Michigan, 2013

Lake-Effect Snow and Winter Weather in Michigan, January 12 to 15, 2013

January 12 to 15, 2013 · NWS MQT · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Arctic air flooding across Lake Superior in the wake of a cold front generated heavy lake effect snow showers across the Keweenaw Peninsula from the 12th into the morning of the 15th.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MQT wrote it up.

Arctic air flooding across Lake Superior in the wake of a cold front generated heavy lake effect snow showers across the Keweenaw Peninsula from the 12th into the morning of the 15th.

What forecasters said that day

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 11, 6:30 PM EST, 22 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 11, 6:30 PM EST, 22 hours 30 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 11, 5:39 PM EST, 23 hours 21 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 lake-effect snow, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Houghton

When
January 12, 5:00 PM EST to January 15, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Houghton forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three-day storm total snowfall ending on the morning of the 15th included 25 inches at Redridge and 22 inches at Calumet. There was also a report of 16 inches in 28 hours at Laurium.

Lake-Effect Snow, Keweenaw

When
January 12, 5:00 PM EST to January 15, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Keweenaw forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.283, -88.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer four miles northeast of Calumet measured 12 inches of snow in the 24-hour period ending early on the 14th and tallied a storm total snowfall of 19 inches ending on the morning of the 15th.

Winter Weather, Ontonagon

When
January 12, 8:00 PM EST to January 15, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Ontonagon forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer near Ontonagon measured 11 inches of lake effect snow over a 2-day period.

Winter Weather, Alger

When
January 13, 7:00 PM EST to January 14, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Alger forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer ten miles south of Grand Marais measured five inches of snow in approximately 12 hours.

What these are

Lake-Effect Snow
Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 2013

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 422890, 422891, 422892, 422893.