By RANDY CROUCH

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Many parts of the Upper Peninsula are dealing with the impact of a large October storm that swept through the area Tuesday, causing thousands of U.P. residents to lose power and dig out after a record-breaking snowfall in a number of areas.

The National Weather Service in Negaunee reported record snowfall for Oct. 17 and 18, with 13.3 inches of snow early Tuesday morning with an estimated 18 inches falling southwest of National Mine.

According to the NWS, the normal seasonal snow accumulation up to Oct. 18 is 2 inches.

The weather event got national attention, as NBC News reported from downtonw Negaunee on Tuesday morning.

Winds up to 50 mph tore through the area, leaving the intersection between M-553 and Division Street in Marquette closed for several hours after high winds knocked down a traffic light. Other areas were closed as well due to the winds, including Presque Isle Park, which was closed to the public throughout much of Tuesday for safety concerns.

The weather also caused school cancellations throughout the U.P., with every school in the Marquette area being closed other than Northern Michigan University. Marquette Area Public Schools sent out an alert citing dangerous road conditions and poor visibility, especially in the higher elevations early Tuesday morning.

Thousands of people in Marquette, Delta and Alger counties were without power for much of Tuesday, according to the Marquette Board of Light and Power, Upper Peninsula Power Company and Upper Michigan Energy resources outage maps.

Crews from the MBLP were working on restoring power for a large portion of the day Tuesday.

While many parts of the U.P. were impacted by the snow, several other areas accumulated little or no snow whatsoever. The downtown area of Marquette was spared from the snow, with high winds and heavy rain still making travel difficult.

According to the National Weather Service, the storm was due to dissipate by 8 p.m. Tuesday, with temperatures predicted to rise back to the high 50s to low 60s this weekend.

Randy Crouch can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net.