After several days of spring-like conditions, winter returned with a blast late Tuesday.
Sleet and gusting winds were followed by several inches of snow on Wednesday, and Mother Nature followed up Thursday morning with additional snowfall.
The Ely School District canceled classes and activities Wednesday and events including some Ash Wednesday church services were postponed.
And while the storm had an impact here, Ely was clearly spared the worst of it.
The North Shore was particularly hit, with two feet or more of snow falling in some areas, including a whopping 34 inches in Hovland.
Portions of Highway 1 and Highway 61 were closed temporarily because of treacherous driving conditions, and as late as Thursday morning, many roads across northeastern Minnesota were reported to be slick and snow-covered.
In town, city crews were busy Thursday morning clearing snow from streets and avenues, and school was in session.
Classes at Vermilion Community College were held on Wednesday.
The storm came after several days in which temperatures reached into the 40s and even 50 degrees across the northern part of the state.
The snowstorm followed the brief February thaw and arrived just in time to deliver more snow for this weekend’s WolfTrack Classic sled dog race in Ely (see related story).
Forecasts call for largely dry conditions and more seasonal temperature readings in the high-teens and 20s over the course of the next week.
