A snowstorm hitting the Midwest has dumped up to 18 inches of snow in northern Michigan and knocked out power to at least 79,000 state electricity customers.
The National Weather Service says the highest snowfall totals as of Friday morning were near Gaylord in the northern Lower Peninsula and Chippewa County's Kinross Township in the eastern Upper Peninsula.
Totals since Thursday in northern Michigan generally ranged from 4-18 inches. Another few inches could fall Friday.
Dozens of northern Michigan schools closed because of weather, giving students an early start to the holiday break.
Southern Michigan received rain and snow.
CMS Energy Corp.'s Consumers Energy unit says 60,000 customers lost power, and 27,150 remained powerless Friday morning. DTE Energy Co. says 19,000 customers lost power Thursday, but all got it back.
