More snow hits Michigan

Elsewhere, residents along Lake Michigan dug out from a heavy overnight snowfall, and Adrian's 22,000 residents coped with a citywide water shortage caused by a burst frozen water main.

And bad weather forced U.S. District Court in Kalamazoo to postpone jury selection for militiaman Randy Graham, accused of participating in a conspiracy to blow up federal buildings and attack or kill officials.

Some areas received heavy snowfall yesterday, with 10 inches of snow falling on Cheboygan County's East Jordan. And temperatures fell yesterday to as low as 21 below in Marquette, where the high reached only 4 below, 19 below at Iron Mountain, 15 below at Alpena and Escanaba, 10 below at Lansing, Pellston and Saginaw.

The heavy snowfall last night led to poor driving conditions in metropolitan Detroit, as blowing snow and icy roads created traffic backups and accidents with some people reporting the drive home took up to three times as long as usual.

"We're backed up 20-25 accidents," said Michigan State Police Sgt. Gary Nesbitt. "Stay home if you can."

As of 9:30 p.m., 3.75 new inches had fallen in Oakland County's Milford, and 3.5 inches in Monroe County's Dundee.

In Clam Lake Township, in Wexford County, slippery conditions led to an accident that killed a 73-year-old Columbus, Ohio, man. Three others were injured.

In Detroit, Archer has been stung by criticism of Detroit's handling of the Jan. 2 snowstorm, particularly the slow pace of road clearance and its policy of not plowing side streets.

That policy goes back more than two decades and should be re-examined, Archer told City Council members. It was his second address before them about snow removal in five days.

"There's a definite public demand for a change in the city's snowplowing policy. I agree," Archer said.

Archer said the 12 to 15 inches of snow that hit the area would have taken days to clear off major streets even in good circumstances.

But he said Detroit was hurt by a contractor's failure to deliver 42 new plow trucks as scheduled last month. That left the city with only 59 plows, rather than the 101 it would have had.

Archer cautioned of budget realities, however. Plowing all side streets might require a doubling of Detroit's snowplow fleet at a time of tight budgets and declining state aid.

"We're going to have to prioritize," the mayor said.

In Adrian, a 16-inch water line broke about midnight, prompting Mayor Sam Rye to ask residents to avoid any unnecessary water use.

"We're having problems keeping water pressure al over the city both in homes and businesses," Rye told The Daily Telegram of Adrian. "Our biggest concern is safety. We want to be able to get water to fire hydrants in case of an emergency."

In Detroit, the city's Water and Sewer Department recorded about 120 water main breaks yesterday morning. Jim Heath, the department's assistant director of water operations, said about 30 of those lines were scheduled to be repaired yesterday, but the process is hindered by the snow.

"With the snow on the street, the snow is blocking the catch basin, so the water from the main break can't flow into the basin," creating slippery pavement, Heath said. The snow also hinders workers trying to mark the infrastructure for repair.

Heath said residents next to a break may have no water; others will have low pressure. He said since December, the department has fielded 362 reports of broken lines. The record for a three-month period, set in 1994, is 458 reports, he said. But Heath said the problem usually slows down by March.

In Kalamazoo, slick driving conditions forced cars off the road and led federal court officials to put off the start of Graham's trial.

But ice-greased roads and light snowfall did not keep customers away from the Jungle Cafe down the street.

Inside, about 10 people sipped lattes and munched sandwiches, the usual lunchtime crowd, according to owner Lisa Wilkey.

"People are getting used to winter," she said. "We've been selling a lot of soup."

More soup could be on the menu today. Forecasters were predicting more snow for many areas.

Southeastern and northwestern lower Michigan and the southeastern Upper Peninsula were expecting 3 to 5 inches of snow by midday today, while most areas along Lake Michigan were expecting 2 to 5 inches.

Today, northern lower Michigan was expected to get snow shower during the day and night, while western areas were expecting showers at night.

In the Upper Peninsula, occasional snow showers are expected in the west with a chance of light snow in central areas and flurries in the east.

More snow showers are expected in northern lower Michigan tomorrow.

01-12-99