Arctic Blast Hits EUPWith Low Temps, High Winds
By Karen Gould

Bruce LaPine of Mackinac Island, as well as other passengers, watches as Arnold Transit's steelhulled ferry, Huron, breaks through the ice on its way to Mackinac Island Wednesday, January 31. Ferry service to the Island ended for the season three days later as ice thickened on Lake Huron.

Arctic air marched into the region over the weekend, bringing strong northwest winds, below zero double-digit wind chill readings, and single digit temperatures, although little snowfall. With the onslaught of the bitter cold temperatures, the Lake Huron ice pack thickened, bringing a halt to freight and ferry boat service to Mackinac Island. A wind escort for high profile vehicles was put in place Sunday on the Mackinac Bridge, lasting for more than 14 hours.

Sunday morning, January 4, the air temperature on Mackinac Island dropped to a negative four degrees, according to Michael Cellitti, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Gaylord. Sault Ste. Marie bottomed out at nine degrees below zero. From Friday, February 2, to Sunday, February 4, Sault Ste. Marie received approximately 10 inches of snow, he said.

St. Ignace weather data is not tracked by the NWS, primarily because of a lack of trained weather observers who would consistently report information to the agency, said Mr. Cellitti.

Bob Sweeney, executive secretary with the Mackinac Bridge Authority, said bridge staff recorded a low temperature of 3.5 degrees below zero Sunday, February 4, at center span on the bridge with wind speeds reaching 50 miles per hour. Awind escort for high profile vehicles was put in place at 4:36 p.m. Sunday and remained in effect until 7:15 a.m. Monday, February 5.

For the coming weekend, most of the snowfall will continue to be north of St. Ignace in the Whitefish Point region, said Mr. Cellitti. The St. Ignace area can expect flurries and light snow with minor accumulations. Windchills will continue to hover around zero during the day and drop to as low as 20 degrees below zero at night, he said.

Although temperatures are expected to remain well below average through the coming weekend, they are far from the coldest readings for the area. Sault Ste. Marie bottomed out with its coldest recorded temperature of 37 degrees below zero February 10, 1899, and the city again hit that mark February 8, 1934. Tracking of Mackinac Island temperatures is relatively new, with no data available on its coldest numbers, said Mr. Cellitti.

Temperatures will be slow to warm up and may rebound to 20 degrees by Sunday, February 11, forecasted Mr. Cellitti.

U.S. Coast Guard Station St. Ignace reported Lake Huron water temperature at 32 degrees Monday, February 5.

Arnold Line's 51-year-old steelhulled passenger boat the Huron made her last trip from the Island Saturday afternoon, February 3, leaving her Island dock at 4:30 p.m. She now sits frozen in the ice at the company's dock one in St. Ignace.

"It's stuck," said Nona Pacey of Arnold Line.

Jim Bentgen, also from Arnold Line, said Saturday's passenger service continued, although the boat was rerouted to a northern passage due to thick ice. The Huron's normal 35 minute trip to Mackinac Island takes the boat from St. Ignace through Round Island Passage past Grand Hotel to its Island dock.

"We could not get through," he said. "There was about a mile of really thick ice."

The boat was routed around the northern side of the Island, taking passengers past British Landing, Arch Rock, and finally by Mission Point Resort on the Island's southeast side before the Huron headed into the Arnold Line passenger dock at the Island. The northern trip adds about 20 minutes to the journey, said Mr. Bentgen.

The Arnold Line's freight boat the Corsair made her last run to and from the Island Friday, February 2, as the ice prevented the boat from making any further crossings.

Shepler's freight boat the Sacre Bleu made her last trip to Mackinac Island Monday, January 29, when thickening ice made the passage difficult.

While areas of open water remain, the ice bridge between St. Ignace and Mackinac Island has not formed. Travel on and off the Island is available from the Mackinac County Airport.