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Winter Storm Clean-up Continues, Schools Closed

(WWJ) - Hundreds of schools and school districts have decided to give students another day off because of the snow and icy roads. That includes one of the areas biggest districts -- Detroit Public Schools.

A DPS spokesman tells WWJ the decision was made because side streets around the city are still in bad condition. Snow plows have yet to make it into Detroit neighborhoods, making it difficult for school buses to get in and pick up students.

[For more School Closing info, click here]

And while the snow and wind are done for now, the drive Thursday morning is still a dicey one all around the Metro Detroit area. WWJ's John Bailey reported several spin-out accidents around town, including one on westbound I-94 where police had to close the freeway near I-696 because of a crash. Michigan State Police are advising drivers to take it slow during the commute.

Overall, freeways are improving, but there are areas to watch out for. WWJ's Vicki Thomas reported slick, snow-covered ramps, along with parts of the roads and freeways.

However, crews are busy working to clear and haul away the mounds of snow that came down Wednesday.

WWJ's Ron Dewey spoke with Steve Birchfield of Sinacori Landscaping, who's among a legion of private contractors working to clear parking lots of snow and ice so people won't get stuck. Birchfield says he's been putting in long hours thanks to Old Man Winter.

"You're fighting the ice, the snow. You go through and you plow and you got to turn right around and do it again," says Birchfield. He adds that with the big storms if you wait until the end it's twice as bad, saying 8 inches can turn into 12 with the high winds and blowing and drifting, which makes his job - along with other contractors and snow removal crews - that much more difficult.

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