Winter weather in Michigan is usually a wild ride. But the first two weeks of February in Orion have bordered on the extreme.
After temperatures hovered around zero degrees Fahrenheit all day on Monday, the village council discussed weather-related issues for a good 15 minutes at their regular meeting.
From icy back roads to heavy snow removal, workers have seen it all in the past two weeks.
‘Our winter maintenance budget is going to be stressed this year, that’s for sure,? said Village Treasurer Jan Adams.
As temperatures dropped over the weekend, the phone lines at Buckhorn’s Towing were also ‘stressed.?
‘It was non-stop,? said Brenda Nelder said of the ringing phones on Monday afternoon. ‘It was our worst day of the year, by far.?
‘We’d rather have a foot of snow than weather this cold,? Nelder noted.
That wish was granted the previous week, and the snow/frigid temperature mix has had local police and fire officials on their toes.
‘It’s hard on the equipment, but we dress accordingly and we’re ready to go,? Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh said. ‘There’s really no increase or decrease in calls based on the weather.?
Narsh said that outdoor crimes, like vehicle larcenies, tend to trend downward when the temperatures drop, but noted that patrols have to keep an extra eye out for broken down vehicles.