Centrals Look Good for 3/5 - 3/6

[rpotcova]

Please stay tuned for any updates both here and the Central Hotline.

Final call made Thursday evening no later than 8pm.  Get your stuff ready

[T Thieler US 5224]

Any rough idea where you might hold the regatta?  If there is no sailing in RI this weekend a few of us might head out that way-

Where exactly is St. Martin's (?) Bay?

Help an East Coaster out!

Thanks,

MR T

[rpotcova]

St Martin Bay is approx 30 min NE of the Mackinac Bridge.  Forecasting a snow event starting today noon thru tomorrow.  We are watching closely.
There is alot of ice in Northern Michigan waiting for a spring zamboni.  Been very cold so currently there is no back up site for this weekend.

I should know more later.  Its a remote part of Michigan so if anyone can help with the weather in that area it would be appreciated.

Rich

[T Thieler US 5224]

Thanks! 

[Geoff Sobering]

I should know more later.  Its a remote part of Michigan so if anyone can help with the weather in that area it would be appreciated.

These are just weather-stations, but they might give you some indication of what's going on up there in the absence of "cleats on the ice". They might not give you an indication of how much snow has fallen, but they will tell you if it's been all-clear (10mi visibility).

It looks like the "Chippewa County International Airport" (KCIU) is about 15 miles north:
   http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KCIU/2011/3/3/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

Mackinac Island (KMCD) is south:
   http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KMCD/2011/3/3/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

For gauging snow intensity I usually watch the visibility. Under 2 miles is usually decent snow.

Cheers,

Geoff S.

[sieglege]

I find local web cams to be a pretty good aid in ice searching. It give you a "rough" measure which could be used to rule in or out a site for an actual visit. Sometimes you can tell a sheet of ice by the shine. Web cams are all over the state...just google search for the location you want.

We may not have cleats on ice in St. Ignace, but there is a cam on the Mackinac Bridge and it's snowing heavily as of 1:30 PM EDT Thursday. The towers are not visible from the beginning of the span.

http://www.mackinacbridge.org/bridge-cam-20/

[rpotcova]

Thanks for the help Geoff.   

[Geoff Sobering]

...there is a cam on the Mackinac Bridge and it's snowing heavily as of 1:30 PM EDT Thursday.

Both airports are showing visibilities under 5 miles now... 

That isn't necessarily an indication of too much snow, just that some is falling...