The winter snowstorm that hammered Door County with about 30 inches of snow and wind gusts of 45 mph from March 14 to 16 will continue to have a major impact on the county the day after it left as cleanup efforts are ongoing.
According to the National Weather Service Snowfall Reports Map, the storm dumped between 28 (reported in Clay Banks, as of 8 a.m. March 16) and 33.2 (Sturgeon Bay, as of 7:10 a.m.) inches of snow across the county, except for 21 inches reported in Ellison Bay (as of 11 a.m.). Combined with winds at a steady 18 to 30 mph throughout the weekend with gusts above 40, the storm made roads difficult to drive if not completely impassable, knocked down numerous trees and knocked out electric power to thousands.
The National Weather Service says a blizzard warning will continue until 11 p.m. March 16 for the county.
Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will cause considerable blowing and drifting snow and whiteout conditions, especially in the northern part of the county, it said. Visibilities may drop below a quarter-mile due to falling and blowing snow.
The Door County Sheriff’s Office posted to its Facebook page at about 4 p.m. March 16 that it is continuing to urge those in the Peninsula to stay off the roads, except in case of an emergency, because of treacherous road conditions. It also warned that response times for first responders may continue to be delayed in some areas because of road conditions and limited access.
The post said while the snow had stopped falling, winds remained strong and were making it difficult for Door County Highway Department crews to clear roads across the county.
The highway department posted to its Facebook page the evening of March 16 that most county snowplows would come off the roads at about 7 p.m. for a break and resume at 2 a.m. March 17, with four snowplows working overnight to clear state highways 42 and 57. The night of March 15, county snowplows also came off the roads from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m. March 16, except for the few that worked to clear the state highways.
The sheriff’s office first posted to its Facebook page the morning of March 15 that many roads throughout the county were virtually impassable and could become completely impassable as visibility was extremely limited and driving conditions were rapidly deteriorating, with emergency services remaining available but with possible delayed response times.
A following Facebook post the morning of March 16 said weather conditions continued to make travel extremely difficult, but the heavy early snow, continued strong winds and hazardous roads were slowing emergency response times in some areas. It asked residents to stay off the roads not only for their own safety but also to to help make things safer in the difficult conditions for emergency response personnel and vehicles.
The highway department posted to its Facebook page that a storm of this size and strength will take several days to clear completely.
Power outages in Door County: There are lots of them
As of 6 p.m. March 16, Wisconsin Public Service was reporting 1,574 customers with power outages in Door County, the same number it reported earlier in the day. By 7:30 p.m., it was down to 1,090.
Among the larger numbers on the WPS power outage map were 310 customers in Liberty Grove, 277 customers with outages in Nasewaupee, 94 in Sevastopol, 69 in Baileys Harbor, 47 in Sister Bay, 36 in Jacksonport and 25 in Gardner.
Also, the Washington Island Electric Cooperative dealt with terrible weather conditions as it worked to fix numerous power outages on the Island.
No one from the cooperative was able to talk about the number of outages and conditions the morning of March 16, but a post on its Facebook page at about 7:30 a.m. March 16 said the utility had reported outages at that time on Jackson Harbor/Indian Point Road, Wickman Drive, Njord Heim Areas, Old West Harbor Road and McDonald Road, with likely more that haven’t been reported yet.
A post from late in the afternoon of March 15 said crews had restored power to areas on Hemlock Drive and were working on the west side of the Island, but once that work was completed they wouldn’t be able to continue until the next morning because it would be unsafe with the darkness, poor visibility, very strong winds and large amounts of snow.
“Our crew is digging out to be able to get into work. They will be heading out as soon as possible,” the post the morning of March 16 said. “PLEASE STAY HOME! The Town (of Washington) crew is working to get the roads cleared, but it is going to be a long, tiring job.”
The March 16 post also noted that Robert Cornell, manager of the electric cooperative, said he’d never experienced north winds as strong as those battering the Island during the storm. The National Weather Service reported gusts up to 53 miles per hour around 6:15 a.m. March 16.
Warming shelters available at fire stations
Two fire stations in Northern Door County are serving as warming shelters for those who need a safe and warm place to stay because of the storm.
The shelters are available at the Gibraltar Fire Station, 3496 County F, Fish Creek; and the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department, 2258 Mill Road, Sister Bay.
School, YMCA closures
School will be closed March 17 for a second straight day in the Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay and Sevastopol school districts because cleanup and road clearing efforts are still ongoing from the storm. The Gibraltar and Washington Island school districts are on break.
Door County YMCA’s two locations in Sturgeon Bay and Fish Creek will remain closed March 17 for a second straight day with all programs canceled and 24/7 access suspended.
Also closed March 17 for a second straight day is the Neighbor to Neighbor office and equipment facilities in Sturgeon Bay.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County snowstorm over but cleanup, caution, power outages remain
Reporting by Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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