of the street and onto the neutral ground.)

Well, it was a good effort. Snowplows hit the side streets about 10:00 pm.

But about a half hour with the snow blower gets things ready for the morning commute.

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