Thousands without power after snow hits metro Detroit

A winter storm system that swept across metro Detroit this weekend knocked out power to thousands of DTE Energy customers, dropped more than a foot of snow in parts of the region and created messy driving conditions.

As of about 8 p.m. Sunday, 10,000 customers remained without power, down from about 40,000 that morning, according to DTE spokeswoman Stephanie Beres. All available crews were working 16-hour shifts around the clock to restore power.

Saturday's snowfall broke the previous Nov. 21 record after six inches of snow was recorded at Detroit Metro Airport, said Sara Schultz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's White Lake Township office.

The prior record was 1.4 inches in 1893, according to Schultz. Several communities received more than a foot of snow, including Livingston County’s Howell which received 16.8 inches of snow Saturday, and nearby Hartland, which got 16 inches.

Howell Hardware employee Tim Code said the business, located at 1076 S. Michigan Ave., sold 80% of its shovels today.

"We sold two pallets of salt and we sold tons of tube sand for the back of your truck for weight," Code said. "We've only got four or five metal shovels left."

Code said city residents, including himself, were surprised by the amount of snow they received.

"They said one to four, then four to eight," he said. "I ended up with 18 inches at my house."

Schultz said Sunday that “a band” of snow “set up and that area just got clobbered.”

Lakeville, Clarkston and West Bloomfield all received more than 12 inches of snow, according to the weather service.

Meanwhile, 4.8 inches of snow was recorded in Detroit, Schultz said.

"We worked through the night to restore people as quickly and safely as possible," Beres said. "And obviously, weather conditions will play a role in that."

Beres said western Wayne County, Livonia and Ann Arbor were hit the hardest.

"That's where we're at today," she said. "We are also seeing downed power lines."

Michigan Department of Transportation spokeswoman Diane Cross said "numerous crashes" were reported due to the snowfall. Cross said most of the crashes that occurred were from drivers not adjusting to the weather conditions. Cross said most were either from "distracted driving" or simply just driving too fast.

Crews have been out plowing MDOT roads in Detroit and other areas, Cross said.

"The counties and garages started yesterday afternoon and all night long, salting and plowing," Cross said.

Several accidents have been reported elsewhere in the state. Two people were injured in a multi-vehicle crash along Interstate 196 in western Michigan’s Grandville. The Grand Rapids Press reported Sunday that 15 vehicles were involved in the crash Saturday evening. Grandville police said one woman was struck by a vehicle after getting out of her vehicle.

According to WILX-TV, more than 100 accidents were reported in Clinton County.

Authorities said slippery conditions may have also led to a two-car crash that killed a 23-year-old man Saturday in Lowell Township, near Grand Rapids.

Less than two days ago, southeast Michigan saw temperatures in the 60 degree range before the winter storm.

The storm whipped into the area after a strong area of low pressure took shape out on the central plains on Friday and strengthened as it moved east over the Mid-Mississippi River Valley, according to Schultz. Snow fell at the rate of an inch an hour in portions of southeast Michigan during the afternoon and early evening hours on Saturday.

Schultz said Washtenaw, Livingston, Oakland, and Genesee counties were the hardest hit in terms of total snowfall amounts, which ranged from 10 inches to more than 16 inches.

The weather service's White Lake Township office measured 15.5 inches of snow by the time the storm wrapped up.

Cold air is expected to linger over the region Sunday into Monday in the wake of Saturday's snow storm, Schultz said.

Light snow, around 2 inches, could be possible Monday, thanks to a "fast moving" low pressure system expected to cross the northern Great Lakes, the weather service said. Monday will be cloudy, with a high near 36 degrees.

Schultz said a high pressure system will then build in by Tuesday, with winds gradually turning toward the south, leading to a steady warm up heading into Thanksgiving. Tuesday will be partly sunny, with a high of 40 degrees. Wednesday, temps will reach 46 degrees and skies will be mostly sunny.

Highs will reach into the 50s on Thanksgiving and and continue through the end of the week.

Here's a list of some metro Detroit communities that received the highest snowfall totals, according to the National Weather Service:

Howell 16.8”

Hartland 16"

White Lake 15.5"

Lakeville 12.6”

Clarkston 12.2”

Rochester Hills 12"

West Bloomfield 12"

Lake Orion 11.7"

Brighton 11.5”

Holly 14.0”

Flint 10.4"

Linden 10”

Waterford 9.7"

Pinckney 9.6"

Ann Arbor 9.6"

Bloomfield Township 9.5"

Bloomfield Hills 9.5"

Garden City 8.2”

Farmington Hills 6.4"

Sterling Heights 5.0"

Detroit 4.8"

Eastpointe 4.5"

Saginaw 3.0”

Find out how much snow your community got here.

Contact Katrease Stafford: kstafford@freepress.com or 313-223-4759.

Staff writer Jim Schaefer and the Associated Press contributed to this report.