Michigan City, La Porte Residents Brave Recent Record-setting Cold, Snow

Michigan City, La Porte Residents Brave Recent Record-setting Cold, Snow
By: Contributor Last Updated: January 9, 2018

Yesterday’s high temperature of 32 degrees marked the first time that region residents saw the better side of freezing in over two weeks as the cold snap that held the area in its grip finally relaxed.

For those who keep track of such things, that marks 14 straight days of subfreezing temperatures, accompanied by an amazing 16 consecutive days of measurable snowfall.

Most recently, the 72-hour period beginning January 4th and ending on last Saturday saw snowfall totals of 12.5” in Michigan City and a staggering 25.1” of the white stuff hit the ground in the city of La Porte.

So, that’s all well and good, but how have the good people of La Porte County been coping with the slippery roads, school closings and power outages brought on by this latest winter storm?

Pretty well, in fact.

“People have been coming in, buying salt as fast as we can stock it, and snowblowers are selling faster than we can get them assembled,” said Ryan Lewis, Shift supervisor for Kabelin Ace Hardware in La Porte. “Basically though, people just stayed indoors.”

Lewis said that window insulation kits, shovels and tube sand also have been flying off the shelves as La Porte residents stocked up on essentials to help them brave the elements.

“We sold out and had to transfer some in from other stores in the area,” said Lewis.

“We’re just trying to stay warm,” said Michigan City resident Gene Glowacki as he walked his dog, Cheyenne along a snow-covered street in the Coolspring area of the city. “That’s really all you can do.”

Other residents took a more proactive approach, such as Coolspring Township resident Danny Bell.

“I’m trying to get this snow off my roof,” said Bell standing on the roof of his one-story home. “I need to get it off here before it melts and then freezes back up.”

Snowplows have been busy too, according to Taronda Edwards, a 15-year veteran of Michigan City’s Street Department. “It’s been pretty much non-stop since before Christmas,” said Edwards.

As of now, the streets are almost entirely cleared, and the weather calls for a few days of relief as warmer temperatures take over for a few days before another wave of cold air comes in for the weekend.

How did you cope with the snow? Let us know your best tips for staying safe, warm and dry. Share your ideas below.