Michigan, 1997

Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 4 to 5, 1997

December 4 to 5, 1997 · NWS MQT · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

The combination of a surface trough across Upper Michigan, an upper low over Wisconsin and cold northerly winds blowing over the relatively warmer waters of Lake Superior combined to produce heavy lake effect snows over the Lake Superior shoreline counites of west and central Upper Michigan. Heavy snow began across Gogebic and Ontonagon counties around 800 am EST on the 4th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

The combination of a surface trough across Upper Michigan, an upper low over Wisconsin and cold northerly winds blowing over the relatively warmer waters of Lake Superior combined to produce heavy lake effect snows over the Lake Superior shoreline counites of west and central Upper Michigan. Heavy snow began across Gogebic and Ontonagon counties around 800 am EST on the 4th. The heavy snow spread east to include parts of Keweenaw, Houghton, Baraga, and Marquette counties by the afternoon of the 4th. The snow was concentrated in lake effect snow bands producing widely varying accumulations across the region. The heavy snow diminished to light snow around noon on the 5th. Here is a listing of the heavier snow totals by county:Baraga Gogebic Houghton Keweenaw Herman 12.0 Ironwood 15.1 Alston 9.0 Phoenix 11.0 Watton 10.4 Ramsay 11.0 Watersmeet 9.7 Marquette OntonagonMarquette Airport 16.3 Bergland 21.0 Carlshend 10.0 Ontonagon 16.0

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Baraga

When
December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 5, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Baraga forecast zone
Coordinates
46.700, -88.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Gogebic

When
December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 5, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Gogebic forecast zone
Coordinates
46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Houghton

When
December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 5, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Houghton forecast zone
Coordinates
46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Marquette

When
December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 5, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Coordinates
46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ontonagon

When
December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 5, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Ontonagon forecast zone
Coordinates
46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 1997

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: 5626337, 5626338, 5626339, 5626340, 5626341.