Northern Michigan Buried Under Devastating Winter Storm

Tens of thousands remain without power after Sunday's blizzard brought feet of snow and ice across the region.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 10:12pm

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A powerful winter storm hit northern Michigan on Sunday, dumping nearly 3 feet of snow in parts of the Upper Peninsula and coating the northern Lower Peninsula with a quarter-inch of ice. The storm knocked out power to over 100,000 customers, with many still in the dark a day later. Schools and businesses were closed across the region as residents worked to dig out on Monday.

Why it matters

This storm comes almost exactly one year after a devastating ice storm crippled the region's power grid, leaving thousands without electricity for up to two weeks. The back-to-back extreme weather events highlight the increasing challenges northern Michigan faces from the impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe winter storms.

The details

The storm brought winds up to 69 mph in parts of the Upper Peninsula, causing widespread power outages. As of Monday afternoon, over 118,000 customers remained without power, especially in Roscommon, Alcona and Missaukee counties. Utility crews were still assessing the damage before beginning restoration work. Many roads were impassable due to deep snow drifts, hampering recovery efforts.

  • The storm started on Sunday and continued into Monday.
  • By late Monday afternoon, the Traverse City area saw around 14 inches of snow, while Petoskey and much of the tip-of-the-mitt saw up to 25 inches.
  • The storm hit almost exactly one year after a devastating ice storm in the region.

The players

Joe Delizio

A meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Gaylord.

Ryan Metzger

A meteorologist with the Weather Service in Marquette.

Katie Carey

A spokesperson for Consumers Energy.

Ken Dragiewicz

The president and chief operating officer of Alpena Power Co.

Troy Robertson

The owner of the Starvation Lake Corner Store in Kalkaska County.

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What they’re saying

“My money is on last year's storm in regards to total icing, but we're still seeing some pretty significant impacts from last night's event.”

— Joe Delizio, Meteorologist

“That helps everyone out.”

— Katie Carey, Spokesperson

“We're continuing to accrue ice and get more damage to the system, including trees and limbs falling on power lines.”

— Ken Dragiewicz, President and Chief Operating Officer

“This is actually nice. The snowmobilers are getting that ride time that they lost from the tail end of February to the beginning of March.”

— Troy Robertson, Owner

“If you don't need to go out, then you shouldn't. Look at yourself in the mirror while making the decision because it's very hazardous.”

— Mike Borkovich, Sheriff

What’s next

More outages were possible later Monday in the northern Lower Peninsula as lake-effect snow and high winds continued in the region.

The takeaway

This back-to-back extreme winter weather in northern Michigan underscores the growing challenges the region faces due to the impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe storms that can cripple critical infrastructure and disrupt daily life for residents. As the climate continues to change, communities will need to invest in resilient power grids, snow removal capabilities, and emergency preparedness to better withstand these types of events.