Moderate to heavy lake effect snow showers in the wake of a cold front affected counties along Lake Superior from the evening of the 16th through late on the 17th.
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.
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.
Moderate to heavy lake effect snow showers in the wake of a cold front affected counties along Lake Superior from the evening of the 16th through late on the 17th.
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 Jan 17, 12:18 AM EST, 42 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 lake-effect snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
At the National Weather Service in Negaunee Township, seven inches of snow fell in 12 hours with one-inch per hour snowfall rates between 7 am and 1 pm. Northwest winds gusting near 30 mph also caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow.
The spotter in Herman measured seven inches of lake effect snow during the event.
The spotter near Silver City estimated 8 to 10 inches of lake effect snow during the event.
A spotter in Ironwood estimated eight inches of lake effect snow fell in less than 12 hours. One inch per hour snowfall rates were reported between 4 am and 11 am. Several car accidents were attributed to the snow and blowing snow from the storm.
Spotters near Munising and Christmas reported over one-inch per hour snowfall rates at times between 10 am and 5 pm. The observer near Munising measured nine inches of snow in less than 24 hours during the event. North winds gusting over 30 mph also resulted in considerable blowing and drifting of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 2012
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 362867, 362872, 362862, 362863, 362870.