The passage of an upper disturbance allowed colder Arctic air to flood across the Upper Great Lakes from the 4th through the 8th. moderate to heavy lake effect snow showers fell downwind of Lake Superior over portions of west and central Upper Michigan.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
The passage of an upper disturbance allowed colder Arctic air to flood across the Upper Great Lakes from the 4th through the 8th. As a result...moderate to heavy lake effect snow showers fell downwind of Lake Superior over portions of west and central Upper Michigan.
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 Dec 4, 4:24 AM CST, 7 hours 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
524 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010
.SYNOPSIS...WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS INDICATED A MID/UPPER LEVEL
RIDGE OVER THE WRN CONUS AND A TROUGH FROM CENTRAL CANADA INTO NEW
ENGLAND RESULTING INT WNW FLOW THROUGH THE UPPER MS VALLEY AND WRN
GREAT LAKES. A PROMINENT SHRTWV TROUGH OVER SW MN HELPED SUPPORT THE
BAND OF SNOW FROM SE MN INTO NRN IL. UPSTREAM A WEAK SHRTWV WAS
MOVING FROM SE MANITOBA INTO NRN ONTARIO.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
MAIN FCST CONCERNS ARE LES TRENDS AND SNOW ACCUMULATION POTENTIAL.
TODAY...AS THE SFC LOW OVER THE MID-MS VALLEY MOVES FARTHER SE...LOW
LEVEL FLOW WILL BACK MORE TO THE NORTH AGAIN AND SLOWLY DRAG COLDER
AIR INTO THE REGION. NAM FCST SOUNDINGS SHOW MOISTURE DEEPENING OVER
WRN COUNTIES IN THE AFTERNOON IN INCREASINGLY CONVERGENT WEAKLY
CYCLONIC FLOW...LES ACCUMULATIONS AROUND AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE BY
00Z/SUN AS LES INCREASES IN INTENSITY LATE. ELSEWHERE...RELATIVELY
LOW INVERSION HEIGHTS AOB 4KFT AND SHALLOW MOISTURE BLO THE
DGZ...SHOULD RESULT IN ONLY LIGHT LES. SNOW/WATER RATIO SHOULD BE
LOW WITH ONLY SMALL SNOWFLAKES EXPECTED.
TONIGHT...AS THE SE MANITOBA SHRTWV SLIDES THROUGH THE UPPER GREAT
LAKES...THE INCREASE IN 850-700 MB MOISTURE AND 850 MB TEMPS NEAR
-12C WILL SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN LES INTENSITY FOR LOCATIONS FAVORED
BY N TO NNW FLOW. SNOWFALL INTO THE 2 TO 5 INCH RANGE WILL BE
POSSIBLE NEAR KIWD WHERE UPSLOPE FLOW WILL BOOST ACCUMULATION
POTENTIAL. SNOW/WATER RATIOS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN RELATIVELY LOW
(AT LEAST FOR LES) AOB 15/1 AS THE BETTER UPWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED
BLO THE DGZ. OVER N CNTRL UPPER MI...THERE IS GREATER UNCERTAINTY
AS LES BANDS PARALLEL TO THE SHORE POSITION MAY SHIFT WITH SMALL
VARIATIONS IN THE LOW LEVEL WINDS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR MORE
SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM BIG BAY TO
NEGAUNEE/MARQUETTE AND THE W END OF ALGER COUNTY WHERE 1 TO 3 INCH
AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE. LES ADVY HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED IF CONFIDENCE
IN LES BANDS LOCATION/DURATION INCREASES.
SUNDAY...LES SHOULD TAPER OFF IN INTENSITY AS SHORTWAVE RIDGING
BRINGS A QUICK DROP IN INVERSION HEIGHTS AND 850-700 MB DRYING. THE
LONGER FETCH INTO N CNTRL UPPER MI SHOULD KEEP AT LEAST LIGHT
ACCUMULATIONS GOING LONGER FOR LOCATIONS FAVORED BY 330-340 LOW
LEVEL WINDS...MAINLY MARQUETTE AND EASTWARD.
SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MON...LES WILL INCREASE AGAIN SUNDAY EVENING AS
THE NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES INTO THE REGION. AGAIN MAINLY N TO
NNW LOW LEVEL WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL KEEPING THE GREATER
ACCUMULATIONS NEAR KIWD AND OVER N CNTRL UPPER MI. EVEN WITH 850 MB
TEMPS REMAINING NEAR -15C...LES IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH MON 850-700
MB DRYING/LOWER INVERSIONS MOVE IN.
TUE...NMRS -SHSN WILL CONTINUE WITH NNW TO NW FLOW AND COLD AIR
REMAINING IN PLACE.
&&
.AVIATION /FOR THE 06Z ISSUANCE/...
NO MAJOR CHANGES IN THE AVIATION FORECAST THINKING. EXPECT CMX TO SEE
VFR OR HIGHER MVFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH NORTHERLY FLOW
CONTINUING WHILE SAW WILL STAY IN THE MVFR CATEGORY THROUGH THE NEXT
24 HRS DUE TO THE NORTHERLY FLOW. LAKE EFFECT KICKS UP IN EARNEST
AGAIN IN THE EVENING AT BOTH SITES.
&&
.MARINE /FOR 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE/...
WINDS OVR THE LAKE ARE CURRENTLY THE LIGHTEST THEY WILL BE THROUGH
MIDDLE OF THE WORKWEEK. EXPECT INCREASING N/NW WINDS TO 25 KTS
TONIGHT THEN TO 30-35 KTS BY LATE SUNDAY. FREQUENT GUSTS 35-40 KTS
EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT OVER ROUGHLY THE EASTERN
HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR AS SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AND
INSTABILITY INCREASES. HAVE POSTED A GALE WATCH FOR THIS PERIOD.
ALONG WITH THE STRONGER WINDS...WIDESPREAD SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED
OVR MUCH OF THE LAKE BEGINNING TONIGHT.
&&
.MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UPPER MICHIGAN...
LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 AM CST
SUNDAY FOR MIZ009.
LAKE SUPERIOR...
GALE WATCH FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR
LSZ264-266-267.
LAKE MICHIGAN...
NONE.
&&
SYNOPSIS...JLB
DISCUSSION...JLB
AVIATION...07
MARINE...JLAHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 555 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 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- 555 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 /455 AM CST SAT DEC 4 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT MODERATE LAKE EFFECT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR FOR LOCATIONS FAVORED BY NORTH WINDS. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER STATEMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SNOW SHOWERS ARE LIKELY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS FAVORED BY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS. THERE COULD BE SOME MODERATE TO HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS WHERE THE SNOW SHOWERS ARE MOST PERSISTENT. THE COMBINATION OF FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW IN THESE AREAS MAY ALSO RESULT IN AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SNOWFALL. 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- 555 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 /455 AM CST SAT DEC 4 2010/ 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NORTH GALES TO AROUND 35 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...MAINLY ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. 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- 555 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. JLB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather, 2 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotters near Wakefield reported 24-hour amounts between six and eight inches. There was an estimated snowfall report of 11 inches near Bessemer during the day on the 6th.
A spotter near Carlshend measured 27.5 inches of snow during the event including 15 inches during a 24-hour period. A NWS employee near Harvey measured over 15 inches of snow during the event.
An estimated 12 inches of snow fell in a 24-hour period from just west of Chatham to the Marquette-Alger county line. This estimate was based on spotter reports near this area and radar estimated snowfall amounts.
A spotter over northeast Delta County near the Alger County line measured 25.6 inches of lake effect snow during the event.
An estimated ten inches of snow fell in a 24-hour period near Seney.
An estimated six inches of snow fell just south of Newberry in a 12-hour period.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2010
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: 273043, 273046, 273047, 273053, 273111, 273126.