The first week of November is Winter Weather Awareness Week in Michigan.
By Nick Kanczuzewski
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 7:37 a.m.
Read more: Local, State, Agriculture, Education, Community, Environment, Weather, Outdoors, Science
MICHIGAN -- Because we live in the cold and snowy Upper Peninsula, it's easy to feel invincible come wintertime. But already this year, a couple early season snows have reminded many people that they are very susceptible to the conditions. In fact, studies show that a big percentage of wintertime accidents occur during early season snows.
"You know as you're getting into the winter season, the snow in November is slushy wet snow, so it's really difficult to drive on--really sloppy road conditions--so people just need to be aware," commented Jason Alumbaugh of the National Weather Service.
To make sure everybody is ready, Governor Jennifer Granholm has proclaimed the first week of November as Winter Weather Awareness Week. If you haven't yet, now is the time to make sure your furnace is in good working order, drain all outdoor water lines to prevent frozen pipes, and prep your car with the proper gear.
"We harp on this a lot, but you want to have safety equipment in your car and it's not anything too fancy," Alumbaugh added. "It's a blanket in case you get stranded and you can wrap up in that. It's some food on hand that doesn't go bad, like granola bars."
The main way to stay safe this winter is to stay tuned to TV6 for the latest weather forecasts. Anytime the National Weather Service issues an advisory, watch, or warning, we will deliver it to you immediately.
"When they hear that there's a winter storm warning in effect or a blizzard warning, that means we're almost certain the winter weather conditions are going to begin to effect the area within the next 12-24 hours," said Matt Zika of the National Weather Service.
On average, we see about two or three blizzard-type events here in Upper Michigan each winter. For tips and advice on how to stay safe, click here.
