Posted on 04/14/2014 10:11:46 AM PDT by cripplecreek
STRAITS OF MACKINAC, MI - At least one ferry service is predicting delayed trips to Mackinac Island due to ice that still covers a portion of the Great Lakes.
Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry has announced it will be starting its 2014 season later than anticipated after temporarily relocating its ferry starts to St. Ignace, rather than Mackinaw City, as a result of the ice blockages which remain in the Straits of Mackinac.
"The straits have completely frozen over, except for a shipping channel," said Misty Martinchek, Shepler's group sales manager, who said all local ferries have been affected by the ice.
"We're all in the same boat, literally," she said.
Martinchek said the ice has been thawing during the warm days and freezing again at night, and that nobody at Shepler's can remember a ferry season ever being delayed due to ice.
"It has been a pretty tough spring for all of us," she said.
According to Martinchek, the U.S. Coast Guard will attempt to cut the ice surrounding Mackinac Island on Friday.
Despite having nine ice-breakers working each day to alleviate the ice, the U.S. Coast Guard ice-breaking crews remain behind schedule due to the lingering ice, which includes chunks larger than eight feet, which slowed times to ship products near Sault Ste. Marie.
Ice-breaking is expected to continue well into May until ice chunks are no longer a threat to ships, according to Mark Gill, director of vessel traffic service for the Coast Guard in Sault St. Marie.
Shepler ferry operations will begin out of St. Ignace as soon as the ice conditions permit. Daily updates on the conditions and the Shepler ferry schedule will be posted on the Shepler Ferry website and Facebook page beginning on April 21.
Hey Sam,
A few years ago the family were at the top of PikesPeak
Of July2nd and got 14 inches of snow
And it’s supposed to be in the 30’s in the Houston area tonight and tomorrow now. Lived down here for almost 30 years and don’t recall it ever being this cold this late in the year. Makes it even more bizarre because they are also announcing that hurricane season is about to start. Wouldn’t even consider going in the Gulf yet without an insulated wet suit.
Gorebull warming is a real witch.
That’s the beauty of calling it climate change now. Any unusual weather pattern and it’s climate change. You can’t argue with that. They’re probably kicking themselves in the pants right now that they didn’t call it that instead of global warming right away...
It’s pronounced Mackinaw even when it’s spelled Mackinac.
or they could use explosives - lots of them
I have been called to go back to the UP to work. I told him EFF U.. I aint coming up till June at least. He laughed a said that OK with him, there is 2 and a half feet of snow on the ground yet.
No worries...the ice will soon melt with MAN MADE global warming /sarc
Anybody in Mackinaw City or have any photos or videos?
And you can add a fresh 5” of white sh!t this morning and that’s in the central “banana belt” of the U.P..
They say another foot is coming thursday.
I aint going up till JUNE!
That’s a place I always wanted to visit.
.
A few will fall through but no great loss.
That is true. I live in the UP and we have had a snow storm beyond belief today. The wind is coming off Lake Superior at 30 MPH. Al Gore should clean it up.
Thanks. I didn't think of that. I do remember seeing videocams south of the bridge along the shoreline park in Mackinaw City.
Both words are a contraction of “Michilimackinac”, generally thought to be the Ojibwa term for “Great Turtle”. “Mackinaw” is English; “Mackinac” is French. They are pronounced the same.
Just Dam. I lived all my life in the UP..Iron Mountain area. In 04-05 I built a house down here near Kingman and moved down here. Except, I get called to go and work up there often.
Lots of cheap land about here if you all ever wanna get the hell out for a break.
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