Leelanau County woke up Monday buried as blizzard conditions have brought life to a near-total standstill.
A blizzard warning is in effect until Tuesday, March 17 at 8 a.m.
“Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle,” The National Weather Service Maple City station said in a bulletin.
Leland Township firefighter Brendan Morse says the crew has been preparing for this storm for several days and reports that most residents have been pretty smart.
“We’ve been plowing all night at both fire stations (Lake Leelanau and Leland) to keep the doors open to have the trucks out to respond,” Morse said. ”Everyone’s been pretty smart, staying off the road and staying in.”
NJ’s Grocery in Lake Leelanau closed Monday because of snow, along with the Leelanau County Government Center, and all schools. A couple of brave businesses remained open in Lake Leelanau, such as Northway gas station and Pedaling Beans Coffee, providing services.
Local Leelanau County fire departments and the Leelanau County Sheriff’s department have been busy as calls ramp up during the storm.
“If you don’t need to out, then you shouldn’t. Look at yourself in the mirror while making the decision because it's very hazardous,” Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich said.
While speaking with the Enterprise, Borkovich came across a motorist stuck and in distress.
After returning the phone call, he said, “Don’t do what she did, don’t go on the road unless it's for a real emergency (not errands).”
Local snowplow driver Tim Plamondon said he, along with dozens of other drivers in the area, has been working around the clock over the past two days in the Lake Leelanau area.
“I only got a couple of hours of sleep last night and had to get back at it today,” he said. “(The hardest part about plowing in these conditions) is the visibility, and with the amount of snow we got, pushing a foot of snow is tough, it's kind of crazy.”
Snow is expected to diminish Tuesday with some lingering showers, according to the NWS.
“(Monday afternoon) The snow could be heavy at times. Widespread blowing snow. Steady temperature around 17. Wind chill values as low as zero. Blustery, with a north wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of around 6 inches,” NWS said in a detailed forecast. “(Monday night) Snow showers. The snow could be heavy at times. Widespread blowing snow, mainly before 8 p.m. Low around 13 degrees. Wind chill values as low as -2. Blustery, with a north wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. The chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of around 3 inches.”
Nearly three feet of snow fell during the Blizzard of 1978 over a three-day period in Leelanau County. The 2026 blizzard is formidable on its own, but the 1978 storm was coupled with winds of 70 mph, one for the ages. Winds have been gusting to as high as 50 mph, according to NWS.
