Ice Balls Sent Flying, Northern Lights Shine, and Pistons Achieve Milestone

Tuesday, January 20th, 2026

Good morning! Welcome to The Mitten, where we provide you a 5-minute rundown of all things Michigan every morning at 5 a.m., directly in your inbox!

Staggering drone footage was published showing the magnitude of the 100-care pileup in Zeeland. Check out the footage here and read more in Around the Mitten.

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Violent Weather Captured Across Michigan

Yesterday’s severe weather didn’t just cause traffic issues. Michiganders captured remarkable footage of some of Mother Nature’s most violent behavior around the state.

A man in Ludington captured strong winds sending ice balls flying into the air, with another man in Empire capturing even larger ice balls off the coast of Lake Michigan.

Whiteout conditions were seen in several areas of the state, including in Holland and Benton Harbor.

Michiganders can expect the unpleasant weather to continue today, with bone-chilling temperatures spanning the state today. More on that below.

Pistons Get First All Star Starter Since 2009

The Pistons will have their first All Star game starter since Allen Iverson represented the organization in 2009, with star guard Cade Cunningham being elected for the prestigious role.

Cunningham will also represent the Pistons in back-to-back years for the first time since Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton did so in 2007 and 2008.

The 2026 All-Star Game will take place Sunday, February 15th at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

You can find more details on Cunningham’s election here.

Northern Lights Seen Across the Mitten

The largest geomagnetic storm Earth has seen 20 years led to much of the Mitten seeing a beautiful lights display last night, with users across the state sharing awe-inspiring photographs.

One user captured a full night sky of a purplish glowing aura, while a user in Cass City captured a photo with a canvas of glowing colors.

The storm’s Aurora was visible as far south as parts of Missouri. You can see incredible photos captured of the Aurora in more northern parts of the world here.

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Around the Mitten

Zeeland: I-196 reopened after a 100-car pileup occurred between Zeeland and Hudsonville. (See Video)
Dearborn: The chair that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sat in while watching President Johnson's "We Shall Overcome" speech, leading to the Voting Rights Act, was put on display at the Henry Ford Museum. (See Photos)
Statewide: A new interactive map shows unsafe locations to eat fish based on PFAS-contaminated water levels. (See Map)
Traverse City: The city’s riverwalk plan, which would better connect downtown with the Boardman–Ottawa River, moved to the next stage in the planning process. (More)
Northern Michigan: Most of the state north of Cadillac will see temperatures reach 20 below zero this morning. (See Map)
Lansing: Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced plans to travel to Davos, Switzerland to participate in the World Economic Forum. (More)
Statewide: Gas prices increased 15 cents in the previous week, according to AAA. (See Map)

Sports

The Lions are reportedly hiring Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing for the same role. (More)
In a likely playoff preview, the Pistons overcame the Celtics 104-103, with forward Tobias Harris scoring 25, including a corner 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining to ice the game. (See Box Score)
Both Michigan and Sparty rose in the newest AP Top 25 basketball rankings after wins this weekend. (See Rankings)
Michigan hockey maintained its No. 1 ranking after sweeping Minnesota on the road for the first time since 2018. (More)

Michigan Enterprise

Cartier, the luxury jewelry company long-associated with Detroit, opened its first Michigan location in Troy. (See Photos)
Lincoln announced the moving of its headquarters into Ford’s recently-renovated Michigan Central site. (More)
A new luxury rug maker launched by the founders of Peloton opened a new showroom in Birmingham. (More)

Did you drive in blizzard conditions yesterday?

Previous Results

Should police be able to use AI cameras to go after violations?

Yes - 57% ✅
No - 43%

Responses:

Answer: No, “AI is tiring and overreaching. I get that it can be used for good, but I’m afraid there’s too much bad.”

Answer: Yes, “If it's done as it is in Illinois, the owner of the car is issued a fine as they are responsible for whomever they allow to use the vehicle. But, no points are issued against their driver's license.”

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Thank you for reading Tuesday’s edition of The Mitten! We hope you enjoyed today’s stories. We always welcome any reader feedback by simply responding to this email.

Founder & Editor of The Mitten — Joe S.