Winter Storm, Ontonagon
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Ontonagon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Michigan, April 12 to 13, 1996
A low pressure system moved northeast from Iowa on the afternoon of Friday April 12 to Southeast Lower Michigan on the morningof Saturday April 13. Snow developed over West Upper Michigan during Friday afternoon and spread into North Central Upper Michigan Friday night.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 12
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS MQT wrote it up.
A low pressure system moved northeast from Iowa on the afternoon of Friday April 12 to Southeast Lower Michigan on the morningof Saturday April 13. Snow developed over West Upper Michigan during Friday afternoon and spread into North Central Upper Michigan Friday night. Meanwhile, a mix of sleet and freezing rain developed over South Central Upper Michigan. The snow became heavy...especially over Marquette and Baraga counties around 10 pm Friday as strong northeast winds developed. The precipitation exited the region between noon and 3 pm EDT on Saturday. The heaviest snow totals were over Marquette and Baraga counties where northeast winds blowing off of Lake Superior boosted snow totals to 12 inches at Marquette and Herman, 10 inches at L'anse and 9 inches at Watton. Other snow totals included 8 inches at Au Train and Newberry, 7 inches at Pelkie, Munising, Channing and Michigamme and 6 inches at Watersmeet, Rockland and Ironwood. Areas south of Iron River and Newberry received mostly sleet and freezing rain.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
12 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Northern Houghton
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Houghton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Baraga
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Baraga forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.700, -88.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Marquette
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Marquette forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Alger
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Alger forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Luce
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Luce forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.368, -85.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Gogebic
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Gogebic forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Iron
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Iron forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.209, -88.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Dickinson
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Dickinson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.009, -87.870 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Menominee
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Menominee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.525, -87.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Delta
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Delta forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.792, -86.871 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Southern Schoolcraft
- When
- April 12, 5:00 PM EST to April 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Schoolcraft forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, April 12, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, April 12, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, April 12, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, April 12, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, April 12, 1996
- Hail in Michigan, April 12, 1996
- Hail in Michigan, April 12, 1996
- Hail in Michigan, April 12, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Michigan, April 12, 1996
- Hail in Michigan, April 12, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Michigan, April 12, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, April 12, 1996
More
Every storm in Michigan in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, April 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5578545, 5578546, 5578547, 5578548, 5578549, 5578719, 5578720, 5578721, 5578722, 5578723, 5578724, 5578725.