Arctic air in the wake of a cold front generated moderate lake effect snow showers over Gogebic County on the evening of the 8th. The snow combined with northwest winds gusting at or above 30 mph caused near whiteout conditions at times in blowing snow.
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.
Arctic air in the wake of a cold front generated moderate lake effect snow showers over Gogebic County on the evening of the 8th. The snow combined with northwest winds gusting at or above 30 mph caused near whiteout conditions at times in blowing snow.
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 Mar 8, 5:59 PM CST, 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
659 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012
.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 657 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012
UPDATED FCST TO INCREASE POPS THIS EVENING AS STRONG DISTURBANCE
MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. PER RADAR IMAGERY/SFC OBS UPSTREAM...
CATEGORICAL POPS APPEAR NEEDED ACROSS AT LEAST THE N HALF OF
UPPER MI. HOWEVER...MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE WAS TO INCLUDE
KEWEENAW/NRN HOUGHTON COUNTIES IN LES ADVY FOR LES/BLSN. VIGOROUS
DISTURBANCE/STRONG CAA AND HEALTHY PRES RISES ON THE ORDER OF
6-7MB/3HR INTO NW MN ATTM WILL SUPPORT STRONG/GUSTY NW WINDS OVER
THE EXPOSED KEWEENAW PENINSULA AFTER FROPA. WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
ON THE ORDER OF 1-4 INCHES...EXPECT CONSIDERABLE BLSN/SHARPLY REDUCED
VIS FOR SEVERAL HRS ACROSS THE KEWEENAW...ENOUGH TO WARRANT AN ADVY
THERE.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 417 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012
THERE IS CURRENTLY AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE AREA...WITH AN
UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER SRN MANITOBA. AT THE SFC...THERE IS A
RIDGE OVER THE CWA AND A TROUGH FROM NRN ONTARIO TO WRN ONTARIO TO
NRN MN. BY 00Z FRI...THE SHORTWAVE WILL HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH THE
UPPER TROUGH OVER WRN LAKE SUPERIOR...BRINGING SNOW TO THE CWA
TONIGHT. 850MB TEMPS ARE CURRENTLY AROUND -11C...BUT WILL FALL TO
-17C FROM 12Z FRI THROUGH 18Z FRI UNDER NW LOW LEVEL FLOW. A SFC
RIDGE WILL PUSH IN FROM THE W BEHIND THE SHORTWAVE...AND WILL BE
CENTERED OVER WRN LAKE SUPERIOR BY 18Z FRI...THEN OVER THE ERN CWA
BY 00Z SAT. BY 00Z SAT...850MB TEMPS WILL RANGE FROM -17C OVER ERN
LAKE SUPERIOR...TO -7C OVER EXTREME WRN LAKE SUPERIOR.
PER UPSTREAM OBS AND MODEL DATA...500MB TEMP WILL FALL TO NEAR -40C
UNDER THE SHORTWAVE...LEADING TO STEEP LAPSE RATES FROM THE SFC TO
500MB. THIS WILL SUPPORT MORE CONVECTIVE TYPE SNOW SHOWERS THIS
EVENING INTO TONIGHT FROM W TO E ACROSS UPPER MI. THE SNOW SHOWERS
WILL TRANSITION TO LES SHOWERS TONIGHT AS 800MB TEMPS FALL TO AOB
-20C...LEADING TO LAKE EFFECT EQUILIBRIUM LEVELS AROUND 10KFT.
EQUILIBRIUM LEVELS WILL DECREASE ON FRIDAY...BUT LOW LEVELS WILL BE
COOLER SO THAT SHOULD OFFSET THE LOWERING INVERSION SOME.
OVERALL...LES SHOULD BE DECREASING THROUGH THE DAY
FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENING AS THE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER.
WE COULD SEE SOME HEAVIER BANDS OF LES DEVELOP...BUT LOW LEVEL WIND
DIRECTIONS SHOULD CHANGE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE BANDS FROM HANGING OVER
ANY ONE AREA TOO LONG. STILL LOOKS LIKE PORTIONS OF ALGER...NRN
SCHOOLCRAFT...AND LUCE COUNTIES WILL SEE UP TO 5 INCHES THROUGH
FRIDAY AFTERNOON...ALONG WITH AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. ISSUED A LES
ADVISORY FOR THESE LOCATIONS FROM 03Z TONIGHT THROUGH 22Z FRI.
.LONG TERM...(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 417 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012
NAM SHOWS A 500 MB TROUGH OVER NEW ENGLAND AND A CLOSED 500 MB LOW
OVER THE DESERT SW 00Z SAT. THERE IS ALSO A BROAD 500 MB RIDGE OVER
THE NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES. THE RIDGE SLOWLY
MOVES EAST ON SAT. THE CLOSED 500 MB LOW HEADS SLOWLY NORTHEAST ON
SUNDAY. NAM SHOWS SOME 850-500 MB Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE AND SOME
MOISTURE MOVING THROUGH FRI NIGHT WITH THE MOISTURE MOVING OUT ON
SATURDAY. MAJORITY OF THE MOISTURE STAYS TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA.
SOME ISENTROPIC LIFT AND MOISTURE MOVE THROUGH ON NAM I280K-I295K
SURFACES FRI NIGHT WITH THE MOISTURE MOVING OUT ON SAT. GFS SHOWS
THE SAME THING ON I280K-I310K SURFACES WITH MOISTURE AND LIFT FRI
NIGHT GFS AND THE ECMWF SHOWS 850-500 MB Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE. WILL
KEEP POPS TO THE NORTH OF THE CWA FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND GO WITH
CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA. WENT WITH A NON-DIURNAL TEMPERATURE CURVE
FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AS LOWS SHOULD BE EARLY...THEN TEMPERATURES SLOWLY
WARMING AS SOUTH WINDS INCREASE AND BRING IN SOME WARMER AIR. DID
NOT CHANGE TOO MUCH FOR TEMPERATURES OTHERWISE. ONE CHANGE I MADE
WAS TO REMOVE POPS FOR SUNDAY FROM THE AREA AS SYSTEM IS STILL WELL
TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA. SUNDAY WILL BRING INCREASING CLOUDS.
IN THE EXTENDED...GFS AND ECMWF SHOW A 500 MB CLOSED LOW JUST EAST
OF THE ROCKIES 12Z SUN. THIS CLOSED LOW AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH HEAD
NORTHEAST 12Z MON AND THE TROUGH DEVELOPS A NEGATIVE TILT WITH TIME.
BY 12Z TUE...THE TROUGH IS TO THE EAST OF THE UPPER GREAT LAKES WITH
A SHORTWAVE RIDGE AFFECTING THE AREA. A TROUGH MOVES INTO SOUTH
CENTRAL CANADA AND THE NORTHERN PLAINS 12Z WED. UPPER FLOW THEN
BECOMES MORE ZONAL WITH TIME FOR 12Z THU. PATTERN LOOKS ACTIVE AND
WARM WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. BUMPED POPS UP TO HIGH
CHANCE TO LIKELY FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AS SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE
COMES UP FROM THE SOUTH AND LOOKS LIKE A WIDESPREAD RAIN EVENT. USED
THE CONSALL FOR THE POPS. SYSTEM STILL HANGS ON FOR MONDAY NIGHT AND
KEPT CHANCE POPS IN FOR THEN. TUE LOOKS DRY AND THEN TROUGHING IN
THE AREA TUE NIGHT AND WED WILL BRING SLIGHT CHANCE POPS INTO THE
AREA. COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH WED NIGHT AND SLIGHT CHANCE POPS
WARRANTED. SLIGHT COOL DOWN FOR THU THEN.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY EVENING)
ISSUED AT 657 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012
DISTURBANCE AND STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE UPPER LAKES
TONIGHT. STRONG/GUSTY NW WINDS BEHIND FRONT WILL FAVOR KCMX FOR THE
WORST CONDITIONS. WITH WINDS GUSTING 35-40KT...-SHSN/BLSN WILL
LIKELY RESULT IN LIFR CONDITIONS THERE FOR SEVERAL HRS BEGINNING MID
EVENING. EXPECT IFR CONDITIONS IN -SHSN/BLSN AT KIWD. CONDITIONS AT
KCMX/KIWD WILL BEGIN TO IMPROVE OVERNIGHT AS DRIER AIR WORKS TO
DIMINISH LAKE EFFECT -SHSN. WHILE KIWD WILL IMPROVE TO MVFR...GUSTY
WINDS/BLSN MAY MAINTAIN IFR CONDITIONS THRU THE NIGHT AT KCMX. AT
KSAW...CONDITIONS SHOULDN'T FALL ANY LOWER THAN MVFR TONIGHT AS COLD
FRONT AND ASSOCIATED -SHSN PASS. MVFR CIGS SHOULD SCT OUT AT KSAW
FRI AFTN AS WINDS BEGIN TO BACK AND AIRMASS DRIES OUT.
&&
.MARINE...(FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE)
ISSUED AT 417 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012
A COUPLE OF PERIODS OF GALES ON THE LAKE INTO THIS WEEKEND. FIRST
GALE EVENT IS TONIGHT WITH COLD AND UNSTABLE PROFILE OVER THE LAKE.
SHOULD SEE FREQUENT GUSTS 35-40 KTS...THUS THE GALE WARNING FOR ALL
OF LK SUPERIOR INTO EARLY FRIDAY. THERE IS ALSO A HEAVY FREEZING
SPRAY WARNING FOR TONIGHT. NOT OUT OF QUESTION THAT THIS MAY BE LAST
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY EPISODE OF WINTER.
SOUTH GALES THEN LOOK LIKELY LATER FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY OVER
THE E HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR AS PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS OVER LK
SUPERIOR. WARM AIR ADVECTION REGIME KEEPS HIGHER STABILITY IN
LOW-LEVELS...BUT THINK THIS WILL BE OFFSET BY VERY STRONG PRESSURE
FALLS SLIDING JUST NORTH OF LK SUPERIOR. SETUP USUALLY RESULTS IN
STRONGEST WINDS OVER EASTERN HALF OF LK SUPERIOR. WINDS SETTLE DOWN
CONSIDERABLY BY LATER SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. WIND DIRECTION
LATER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON TRACK OF
APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM FM CENTRAL PLAINS. EXPECT WINDS TO
REMAIN LESS THAN 30 KTS AS THE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH.
&&
.MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UPPER MICHIGAN...
LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST FRIDAY FOR MIZ001-003.
LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM EST
FRIDAY FOR MIZ006-007-085.
LAKE SUPERIOR...
GALE WARNING FROM 4 AM TO 1 PM EST FRIDAY FOR LSZ251-267.
GALE WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 1 PM EST FRIDAY FOR LSZ249-250-266.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/ FRIDAY
FOR LSZ162-240>245-248-263>265.
GALE WARNING FROM 10 PM EST /9 PM CST/ THIS EVENING TO 6 AM EST
/5 AM CST/ FRIDAY FOR LSZ162-240>242-263.
GALE WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 8 AM EST FRIDAY FOR
LSZ243>245-248-264-265.
LAKE MICHIGAN...
NONE.
&&
UPDATE...ROLFSON
SHORT TERM...TITUS
LONG TERM...07
AVIATION...ROLFSON
MARINE...TITUSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 344 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-091315- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 344 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012 /244 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SEVERAL INCHES OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT FOR NORTHWEST WIND SNOWBELTS. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SEVERAL INCHES OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY FOR NORTHWEST WIND SNOWBELTS. SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-091315- 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- 344 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012 /244 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NORTHWEST GALES ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT ALONG WITH HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. SEE THE LATEST MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NORTHWEST GALES ARE EXPECTED INTO FRIDAY MORNING. SEE THE LATEST MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE FOR FURTHER DETAILS. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST GALES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE EAST HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-091315- 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- 344 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. 07
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
109 PM EST THU MAR 08 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 AM SNOW 2 E WINONA 46.88N 88.86W
03/08/2012 M2.5 INCH HOUGHTON MI CO-OP OBSERVER
24 HOUR SNOWFALL TOTAL.
&&
KCOOLEYThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotters in Marenisco and Wakefield measured four to five inches of snow over a five-hour period. Northwest winds gusting at or above 30 mph also caused considerable blowing of snow and reduced visibility.
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, March 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: 371805.