Winter Storm, Ontonagon
- When
- January 13, 11:00 AM EST to January 14, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Ontonagon forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm and Cold in Michigan, January 13 to 15, 2005
Arctic air blasted across the Upper Great Lakes on the 13th in the wake of a deepening low which departed northeast of Lake Superior. Strong northwest winds of 20 to 35 mph resulted in near-blizzard conditions in snow and blowing snow and bitter cold wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero across portions of northwest Upper Michigan from the 13th into 15th.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
- 8
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.
Arctic air blasted across the Upper Great Lakes on the 13th in the wake of a deepening low which departed northeast of Lake Superior. Strong northwest winds of 20 to 35 mph resulted in near-blizzard conditions in snow and blowing snow and bitter cold wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero across portions of northwest Upper Michigan from the 13th into 15th. Automated observing stations at Copper Harbor and the Houghton County Airport reached peak wind gusts in excess of 50 mph on the afternoon and evening of the 13th. 2-day snow totals during the event included around 6 inches at Pelkie in Baraga County...9 inches at Ontonagon...and over a foot at both Ahmeek and Phoenix Farms in Keweenaw County. Nighttime and morning wind chills reached from 25 to 35 below zero over Iron and Dickinson counties and 35 to 45 below zero over Gogebic County. Many schools in these counties were either closed or delayed on the 14th.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter storm, 3 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Baraga
- When
- January 13, 11:00 AM EST to January 14, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Baraga forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 46.700, -88.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Southern Houghton
- When
- January 13, 11:00 AM EST to January 14, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern Houghton forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Northern Houghton
- When
- January 13, 11:00 AM EST to January 15, 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Houghton forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Keweenaw
- When
- January 13, 11:00 AM EST to January 15, 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Keweenaw forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 47.283, -88.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Gogebic
- When
- January 14, 12:00 AM CST to January 15, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Gogebic forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Iron
- When
- January 14, 12:00 AM CST to January 15, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Iron forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 46.209, -88.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Dickinson
- When
- January 14, 12:00 AM CST to January 15, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dickinson forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 46.009, -87.870 (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.
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes in Georgia, January 13, 2005
- Tornado in South Carolina, January 13, 2005
- Flash Flood and Hail in Mississippi, January 13, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, January 13, 2005
- Flash Flooding in North Carolina, January 13 to 14, 2005
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Illinois, January 13, 2005
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, January 13, 2005
- Damaging Winds in Louisiana, January 13, 2005
- Damaging Winds in Tennessee, January 13, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, January 13, 2005
- Damaging Winds in Tennessee, January 13, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, January 13, 2005
More
Every storm in Michigan in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 2005
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: 5438605, 5438606, 5438607, 5438608, 5438609, 5438610, 5438611, 5438612.