Some in Michigan brace for weekend without power amid cold

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A utility says some of the tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power in Michigan following days of freezing rain and other wintry weather are expected to be without electricity through the weekend.

Consumers Energy says that since early Wednesday about 231,000 customers have lost electric service due to ice storms. The utility says about 122,000 still were without power by Friday afternoon, with most expected to have power by late Sunday but some hard-hit areas out until late Monday.

Strong winds Thursday night and Friday increased outages. DTE Energy says 2,000 customers in southeastern Michigan still lacked power. Restoration was predicted by midnight.

The hardest-hit areas for Consumers Energy included western Michigan, where highs temperatures were forecast to stay below freezing through the weekend. Many didn’t have heat and emergency shelters are open. Parts of the Upper Peninsula were hit by blizzard conditions.