It’s been several years since Mackinac Island Public Schools saw a snow day… and even then, it wasn’t even about the snow. Actually, I can’t totally recall what it was, either too much ice on the roads or too many teachers out sick… in any case, the snow is never what closes our school here. Today, school was cancelled on account of the extreme wind chill that the straits were experiencing. I think it went as far as -30! Boy was it cold out. I didn’t go out until later in the day, when I braved a walk down on the boardwalk. Before we get to that, however, here are a couple of pics around town… before the blowing snow came in!

Now before school started back up, I had spent the new year over in Petoskey, and on my way back on January 2nd, I had to wait awhile at the St. Ignace airport for the next plane, not because there was a line, but because there weren’t enough people to fly! But as you can see in the picture below, that wasn’t the case on the island side. Just as my plane landed, a taxi had dropped off a group of tourists who were all waiting their turn to leave the island:

My favorite sled on the island 🙂 And he made it himself, too!

For those of you who have ever visited the Lucky Bean coffeehouse, the snow was plowed up above it so high that I couldn’t even get in it to change my sister’s holiday sign for her!

Walking out to Yoder Dock, we got a good look at the frozen lake:

Now about that wind chill… I heard that it went down to -30 degrees, and by the time I checked it myself later tonight it was at -21. Eek! I took a walk down to the boardwalk, and didn’t think it was that windy, not windy at all, one block away at my house:

But when I finally reached the boardwalk there was a big difference in the winds. The bridge was covered in a haze of snow, and the street under my feet looked as though it were moving! The snow was blowing seamlessly underneath me:

I’m sure tomorrow will be a nicer day, but in any case, stay safe outside, everyone!

~ Heather

(follow me on twitter! @MackIslandGal)