Arctic Blast Hits Straits Area
Island Ferry Makes Final Run of Season Feb. 3
By Karen Gould

Bruce LaPine and other passengers watch as Arnold Transit's MV Huron breaks through the ice on its way to Mackinac Island Wednesday, January 31. Ferry service to the Island ended for the season three days later as ice thickened on Lake Huron.

Arctic air marched into the region over the weekend, bringing strong northwest winds, below zero double-digit wind chill factors, and single digit temperatures, although little snowfall. With the onslaught of the bitter cold temperatures, ice on Lake Huron thickened, bringing a halt to freight and ferry boat service to Mackinac Island. High profile vehicles crossing the Mackinac Island were escorted for more than 14 hours Sunday, February 4, with winds there reaching 50 miles per hour.

Sunday morning, the air temperature on Mackinac Island dropped to four degrees below zero, according to Michael Cellitti, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord. Sault Ste. Marie temperatures fell to nine degrees below zero, and the Soo area received approximately 10 inches of snow over the weekend, he said.

Although temperatures are expected to remain well below average through this weekend, they are far from the coldest readings for the area. Sault Ste. Marie recorded 37 degrees below zero February 10, 1899, and again February 8, 1934.

U.S. Coast Guard Station St. Ignace reported Lake Huron water temperature at 32 degrees Monday, February 5.

Arnold Line's 51-year-old steel-hulled passenger boat Huron made her last trip from the Island Saturday afternoon, February 3, leaving her Island dock at 4:30 p.m. She now sits frozen in the ice at the dock in St. Ignace.

"It's stuck," said Nona Tacey of Arnold Line.

St. Ignace Dockmaster Jim Bentgen said the boat was rerouted Saturday around the back side of the Island owing to thick ice, adding about 20 minutes to the 35-minute trip.

"We could not get through," he said. "There was about a mile of really thick ice."

Arnold Line's freight boat Corsair made her last run to and from the Island Friday, February 2.

Shepler's freight boat Sacre Bleu made her last trip to Mackinac Island Monday, January 29.

While areas of open water remain, the ice bridge between St. Ignace and Mackinac Island has not formed. Travel on and off the Island is available by Great Lakes Air at the Mackinac County Airport. Islanders, mindful of the thickening ice on the lakes, began moving their cars from the Arnold parking lot to the airport several weeks ago, anticipating the end of the boat season.