Courtesy Photo Kumba, left, and Zephyr play in the snow in their yard in Maple Ridge on Sunday. The two dogs were just two of the many animals and people who went outdoors to enjoy the first accumulating snow this winter.

ALPENA — Northeast Michigan residents woke up to a surprise snow fall on Sunday morning at an earlier date than last year and many of them couldn’t wait to go outdoors and enjoy it.

A winter weather advisory was in effect until 7 p.m. on Sunday for Northeast Michigan that called for as much as four inches of snow, but the Alpena area, at least near the shoreline of Lake Huron didn’t receive anywhere near that amount.

The advisory stated that high snowfall rates could lead to quick accumulations on roads and rapidly drop visibility, making for hazardous travel conditions at times.

The streets in Alpena were wet from the lightly falling snow, but did not ice over or cause dangerous driving conditions and travel was not impacted by the winter weather.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Sean Christensen said that for the Alpena area, mid November is about the average time for the first snow fall of winter, however, last year, the first snow started to fall on Nov. 28 with over an inch of accumulation on Nov. 30.

Christensen said that typically, the first snow starts further inland and in areas of higher elevations, but due to a low-pressure system to the south and cold air being drawn in from the north, the snow is more concentrated in counties along the lakeshore, but not directly on the shorelines.

He said the snow will likely stick around for the next couple of days. In Alpena, high temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s today, which could melt some of the snow and looking ahead, temperatures are expected to climb into the mid 40s later in the week, as the deer hunters prepare to go to hunting camp. Temperatures are forecasted to remain in the 40s for the next 10 days or so.

During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow to dry weather just a few miles away. Visibilities can also vary greatly. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions.

For a photo gallery of people enjoying the snow on Sunday, check out page A5.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.