BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – The second winter storm in just over two weeks hit Branch County on Thursday but not as much snow fell as had been forecast by the National Weather Service.
Reports indicate between five to six inches of snow fell on the area which was below earlier forecasts that called for six to ten inches of snow.
After nearly an inch of rain fell, the precipitation changed over to heavy snow during the mid afternoon hours, just in time to mess up the evening commute.
The combination of snow and standing water from the rain earlier in the day which froze made for dangerous driving conditions.
Streets and roads quickly became snow covered and slick. Drivers also had to deal with limited visibility.
Despite the bad driving conditions, no serious injury crashes were reported in Branch County.
Branch County 9-1-1 logs indicate there were seven slide offs reported along with three property damage crashes between 2:00 p.m. and midnight.
As part of the wacky weather over the last couple of days, the snow that had been on ground since the February 2 storm melted on Wednesday and Thursday morning. The Branch County Memorial Airport recorded a temperature reading of 51 degrees Wednesday night.
The melting snow and the heavy rain during the overnight hours led to some flooding issues in Branch and Hillsdale Counties. There were reports that some homes near the Hillsdale Municipal Airport flooded.
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