It's Official: 16.7 Inches Fell In Metro Detroit; Many Government Offices Closed
MOUNT CLEMENS (WWJ/AP) — Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel spoke live early Monday on WWJ Newsradio, saying he didn't expect all that many county workers to be able to make it into the office due to piles of snow on neighborhood streets.
Anyone trying to leave the house this morning was in for a "rude awakening," he said, adding he cleared his own driveway before midnight and woke at 4:30 a.m. to find it looked it hadn't been touched.
In fact, Metro Airport made it official that more than one foot of snow lashed the region in Sunday's epic snowstorm.
A total of 16.7 inches fell at the airport in Romulus, making it the third all-time single heaviest snowstorm in metro Detroit's history. Roseville posted 13 inches, and there were 8 inches reported in Royal Oak.
"There were quite a few spinouts (on the southbound Lodge near Linwood)," WWJ's Vickie Thomas reported early Monday.
Road crews were out in full force across most area freeways, but even when the snow cleared in some areas, the roads were left icy.
"Exit ramps are no jokes," WWJ's Russ McNamara reported on I-94 eastbound in Romulus.
Amid the furor, most schools in metro Detroit and many state and local government offices in the area closed for the day.
The snowstorm kept so many people away from the Warren Truck Assembly Plant that the company cancelled its first shift. The plant was opened, but not enough workers showed up so the line never started for the day. The plan is to start the second shift this afternoon as scheduled.
Because of the snow, the city of Plymouth delayed trash and recycling pickup until tomorrow. City administrators are asking residents not to put their trash out by the road so snow plows can clear the whole street, not have to work around the trash cans.
Due to the heavy snow, Ann Arbor, Recycle Ann Arbor and Waste Management also suspended trash and recycling services for Monday.
"Although plows have been operating for the last 24 hours, the amount of snow we received, coupled with the drifting, would make cart and dumpster service very difficult, if not impossible, in some areas. In addition, diverting city solid waste crews to snow plowing will help to speed the response efforts to this large snow event," the company said in a press release.
Trash and recycling services will be delayed for one day, with Monday's route being serviced on Tuesday, and so on, with Saturday service now schedule for Friday's routes.
The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau has cancelled its annual membership meeting that was scheduled to take place at the Detroit Opera House. The meeting will be rescheduled at a later date.
Department of Technology Management and Budget spokesman Caleb Buhs says in an email that state facilities in counties and cities in which snow emergencies have been declared will be closed Monday. Certain offices performing critical functions are open.
MLive.com reports state employees with questions about whether their work functions are deemed critical should contact their supervisor.
Dozens of communities declared snow emergencies.
The state Legislature announced its offices would be closed. Neither the state House nor Senate had sessions scheduled for Monday. The Michigan Supreme Court and Court of Appeals offices in Lansing, Detroit, Grand Rapids and Troy will be closed for the day.
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