In the Escanaba area, snow began to fall in the early morning hours Sunday. The amount seen by midday confirmed that predictions had been correct — this was the biggest snowstorm of the year.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a blizzard warning for the entire U.P. through Tuesday morning. In the central and western areas — Keweenaw, Ontonagon, Houghton, Baraga, Marquette, Alger, Luce, Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson, Menominee, Delta and Schoolcraft Counties — a “hazardous weather outlook” in in place as the storm may “create treacherous and potentially life-threatening travel conditions and could result in tree damage and power outages,” the NWS stated.

Forecasters predict that up to three feet of snow could fall in Delta County by Monday’s end. Some areas of the U.P. could see four feet.

People are urged to stay off the roads and focus on safety. Since plows focus on main roads first, and with drifting that occurs in high wind events, travel may not be possible in many places.

OSF St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba has asked all visitors and staff to park in the lot near the emergency department today. OSF's physicians' offices, outpatient lab, rehab clinic and cancer clinic are all closed Monday because of the storm. Parking lots and offices should return to normal on Tuesday. (Image courtesy of OSF Healthcare)

“We want residents to understand the potential challenges that emergency responders may face during this event,” stated Delta County Emergency Management. “Heavy snowfall combined with strong winds may create whiteout conditions, heavy drifting, and impassable roads. While our firefighters and emergency responders will always respond and do everything possible to reach those in need, these extreme conditions may result in longer response times than normal.”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) around 10 a.m. Sunday due to the threat of significant weather impacts across Michigan. Personnel from SEOC, which is overseen by the Michigan State Police, “are monitoring the situation and working with state and local officials, as well as private sector partners, to ensure any resource needs are met,” according to a press release.

For 10 counties in northern Lower Michigan, the winter storm warning was upgraded to an ice storm warning. The same area was devastated by an ice storm around the same time last year.

Because of the steep drop in barometric pressure, the storm may be called a “bomb cyclone.”

Simultaneously, extreme weather threatens much of the country. While blizzards blast the north from South Dakota to southeast Canada — with the strongest effects hitting northeastern Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan — thunderstorms and ice storms plague other parts of the Midwest, and high winds sweep through the Plains and much of the central United States. The same system bringing thunderstorms to the Lower Peninsula yesterday were likely to likely to travel “through the entire eastern U.S. with the highest threat across the Mid-Atlantic on Monday,” wrote the NWS.

Drifts and snowbanks will only be getting higher as the bomb cyclone some call "Elsa" persists. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

Today, four to eight additional inches of snow may accumulate locally, with up to 16 inches falling in Marquette and Alger Counties. Wind speeds of 35-65 mph are expected through Monday afternoon, with the strongest winds expected for the Keweenaw Peninsula and along the shores of Lake Superior.

Closures and announcements

– OSF St. Francis Hospital: All physician offices, outpatient lab, rehabilitation and oncology clinic will be closed on Monday.

For everyone’s safety, OSF St. Francis Hospital’s main entrance and parking lot, along with staff parking lots, will be temporarily closed today. These areas are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, March 17.

Hospital visitors and staff are asked to park near and enter through the emergency department during this time.

The Emergency Department and Walk-in Clinic will maintain operating hours during the storm.

– Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital will also reduce to essential services, which include the emergency department inpatient care (medical-surgical unit); and the supporting departments of medical imaging, dietary, and laboratory services. HomeCare and hospice will maintain on-call services.

The temporary partial closure of the Manistique hospital will apply to the rural health clinics in Manistique and Naubinway; RediCare clinic; the behavioral health clinic; specialty clinic; non-emergent imaging procedures; and the ambulatory care unit (including infusions, outpatient procedures, and chemotherapy).

– Delta County: All Delta County government buildings and services will be closed on Monday. The county intends to reopen on Tuesday.

– City of Escanaba – The Departments of Public Safety and Public Works have requested that people not park in the angled spaces on Ludington Street. Vehicles parked illegally on the wrong side of the street may be towed. Even vehicles in legal spaces on the street cause difficulties for plows, so the city requests drivers to park off the street wherever possible.

– Mackinac Bridge – As of 1 p.m. on Sunday, the bridge was closed due to high winds. This closure followed at least two previous closures and reopenings in the last two days, which were due to first low visibility and then falling ice.

– Electric outages – UPPCO is asking customers to report any outages they are experiencing by calling the Customer Service Center at 906-449-2011 or through its online portal at uppco.com. People are reminded to never approach or touch a downed power line or anything in contact with one; instead, stay at least 35 feet away and call 911 immediately. People served by other suppliers should follow similar guidance and contact their respective utility providers if outages occur.