Michigan, 2013Lake-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.
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
- 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.
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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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 11, 5:39 PM EST, 23 hours 21 minutes before
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</html>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.
- 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.
- Flooding and Cold in Missouri, January 12 to 13, 20134 deaths · 3 events
- Frost and Freeze and Cold in Arizona, January 12 to 16, 20131 death · $190,000 · 7 events
- Frost and Freeze in Arizona, January 12 to 16, 2013$163 million · 8 events
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, January 12 to 13, 2013$208,000 · EF2 · 11 events
- Frost and Freeze in California, January 12 to 14, 2013$6.5 million · 3 events
- Frost and Freeze in Nevada, January 12 to 16, 2013$5.1 million · 2 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, January 12 to 13, 2013$583,000 · 0.88 in hail · 17 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, January 12 to 13, 20132 injured · $120,000 · EF1 · 5 events
- Frost and Freeze in Arizona, January 12 to 16, 2013$550,000 · 2 events
- Frost and Freeze in California, January 12 to 16, 2013$500,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Mississippi, January 12, 2013$120,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, January 12 to 16, 2013$60,000 · 61 kt wind · 11 events
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.