Alpena-area gas unaffected by Consumers emergency
But scaling back usage still advised until weekend warmup
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ALPENA -- Alpena-area utilities were not directly affected by a fire at a natural gas compressor station that prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday to ask all Michiganders to lower their thermostats to preserve the state's natural gas supply.
But officials from Northeast Michigan utilities Alpena Power, the Presque Isle Electric and Gas Co-op, and DTE Energy said it's still a good idea to reduce energy usage as much as practically possible to make sure there's enough warmth to go around. Extra-cold days mean increased energy usage statewide, leading to the potential for an inadequate gas supply to meet needs, Alpena Power Vice President Ken Dragiewicz explained Thursday.
A fire at Consumers Energy's Ray Natural Gas Compressor Station in Macomb County on Wednesday morning resulted in many Michigan residents being startled by an alert on their smartphones Wednesday evening asking them to turn down their heat. Though some mocked the call to action on social media, many Michiganders --including automakers -- responded.
Consumers CEO Patti Poppe said Thursday that, on a typical winter day, demand hits about 2.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas. It peaked at 3.3 billion on Wednesday -- topping the previous record of 3 billion -- and was expected to rise to 3.7 billion on Thursday.
When people voluntarily curtailed their use, however, demand was closer to 3.3 billion, she said.
"We are disappointed that our system was unable to serve at full capacity," Poppe said. "However, we are extraordinarily grateful for the efforts that you took and the actions and your response to our call."
Though Consumers gave the all-clear for thermostats to rise again on Thursday, Northeast Michigan utility officials said it's still a good idea for customers reduce their energy usage through the end of the dangerous cold on Friday. Residents are asked to turn their thermostats down to 65 degrees and to check for air leaks around windows and doors.
"Turning down the thermostat will also reduce members' monthly bill," PIE&G advises in a press release.
DTE Energy, meanwhile, asked Michigan customers to help "safeguard the reliability of the regional energy grid" amid the cold by voluntarily reducing electricity use. Suggested steps include lowering the thermostat by several degrees and minimizing the use of appliances such as washers, dryers and ovens.
"While DTE's plants are running well, our system is connected to energy grids in other states and Canada that are experiencing issues due to the extreme weather," Christy Wicke, executive director, Generation Optimization, said in a statement.
And the state -- which typically requires $20 for a 90-day permit to collect wood on public lands between April and the end of December -- said Thursday no permit is required through Sunday as Michigan residents cope with extremely cold weather . The rules for collecting wood can be found at www.Michigan.gov/fuelwood . The collection of wood is limited to within 200 feet of a state forest road.
Live trees must be left alone, and no wood can be collected in state parks.
WARMUP, SLIGHT CHANCE OF FLOODS
Meanwhile, the current cold snap is about to unsnap, at least for a little while. After enduring a record-breaking snowstorm and four days of bitter cold and wind, warmer weather is on its way -- though that could cause its own set of headaches.
Meteorologist Mike Kurz, with the National Weather Service in Gaylord, said temperatures will begin to slowly warm up today, with a high of 16 degrees and a low of 9 degrees tonight. Some snow or freezing rain can be expected overnight.
"By Saturday, we'll get into highs around 30, right around freezing in the Alpena area, and then, by Sunday, we should have highs climbing into the low 40s," he said.
Kurz explained that, as the brutal cold is lifting out of the area, a sharp temperature gradient will cause the temperature to change abruptly. He said the weather will progressively warm up over the weekend as southerly airflow develops and intensifies.
Kurz said meteorologists are not anticipating any flooding from snow melt as temperatures warm up briefly. However, there is a possibility there could be some ice-jam flooding in some of the rivers in the area once it thaws out a bit.
"The snow pack that we have out there right now is so cold and dry that it's going to take awhile to warm up before it can start to melt a little bit," he said, adding it's likely the snow will start to melt on Monday, when the temperature gets up to the 40s. Any rain that should fall over the weekend should absorb pretty well into the snow pack, he said.
Despite the warmer weather, it's expected to remain cloudy over the weekend, Kurz said, which could have an impact on Groundhog Day.
"There's a slight possibility" the groundhog will see his shadow, Kurz said. "Saturday is mostly cloudy, so there's a slight possibility, but, overall, I think the clouds are going to be dominant. So it's still in question."
The warm weather is expected to peak on Monday with a high of 43 degrees.
The warmer weather will be short-lived, as it cools down toward the end of next week as a new storm system moves in. Kurz said another blast of cold air is expected around Thursday and Friday.
He said temperatures will likely trend below-normal over the course of the next few weeks, if not throughout the month of February.
The Alpena area saw 33.5 inches of snow in January, which Kurz says is more than a foot above normal for the month of January.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Crystal Nelson can be reached at cnelson@thealpenanews.com or 989-358-5687.
Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com.