By JESSICA POTILA

Journal Staff Writer

NEGAUNEE — Winter driving on Upper Peninsula roadways can be a harrowing and unpredictable experience. Rays of February sunshine shimmering on a windshield in downtown Negaunee can be replaced by blinding snowfall in the four miles of travel it takes to reach Negaunee Township.

Weather forecasts for our region can provide only a limited view of what to expect when heading out for a winter drive. The Great Lakes that surround us influence factors such as snow and freezing rain and can cause rapid changes in the weather.

As a result, U.P. drivers have learned to rely on one another when asking the question, “How are the roads?”

Some stretches of U.P. roadway are notorious for their hazardous driving conditions during the winter months.

This includes a 25-mile flat section of highway in the central U.P.

“We call that the Seney Stretch, and it can get very, very bad,” local business owner Matie Dunn said. “We’re the center of the snow belt and we deal with a lot of snow.”

Dunn is proprietor of Mater’s Stop -N- Go Gas Station, located on M-28 in Seney.

When officials closed M-28 from Seney to Munising to traffic Monday due to dangerous driving conditions, Dunn posted the information on her business’ Facebook page to alert travelers.

“It was just whiteout conditions. You couldn’t see three feet in front of you and lots of cars were going into ditches and it was going to get somebody killed, so Schoolcraft County decided to close down the road until it was safe,” Dunn said.

A private Facebook page with more than 18,000 members — “How are the roads 906?” — provides a forum for people to ask questions and share information about road conditions in the U.P. and surrounding areas.

Bus driver Michael Holmgren posts in the group early each morning to alert members as to what they can expect while driving in the Ishpeming and Negaunee areas. Holmgren also includes a link to the latest weather forecast.

“I know it may be helpful for some people. I have the time and I’m on the roads so I have first hand insight,” Holmgren said.

Holmgren has been driving professionally for about a dozen years and currently works for Negaunee Public Schools and Alger County Transit Authority.

His advice for winter driving in the U.P. is to take things “slow and easy.”

“The biggest thing that gets people into trouble with winter driving is speed and being in a rush,” Holmgren said.

He also encourages group members to purchase snow tires.

“Snow tires are a safety feature in much the same way as anti-lock brakes, seat belts and airbags,” he said.

Scott Willey Sr. owner of Willey’s Tire Shop & Auto Repair in Ishpeming and Marquette echoes Holmgren’s winter driving sentiments.

“The biggest tip I would have is to slow down. I drive from Ishpeming to Marquette and the biggest problem I see with winter driving is speed. A lot of people do not slow down when coming to intersections and especially the roundabouts, causing their vehicles to slide through stop signs,” Willey said.

He said the biggest difference between a winter tire and an all season tire is the rubber compound.

“Winter tires are designed with a softer rubber compound which grips to the roads better in slippery conditions. A winter tire will also have many more sipes ( a sipe is a small slice in the tread that helps the tread grip ). The more sipes you have in a tire the more biting edges you will have for traction in the winter. The softer rubber compounds and more biting edges will give you the most traction for winter driving,” Willey said.

Although temperatures should become more mild in the coming weeks, snow will continue to fall in the U.P. for some time to come, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Dan Thompson.

“We certainly can still see wintery conditions continuing well into March,” he said.

Jessica Potila can be reached at 906-228-2500. Her email address is jpotila@miningjournal.net.