Moderate lake effect snow fell at Rockland from late evening on the 6th until early morning on the 7th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 lake effect snow fell at Rockland from late evening on the 6th until early morning on the 7th.
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 6, 6:08 PM EST, 4 hours 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR 00Z TAFS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 608 PM EST FRI JAN 6 2012 .SHORT TERM /THROUGH 00Z SUN/... A WEAK SHORTWAVE IS OVER NRN LAKE SUPERIOR...WITH A SECONDARY STRONGER SHORTWAVE OVER THE MN/ONTARIO BORDER. BENEATH THESE SYSTEM...A 997MB SFC LOW IS CENTERED OVER FAR NERN LAKE SUPERIOR...WITH A TROUGH STRETCHING BACK UNDER THE SECONDARY SHORTWAVE. A COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH THIS MORNING IS NOW E OF THE CWA...WITH A SECONDARY COLD FRONT STRETCHING WNW FROM UNDER THE SECONDARY SHORTWAVE. RECORD HIGH TEMPS TODAY FROM THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S WILL GIVE WAY TO COOLER TEMPS AS A COOLER AIRMASS MOVES IN FROM THE N/NW THROUGH SATURDAY. 850MB TEMPS ARE CURRENTLY ABOUT -3C TO -4C OVER LAKE SUPERIOR...AND WILL FALL TO -6 TO -7C OVER WRN LAKE SUPERIOR BY 00Z. SOME ENHANCEMENT FROM THE SHORTWAVE BRUSHING ACROSS THE AREA COULD LEAD TO SOME LIGHT LES OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA LATE IN THE EVENING /AFTER 21Z/ SO KEPT SLIGHT CHANCE POPS THERE BEFORE 00Z SAT. AS THE SECONDARY SHORTWAVE MOVES IN...IT WILL BRING A SECONDARY COLD FRONT INTO THE AREA OVERNIGHT. CONVERGENCE ALONG THIS COLD FRONT AND THE ARRIVAL OF AROUND -10C 850 MB TEMPS BY 06Z SAT...AND -13C BY 12Z...WILL RESULT IN BETTER CHANCES FOR LES OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND AREAS EAST OF MQT IN A NW FLOW. WENT WITH LIKELY POPS THROUGH SAT STARTING AT 03Z SAT FOR THESE SAME AREAS AS COLDER 850 MB TEMPS OF AROUND -15C MOVE ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR. SINCE INSTABILITY IS PRETTY MARGINAL AND THERE IS LITTLE OR NO SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING EXPECTED...LOOK FOR NO MORE THAN TWO OR THREE OF LES FOR ANY 12 HR PERIOD. SRN TIER OF THE FCST AREA SHOULD STAY GENERALLY DRY WITH FLURRIES EXPECTED AT MOST. WITH THE COOLER AIRMASS OVERHEAD...HIGHS ON SAT LOOK TO BE IN THE MID 20S TO LOW 30S. .LONG TERM... SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUN...MODELS SUGGEST SUBSIDENCE AND SFC RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA FROM THE WEST WITH INVERSION HEIGHTS LOWERING TO AROUND 4K FT. WEAKER NW FLOW AND DEVELOPMENT OF LAND BREEZES WILL LEAD TO ENHANCED LOW-LVL CONV AND PERHAPS EVEN MESOLOW DEVELOPMENT SAT NIGHT OVER ERN SHORELINE AREAS WHERE 850 MB THERMAL TROF LINGERS (TEMPS AROUND -15C)...SO GREATEST SNOW SHOWERS COVERAGE SHOULD REMAIN FOR AREAS EAST OF MARQUETTE. MAINTAINED LOW CHC POPS ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE NRN TIER SAT NIGHT WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED SOUTH. FLOW BACKING MORE WRLY BY SUNDAY ALONG WITH 850 MB TEMPS CLIMBING TO AROUND -12C SUPPORTS ONLY LOW CHC POPS FOR LES OVER MAINLY THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND AREAS EAST OF MUNISING. MON THROUGH THU...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO BE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE WAA PATTERN INTO TUE AND A BUILDING RIDGE WHICH WILL RESULT IN MOSTLY DRY WEATHER WITH WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. A PROGRESSIVE MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL LEAD TO PCPN CHANCES BY WED. THICKNESS VALUES AND MODEL SNDGS SUGGEST MAINLY SNOW AS THE PCPN TYPE BY THE TIME ANY PCPN ARRIVES. THE DETAILS WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THE TROUGH ARE STILL UNCERTAIN. THE LATEST MODEL TRENDS OF THE GFS/ECMWF/GLOBAL GEM SUGGEST THE MID-LVL TROUGH DEEPENING OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES TOWARD THE END OF THE NEXT WEEK WHICH WOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASED CHANCE OF LAKE ENHANCED/LAKE EFFECT SNOW THU INTO FRI FOR LOCATIONS FAVORED BY NNW TO NW FLOW. ONCE MODELS CONSENSUS/CONSISTENCY WITH WIND DIRECTIONS INCREASE...POPS AND HWO WORDING CAN BE ADJUSTED TO REFLECT POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT LES. AS THE MID LEVEL TROUGH SHIFTS TO THE EAST TOWARD FRI...EXPECT THAT WINDS WILL BACK WITH MORE WNW FLOW LES CONTINUING IN THE COLD AIRMASS. && .AVIATION /FOR THE 00Z TAF ISSUANCE/... EXPECT SNOW SHOWERS AND MVFR CIGS TO MOVE IN FROM THE NW THIS EVENING AS MORE FAVORABLE NW WIND DEVELOP...AS A SFC LOW OVER LAKE SUPERIOR EXITS EASTWARD. SNOW WILL SKIRT KSAW SAT MORNING AS THE WIND TURNS MORE NORTHERLY. && .MARINE /FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE/... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER NORTHEASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR WILL EXIT EAST THIS EVENING WITH WESTERLY GALE FORCE GUSTS SLOWLY DIMINISHING AND MOVE TO THE SE SHORES OF LAKE SUPERIOR AS WINDS TURN MORE NORTHWESTERLY THIS EVENING. A WEAKENING TROUGH WILL LINGER ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH SATURDAY WITH THE TREND OF SLOWLY DIMINISHING WINDS CONTINUING. A REINFORCING BUT WEAK LOW WILL SLIDE ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. ANOTHER LOW WILL SLIDE SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS FAR NORTHERN ONTARIO MONDAY WITH WINDS AGAIN INCREASING TO 20 TO 30KTS. EXPECT A TROUGH TO SLIDE ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...BEFORE A WEAK RIDGE DEVELOPS OVERHEAD TUESDAY AFTERNOON. A STRONGER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER OR NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && SHORT TERM...TITUS LONG TERM...JLB AVIATION...07 MARINE...TITUS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 554 AM EST FRI JAN 6 2012 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-071200- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 554 AM EST FRI JAN 6 2012 /454 AM CST FRI JAN 6 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM LATE NEXT WEEK COULD BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT LAKE ENHANCED SNOW ACCUMULATION OFF LAKE SUPERIOR LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-071200- 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- 554 AM EST FRI JAN 6 2012 /454 AM CST FRI JAN 6 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FEW SOUTHWESTERLY GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS OVER WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR WILL TRANSITION TO WESTERLY GALE FORCE GUSTS ACROSS MUCH OF LAKE SUPERIOR BY EARLY AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A FEW NORTHWESTERLY GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR MONDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-071200- 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- 554 AM EST FRI JAN 6 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. KF/JV
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Four inches of moderate lake effect snow fell in six hours at Rockland.
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 362812.