Schools close as snow and strong winds combine to clog roadways

Two snowstorms in three days followed by frigid temperatures brought back memories of last year’s brutal winter for Tecumseh residents. The larger storm was in the area all day Sunday, Feb. 1, and into early Monday morning, with the second storm arriving overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.Area schools were closed Monday and Tecumseh Public Schools announced a two-hour delay Wednesday morning.The snow flew and the wind blew on Sunday, Feb. 1, but once the storm was through, it was clear it was not the Blizzard of ’78 or the winter of 2014. The National Weather Service reported areas in Michigan and Ohio received approximately a foot of snow.The second shot of snow Tuesday evening brought another 1.8 inches of snow, according Rick Boyers of the Tecumseh Utilities Department, although areas of the city appeared to have received 3-4 inches. The total from the two storms is less than last winter, but enough to make life in Tecumseh challenging for a few days.Boyers said the city of Tecumseh received nine inches of snow with the February 1 storm. “We melted the snow that was in our rain gauge, and we had .88 inch of water,” he said. “An inch of snow equals a 1/10 of an inch of precipitation.”There were no major problems in the city limits besides maneuvering the snow. “We just had a lot of snow to shovel,” said Boyers.The Tecumseh Department of Public Works (DPW) has been diligently working to keep streets in the city clear. With such a large amount of snow, the department can’t just plow it to the side of the street. The snow must be moved to another location.“The snow is currently being brought back to the DPW yard, but if we get much more we will take the snow to Aden Mead Park,” said Superintendent Tim Bock.The DPW operates with a six-man crew and, on Sunday, two members from the water department helped clear snow.Bock said his day began at 4 a.m. on Sunday with crews working all day until 9 p.m.“We get some complaints from people who think we may have missed their street. We just ask them to be patient,” Bock said.The first roadways to be cleared after M-50 are major streets, including: Union, Brown, Maumee, Adrian, Occidental, Russell and Rogers Hwy. Following major streets are local streets and downtown parking lots. City Manager Kevin Welch gave kudos to the city’s staff. “We are fortunate to have a great crew,” he said. An impediment to clearing streets are parked cars that block plows from removing snow.Eleven tickets were issued by Tecumseh police for vehicles left parked on streets during the snow emergency. Fines were $75 per ticket for improper parking.The snow also affected the Tecumseh Post Office on Monday. Mail arrived late from Detroit, and because of the snow, carriers were not able to reach many mailboxes.By Tuesday, postal delivery in Tecumseh was back on track according to Postmaster Krista Miller. “Today, as long you are shoveled out, we can deliver,” she said on Tuesday. “The carriers got out at a really decent hour.”The Tecumseh postal routes average 700 addresses per day. The carriers who deliver by vehicle are instructed to remain in their vehicles to stay safe.According to Miller, many people get impatient waiting for the postal vehicles and will go around them. With bad road conditions, there are often accidents.“Our carrier’s vehicles get hit a lot with cars getting around them,” Miller said. “If they can’t drive up to the mailboxes they don’t deliver mail.”Her concern is if one of the carriers gets out of a vehicle to put mail in a mailbox and the vehicle gets hit, the carrier could be pinned between the vehicle and the mailbox. All residents are encouraged to keep the area around their mailboxes clean so mail delivery can safely be made.