COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – If there was any doubt that Branch County’s first major snow storm of 2015 that arrived on Sunday February 1 was a major event with an all-day snowfall along with blowing and drifting snow, it became perfectly clear when the Branch County Sheriff’s Department issued a news release at 9:30 pm which warned that heavy snow and high winds had drifted all county primary and secondary roads shut. The release went on to say that the storm is a serious threat to persons venturing outside, adding that the intensity of the storm may make rescue impossible.
Because vehicles able to travel in this severe weather are of very limited supply, the Sheriff’s Department asked that the public only call in the case of an emergency. The danger became evident overnight when State Police were responding to reports of vehicles stuck in the middle of the road with the drifts and snow so deep that even tow trucks were unable to make it to their location to dig them out.
All schools in Branch County are closed today and that’s the case for nearly all schools in Southern Lower Michigan and much of Northern Indiana. All Branch County Government offices are closed, all State offices in Lansing are closed and Coldwater City offices are closed.
Snowfall totals across the area are still being reported but generally range between a foot and up to as much as 18 inches. It’s reminiscent of just over a year ago when Branch County was socked with between 15 and 20 inches of snow on January 5, 2014. The big dig out and cleanup is underway today with a lot of the white stuff to move and clear away.
