Summary
The February 1962 Beaver Beacon describes January as a month of severe snow and drifting. It reports a January high of 36°F, a low of 0°F, 18 days with snow, an eight-inch snowfall on January 7, and 22.8 inches of ground accumulation. Drifts blocked the road to Willie Schmidt’s farm, crews worked on the airport road day and night, and access near the lighthouse was interrupted.
The report also describes local workarounds: a path was plowed from Father Louis’s residence, Don Welke left a car on King’s Highway and used a tractor to reach his farm, and Bud McDonough helped relay cars. It warns that Charlevoix and Harbor Springs airports could have different operating conditions.
Evidence and limits
These measurements and transport details are preserved as a contemporary newspaper account. The issue does not supply a weather-station log, complete road-closure dates, or an airport operations record.
Sources
- Beaver Beacon, February 1962, “Weather.”Reports January temperatures, 18 days of snow, an eight-inch snowfall on January 7, 22.8 inches of ground accumulation, blocked farm roads, deep drifts, airport-road work, and interruptions to roads near the lighthouse. It is a community report, not a calibrated weather-station series or road log.