Ironwood's snowfall sets another single-day record

IRONWOOD - Another 110-year snow record fell Tuesday morning in Ironwood before the sun finally popped out.

A total of 15.2 inches of snow was recorded for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Tuesday at the National Weather Station measuring site at the Gogebic-Iron Wastewater Treatment Plant off Cloverland Drive.

It marked a Nov. 18 record, dating to the early 1900s, and brought the season's snow total in Ironwood to 60.1 inches. Remarkably, that's not a record for this date, as in 1989 a whopping 62.4 inches had been measured through Nov. 18.

The most snow in the past 110 years by the end of November for the season was 81.2 inches in 1989, according to the weather service.

In November alone, Ironwood has received 58.1 inches. The record for the month is 78.2 inches set in 1989.

The blowing snow that began Monday morning had plow crews scrambling to catch up again after last week's 50-inch snowfall reported in places across the Gogebic Range.

The weather service hit its lake-effect snow prediction right on the head, as from 12 to 18 inches had been forecast.

Unlike last week's far-ranging snowstorm, the Monday-Tuesday blast was a more local affair, as nearly Mellen, Wis., recorded only an inch of snow for the 24-hour period.

Bergland received 13 inches, additional snow that gun-deer hunters didn't need.

All Gogebic Range schools' classes were canceled again Tuesday, except for Gogebic Community College, which started two hours late.

Bitter cold temperatures followed the latest blast of snow.

The Gogebic County Courthouse at Bessemer was closed Tuesday as the county seat received even more snow than Ironwood.

Indianhead Mountain, near Wakefield, reported 20 inches of new snow and 84 inches for the season. A Nov. 28 ski opener is planned there, the day after Thanksgiving.

Big Powderhorn Mountain, near Bessemer, has scheduled a tentative Dec. 12 opener, a hill spokesperson said Tuesday morning.

There were dozens of reports of stuck vehicles throughout the area.

The Ironwood Public Safety Department handled numerous reports of vehicles stuck in the snow, including a 4 p.m. Monday complaint about a semi tractor and trailer rig that couldn't move on the side of the road on U.S. 2, near Easy Street.

Tow trucks were dispatched where shoveling and pushing didn't work.

There was also a Sunday night report of snowmobilers driving on sidewalks on Ayer Street, near Curry Street. The violators were gone by the time offices arrived.

On Tuesday afternoon, the IPSD announced that because there's so much snow, a temporary no-parking ban is in effect downtown.

No parking will be permitted along the east side of Suffolk Street and the south side of Aurora Street, along Business U.S. 2, until further notice.