Over the weekend, a significant ice storm swept through the Great Lakes region, southern Canada, and New England, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Video footage shared by Michigan Outdoor Obsession captured the aftermath in Charlevoix, Michigan, where pine trees were seen bending under the weight of the ice.
This March storm, an unusual occurrence for this time of year, caused power outages affecting nearly 1 million customers on both sides of the border. Reports of fallen and snapped trees were numerous, painting a picture of the storm’s impact across the affected areas.
In Peterborough, Ontario, the heavy ice coating on tree buds was a stark reminder of the storm’s force. In Williamsburg, Michigan, a towering radio tower succumbed to the weight of the ice, collapsing under the pressure.
Ice storm warnings were issued in parts of New York and Vermont, marking a rare event not seen in those areas for over five years. The severity of the storm prompted states of emergency in Orillia and Peterborough, Ontario, where freezing rain persisted for an astonishing 30 hours.
In Elmira, Michigan, a thick layer of ice, reaching up to an inch and a half, covered everything from tree branches to cars. Similar conditions were reported in Marlow and Lempster, New Hampshire, where nearly an inch of ice accumulation was recorded.
As the storm raged on, hundreds of thousands were left without power, with around 625,000 customers affected in the United States at the peak of the outages. Meanwhile, Canada also felt the brunt of the storm, with approximately 370,000 customers losing power on Sunday. By Monday morning, significant power outages still persisted, with 325,000 customers without power in Michigan and 380,000 in Quebec.
