MARQUETTE, MI— Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) is reminding its customers, and the general public, that late-winter weather patterns can – and often do – produce high winds and accumulations of wet, heavy snow that can affect the region’s electrical grid.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Warning for most of the Upper Peninsula beginning Tuesday evening, April 2, 2024, and extending through Thursday, April 4, 2024. High winds and significant accumulations of snow are being forecasted by the NWS.
“Power outages may occur as strong winds and adverse weather conditions move through the Upper Peninsula,” said Brett French, UPPCO’s Vice President of Business Development and Communications. “UPPCO crews are prepared to respond to any outages that may be caused by this late-winter storm.”
People should never approach or come into contact with downed power lines or trees and tree branches that may be leaning on, or are in contact with power lines or service drops.
“Downed power lines may be energized and can seriously harm or kill you if contacted,” according to French. “People should also be mindful of portable generator safety when using them during power outages. Additional tips for staying safe during inclement weather can be found on UPPCO’s website at Safety - UPPCO,” said French.
UPPCO is asking customers to report any outages they are experiencing by calling UPPCO’s Customer Care Center at (906) 449-2011 or through its Online Portal at www.uppco.com. Customers may experience longer than usual wait times when contacting the Customer Care Center due to weather related call volumes.