Brief heavy snow spread into south central and eastern Upper Michigan on the afternoon of the 4th ahead of low pressure system approaching from the Plains.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MQT wrote it up.
Brief heavy snow spread into south central and eastern Upper Michigan on the afternoon of the 4th ahead of low pressure system approaching from the Plains.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Marquette, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 4, 10:40 AM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 1140 AM EST MON FEB 4 2008 .UPDATE... WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS INDICATED A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE LIFTING NE FROM SE MN/NE IA. AT THE SFC...LOW PRES WAS LOCATED OVER NE KS WITH A WARM FRONT EASTWARD THROUGH NRN MO AND CNTRL IL. STRONG 850 MB THETA-E ADVECTION NORTH OF THE FRONT SUPPORTED AN AREA OF CONVECTION WITH RA/FZRA WHICH HAS MOVED QUICKLY FROM ERN IA INTO NRN IL. FARTHER NW...STRONG 700-500 MB FGEN AND ASSOCIATED 290K-295K HAS SUPPORTED AN AREA OF HEAVY SNOW OVER S CNTRL AND SE MN WITH WITH 1/4SM VSBY REPORTED AT KMSP/KRST. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SNOW HAD ADVANCED INTO CNTRL WI. RADAR/SATELLITE TRENDS AND THE 12Z NAM AND 15Z RUC SUGGEST THAT THE STRONGEST FGEN AND ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE SE HALF OF THE CWA BTWN 21Z-00Z. SO...SNOW AMOUNTS WERE ADJUSTED SLIGHTLY TO REDUCE AMOUNTS OVER THE NW PORTIONS OF THE CWA...WHERE ACCUMULATION GENERALLY IN THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE ARE EXPECTED. NEVERTHELESS...THE ENTIRE AREA SHOULD STILL SEE A PERIOD OF MODERATE SNOW BY EARLY EVENING WITH RELATIVELY LOW SNOW/WATER RATIO (AT LEAST FOR MID WINTER IN UPPER MI) AROUND 10/1 THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL MORE HAZARDOUS. SO...THE SNOW ADVISORY WAS LEFT INTACT. .SYNOPSIS... LARGE SCALE PATTERN HAS A TROUGH OVER WESTERN HALF OF THE CONUS WITH FLATTER FLOW EXTENDING TO THE ATLANTIC COAST. A RIDGE RESIDES FM FAR SE CONUS INTO CUBA. 120 KT H25 JET HAS MADE TURN VCNTY OF THE FOUR CORNERS WITH SHORTWAVE THAT AFFECTS UPR GREAT LAKES NOW INTO COLORADO. EVEN A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES NOTED WITH THIS FEATURE EARLIER THIS MORNING. PRIMARY MECHANISM FOR PCPN LATER TODAY OVER CWA IS WARM AIR ADVECTION THAT IS INCREASING OVER THE PLAINS ATTM. JUST A BIT OF LIGHT SNOW BREAKING OUT OVR NEB. H85 TEMPS AT 00Z RANGED FM -3C AT MPX TO +5C AT TOP. SFC WARM FRONT IS PRESENT OVER OHIO VALLEY WITH A DISTURBANCE ALONG THE FRONT BRINGING -SN AS CLOSE AS CNTRL LWR MI THIS MORNING. OTHERWISE....PRESSURES BEGINNING TO FALL OUT OVR CNTRL PLAINS AS SHORTWAVE EMERGES. && .DISCUSSION... H85-H7 WARM AIR ADVECTION ALONG WITH 250MB UPR DIVERGENCE AND RESPONDING H7-H6 FRONTOGENESIS COMBINE TO BRING A PERIOD OF INTENSE PCPN TO UPR MI LATE THIS AFTN INTO THE EVENING. DESPITE MAIN ARRIVAL OF PCPN AROUND 12 HRS AWAY 00Z MODELS CONTINUED TO STRUGGLE WITH DETAILS. UP FOR DEBATE WAS LOCATION OF HEAVIEST PCPN AND WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL SEE ANY OTHER PTYPE BESIDES SNOW. NOT MANY ISSUES WITH MODEL INITIALIZATION SO WITH SNOW JUST DEVELOPING UPSTREAM OVR NEB IT WAS TOUGH TO GAGE WHICH SOLUTION WAS BETTER. IN THE END ...PREFERRED A BLEND OF GFS/REGIONAL CANADIAN/ECMWF. THIS CONJUCTION RESULTED IN SWATH OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PCPN DEVELOPING BY 21Z FM NORTHERN WI ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL UPR MI...A SHIFT TO THE SOUTH AND EAST FM PREVIOUS GUIDANCE. QPF AMOUNTS OF 0.3 TO 0.5 INCHES WITH 290K ISENTROPIC MIXING RATIOS PUSHING 5G/KG SUGGESTED A WIDESPREAD 3-5 INCHES FOR TOTAL SNOW LATE TODAY TIL AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. HEAVIEST SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD SET UP ALONG AND JUST WEST OF H85 LOW...ESSENTIALLY THE BANANA BELT FM IMT-ESC-ISQ. TRIMMED TOTAL AMOUNTS OVR FAR WEST CWA AND THESE MAY NEED TO BE LOWERED MORE IF LATEST TRENDS CONTINUE. LET THE ADVY RIDE FOR NOW IN THE WEST SINCE EVEN IF SNOW TOTALS ARE IN THE 1-3 RANGE...THE SNOW WILL HAVE A HIGHER IMPACT THAN NORMAL AS SNOW TO WATER RATIOS MAY END UP BLO 10:1...MAKING THE SNOW TOUGH TO DRIVE ON AND REMOVE. FARTHER SOUTH TRACK OF LOW MADE PTYPE LESS OF AN ISSUE AS WARM LAYER ALOFT SHOULD REMAIN TO THE SOUTH OF CWA. THUS...OTHER THAN SOME RAIN MENITIONED ON LK MICHIGAN WITH BLYR TEMPS ABOVE FREEZING...WENT WITH ONLY SNOW FOR ALL LAND AREAS. SOUNDINGS STILL INDICATE SNOW MAY END AS SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE LATER TONIGHT IN THE NORTHEAST CWA. OTHERWISE...MARGINALLY COOL AND DRYING BLYR SHOULD YIELD ONLY A PERSISTENT CLOUD COVER WITH SOME FLURRIES POSSIBLE. COOLER TEMPS ON TUESDAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO MORE LK EFFECT FOR NW AND NCNTRL CWA BY LATE DAY. WINDS NOW LOOK A BIT MORE NE THAN EARLIER SO ADJUSTED POPS SOME TO LOWER POPS OVER PORTIONS OF KEWEENAW THAT ARE NOT AS FAVORED WITH A NE BLYR WIND. IN ANY CASE...INVERSION LOWERING BLO H85 AND ONLY MARGINAL TEMPS FOR LK EFFECT WILL KEEP ACCUMS ON LOW SIDE THROUGH WED. NEXT CHANCE OF SNOW IN GRIDS IS DUE IN THU AND LATEST GFS/ECMWF CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS SO NO CHANGES WERE NEEDED. && .AVIATION (FOR THE 12Z TAF ISSUANCE)... FORECAST CHALLENGE WILL BE TIMING THE ONSET OF STEADY SNOW AHEAD OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM FCST TO TRACK INTO THE GREAT LAKES TONIGHT. IFR TO LOW MVFR CIGS WILL PERSIST UNTIL STEADY SNOW BEGINS LATER THIS AFTERNOON (21-23Z) AT WHICH TIME PREVAILING CIGS AND VSBYS SHOULD LOWER INTO THE LIFR CATEGORY. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE INTO THE IFR CATEGORY BY LATE EVENING AND THEN INTO THE MVFR CATEGORY OVERNIGHT AS SNOW GRADUALLY TAPERS OFF IN THE WAKE OF THE DEAPRTING LOW. && .MARINE (FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE)... MAIN CONCERN FOR THIS FORECAST REMAINS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER EASTERN COLORADO THIS MORNING. THIS LOW WILL LIFT NORTHEAST AND CROSS NORTHERN LOWER MI LATE TONIGHT. AHEAD OF THE LOW...SOUTHEAST TO EAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 30 KT ON MONDAY. ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW FOR TUE AND TUE NIGHT...LOOK FOR A PERIOD OF NORTH TO NORTHWEST 25 TO 30 KT WINDS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EASTERN 2/3 OF LAKE SUPERIOR. WINDS DIE DOWN ON WED WITH RIDGING OVER THE AREA BUT THEN INCREASE ON THU UP TO 25 KT FROM THE SOUTH AHEAD OF A PACIFIC COLD FRONT. EXPECT WINDS TO DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT BEHIND THIS FRONT FOR THU NIGHT AND FRI. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... SNOW ADVISORY FROM 4 PM EST /3 PM CST/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 1 AM EST /MIDNIGHT CST/ TUESDAY FOR MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085. LAKE SUPERIOR...NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN...NONE. && SYNOPSIS/DISCUSSION...JLA AVIATION...VOSS MARINE...VOSS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 602 AM EST MON FEB 4 2008 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-051300- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 602 AM EST MON FEB 4 2008 /502 AM CST MON FEB 4 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. PLAN ON TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS UP TO 5 INCHES. A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER STATEMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...BUT SNOWFALL REPORTS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-051300- LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF A LINE FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO GRAND PORTAGE MN BEYOND 5NM-SAXON HARBOR WI TO BLACK RIVER MI- BLACK RIVER TO ONTONAGON MI- ONTONAGON TO UPPER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL MI- UPPER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL TO EAGLE RIVER MI- EAGLE RIVER TO MANITOU ISLAND MI- MANITOU ISLAND TO POINT ISABELLE MI- POINT ISABELLE TO LOWER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL MI- LOWER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL TO HURON ISLANDS MI INCLUDING KEWEENAW AND HURON BAYS-HURON ISLANDS TO MARQUETTE MI- MARQUETTE TO MUNISING MI-MUNISING TO GRAND MARAIS MI- GRAND MARAIS TO WHITEFISH POINT MI- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO UPPER ENTRANCE TO PORTAGE CANAL MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER INCLUDING ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM UPPER ENTRANCE TO PORTAGE CANAL TO MANITOU ISLAND MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER- LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF LINE FROM MANITOU ISLAND TO MARQUETTE MI BEYOND 5NM FROM SHORE- LAKE SUPERIOR EAST OF A LINE FROM MANITOU ISLAND TO MARQUETTE MI AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GRAND MARAIS MI TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER BEYOND 5NM FROM SHORE- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM GRAND MARAIS MI TO WHITEFISH POINT MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER- 602 AM EST MON FEB 4 2008 /502 AM CST MON FEB 4 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY IS EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL PORTIONS OF LAKE SUPERIOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. LMZ221-248-250-051300- GREEN BAY NORTH OF LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-SEUL CHOIX POINT TO POINT DETOUR MI- 5NM EAST OF A LINE FROM FAIRPORT MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE- 602 AM EST MON FEB 4 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. JLA
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The observer in Stephenson measured five inches of snow on the afternoon of the 4th.
Spotters reported four to five inches of snow in northeast Delta County on the afternoon of the 4th.
Snowfall totals on the afternoon of the 4th included four inches at Grand Marais and five inches south of Wetmore.
An observer near Two Heart measured 5.5 inches in less than eight hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, February 2008
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: 82153, 82148, 82155, 82152.