Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

NEGAUNEE -- The winds were ferocious Friday morning. Just before 4:30 a.m., a wind gust of nearly 64 mph was recorded at the Shiras Power Plant in Marquette.

Those strong north winds whipped the snow into drifts, making for a lot of clean-up work on Friday. Negaunee resident Matthew Bero spent the morning digging out with his shovel.

"Just a little light workout, a little snow removal," Bero said, while laughing.

A morning workout with a shovel was not his first option.

"Well, the snow blower couldn't handle this much heavy snow, so I had to put it away and go back to the old fashioned way," he said.

In the meantime, just up Prince Street in Negaunee, Lou Pizzala worked with his neighbor, Bill Holm.

"Just cleaning up a mess that dumped on us last night," Pizzala said.

Each had a snow blower in hand and had some luck.

"You get neighbors helping neighbors around here," Pizzala said.

The heavy snow that fell Thursday night was blowing around Friday morning.

"It blows back in your face and makes it kind of miserable," said Holm.

"Everything piling up, making for big drifts," noted Bero.

UpperMichigansSource Meteorologist Wesley Williams began tracking the storm system early last week as it had in effect on nearly every corner of the country.

"One of the things that a lot of folks are going to remember... how many people were impacted by this storm," Williams said.

Even though it was blowing and heavy, the snow was welcomed by many.

"Everybody's been talking about not having a white Christmas, but I think those fears have been alleviated," said Pizzala.

"I don't see the snow melting anytime soon, in fact, there could be something in the wings for after Christmas and before New Years," said Williams.