A strong cold front moving through the area generated heavy lake effect snow showers over Marquette County and moderate lake effect snow over Gogebic County from the evening of the 15th into the morning of the 16th.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A strong cold front moving through the area generated heavy lake effect snow showers over Marquette County and moderate lake effect snow over Gogebic County from the evening of the 15th into the morning of the 16th.
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 15, 5:47 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 747 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 506 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 A COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING IS ALREADY WELL S OF THE CWA...CAUSING TEMPS TO BE STEADY OR FALL TODAY. 850MB TEMPS SHOULD BE -15 OVER SRN LAKE SUPERIOR TO -19C OVER NRN LAKE SUPERIOR WITH GUSTY N WINDS. THESE CONDITIONS RESULTED IN WIDESPREAD GENERALLY LIGHT LES THIS MORNING...BUT DRY HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW LEVEL DIFFLUENCE IS EATING AWAY AT THE LES AND LAKE EFFECT CLOUDS. ONLY REMAINING LES IS OVER NCENTRAL AND ERN UPPER MI...AND POSSIBLY OVER THE PORCUPINE MOUNTAINS BASED ON VIS SATELLITE. A SHORTWAVE IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER ND AND WILL MOVE ALONG THE MI/WI BORDER AND S LATE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. BULK OF MODELS SEEM TO BE IN BETTER AGREEMENT WITH PLACEMENT OF BEST SYNOPTIC FORCING AND PRECIP ALONG THE WI BORDER...WHERE POPS ARE HIGHEST. FARTHER N LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NE WITH 850MB TEMPS AROUND -20C AND INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. CONTINUED TO INCREASE POPS OVER THE NCENTRAL TONIGHT TO LIKELY. LES WILL THEN BECOME LESS ORGANIZED SAT MORNING OVER THE NCENTRAL AS SHORTWAVE MOVES SE OF THE CWA AND LOW LEVEL WINDS BECOME LIGHT AND MID LEVEL WINDS BECOME STRONGER OUT OF THE W...ALSO RESULTING IN INCREASED LES OVER W WINDS SNOWBELTS...BUT STILL SHOULD BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE. ACCUMULATIONS TONIGHT INTO SAT MORNING SHOULD BE IN THE 1-2 INCH RANGE ALONG THE WI BORDER...WITH 1-3 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN OF THE NCENTRAL AND KEWEENAW. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED SFC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NWRN CWA LATE SAT...ROTATING AROUND A CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER HUDSON BAY. HAVE KEPT LIKELY POPS OVER THE NWRN CWA AFTER 21Z SAT AS THE FORCING WILL ENHANCE LES OVER THIS AREA. EXPECT AN ADDITIONAL 1-2 INCHES IN THE NWRN CWA LATE SAT FROM THIS SNOW...PLUS WHATEVER FALLS SAT NIGHT /SEE LONG TERM SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS/. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 506 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 DURING THE LONG TERM...IT APPEARS BELOW NORMAL TEMPS WILL BE THE RULE DUE TO NEGATIVE NAO WITH PERSISTING BLOCKING HIGH PRES RIDGE OVER GREENLAND. THE PATTERN SHOULD BE AN ACTIVE ONE...MAINLY DURING THE FIRST HALF OR SO OF THIS LONG TERM PERIOD. WITH EXPECTED BELOW NORMAL TEMPS IN PERSISTENT NEGATIVE NAO PATTERN...MORE SNOW EVENTS MAY BE ON THE WAY AS WE HEAD THRU LATE MARCH. AFTER FROPA LATE SAT AFTN/EVENING...MODEL SNDGS SHOW INVERSION FALLING TO 4-5KFT LATE SAT NIGHT. LOWERING INVERSION WILL WORK TO KEEP LES IN CHECK DESPITE 850MB TEMPS FALLING TO AROUND -20C. DGZ DOES REMAIN FAVORABLY POSITIONED IN CONVECTIVE LAYER...SO THERE SHOULD BE 1-3 INCH ACCUMULATIONS OF FLUFFY SNOW...GREATEST EAST OF MUNISING IN NW FLOW WHERE LONGER FETCH ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR WILL WORK TO MOISTEN THE LOW-LEVELS. SUN...SFC HIGH PRES WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE UPPER LAKES. LINGERING LES NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR WILL END...PROBABLY BY EARLY AFTN AS COMBINATION OF NEGATIVE DYNAMICS/INCREASINGLY ANTICYCLONIC AND WEAKENING FLOW/DRYING/DAYTIME HEATING WILL DISRUPT THE LES PROCESS. THE DAY SHOULD TURN MOSTLY SUNNY IN THE AFTN W-E WITH WIND SHIFT TO THE S FOLLOWING PASSAGE OF HIGH PRES RDG AXIS. DESPITE INCREASING SUNSHINE...HIGH TEMPS WILL ONLY REACH INTO THE 20S WITH 850MB TEMPS RECOVERING TO -12C TO -14C IN THE AFTN. MODELS INDICATE QUIET WEATHER SHOULD LINGER THRU SUN NIGHT. THE 12Z GFS AND ECMWF SHOWING GOOD AGREEMENT SHOWING NEG-TILT SHORTWAVE TROF LIFTING INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES LATE MON/MON NIGHT. GFS SHOWS A BIT MORE PHASING OF THIS SHORTWAVE WITH NRN STREAM ENERGY THAN ECMWF AS THE SYSTEM LIFTS NE OF LAKE SUPERIOR LATE MON NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. GIVEN THAT PHASING OCCURS EAST OF THE AREA...IT PROBABLY WON'T HAVE MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON AMOUNT OF SYSTEM SNOW BUT IT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON POTENTIAL FOR LAKE ENHANCEMENT AND PERSISTENCE OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WITH GOOD CYCLONIC NW FLOW PERSISTING IN SYSTEM/S WAKE INTO MIDWEEK. WITH MODELS INDICATING MID-LVL LOW CLOSING OFF N OR NE OF THE AREA...THE AREAS FAVORED BY NW WINDS WILL SEE MAJORITY OF LAKE ENHANCEMENT MON NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. WILL CONTINUE THE HIGH LIKELY POPS FOR MAINLY MON AFTERNOON INTO MON EVENING FOR SYSTEM SNOW AND THEN WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR FOR NW FLOW LAKE ENHANCEMENT LATE MON NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY AS MODELS SHOW DEEP MOISTURE AND Q-VECT CONV AIDING ENHANCEMENT. TRANSISTION TO PURE LAKE EFFECT SHOULD OCCUR TUE AFTERNOON AND LAKE EFFECT WILL PERSIST FOR NW FLOW AREAS INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING AS 850 MB TEMPS LOWER TO -18 TO -20C BY WED MORNING AND CYCLONIC FLOW PERSISTS ON BACKSIDE OF LOW. BY LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...LES SHOULD BE WINDING DOWN AS LOW PRES SYSTEM SHOULD BE FAR ENOUGH TO THE E AND PROMINENT SFC RDG BUILDING IN FM WEST WILL ALLOW DRIER AIR TO MOVE IN FM NORTH OF THE LAKE. COMBINATION OF PROMINENT SFC RDGG AND ASSOC INCREASINGLY ANTICYCLONIC FLOW ALONG WITH WARMING 850 MB TEMPS SHOULD TAPER ANY LES TO FLURRIES ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR BY THU NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS FLOW VEERS FIRST NORTH AND THEN NORTHEAST. HIGH TEMPS SHOULD WARM UP AGAIN TO AROUND 30F BY NEXT FRIDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 736 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT...BRINGING CHANCES FOR SNOW TO ALL SITES. IN GENERAL...MVFR CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MOST COMMON TONIGHT...WITH THE BEST CHANCE AT GETTING TO IFR CONDITIONS AT SAW WHERE LAKE ENHANCEMENT WILL HELP INTENSIFY SNOW SHOWERS. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE BY MIDDAY SATURDAY AS WINDS BECOME OUT OF THE WEST AND BEST LOW LEVEL MOISTURE DEPARTS. HOWEVER...ANOTHER SHORTWVE MOVING IN FROM THE WNW IS EXPECTED TO BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WITH MVFR CONDITIONS. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 506 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 WINDS WILL BE BELOW 25 KNOTS AND STAY OUT OF A NORTHERLY DIRECTION INTO SATURDAY. ANOTHER TROUGH WILL CUT THROUGH THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AND SLIDE ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR ON SATURDAY EVENING. BEHIND THE TROUGH...THERE WILL BE A FEW GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35KTS OVER THE CENTRAL/EASTERN LAKE AND THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN SETTLE BACK OVER THE AREA FOR SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT AND LEAD TO LIGHT WINDS. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM EXITING THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON SUNDAY NIGHT WILL MOVE INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AS THIS SYSTEM CROSSES THE REGION...WITH SOME PERIODS OF WINDS UP TO 30KTS. WINDS WILL TURN OUT OF THE NW BEHIND THE SYSTEM...WITH GALES POSSIBLE TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && SHORT TERM...TITUS LONG TERM...VOSS AVIATION...JLB MARINE...TITUS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 350 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-161200- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 350 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 /250 PM CDT FRI MAR 15 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MODERATE SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR...AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKS ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-161200- 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- 350 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 /250 PM CDT FRI MAR 15 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY GALE FORCE GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR SATURDAY NIGHT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY IS POSSIBLE OVER MAINLY CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND THEN AGAIN TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. NORTHWEST GALES ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY EVENING OVER MAINLY THE EAST HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-161200- 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- 350 PM EDT FRI MAR 15 2013 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...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. VOSS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather, 1 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
There was a public report of four to five inches of lake effect snow in Wakefield over a 12-hour period. An estimated six inches of lake effect snow fell in 12 hours at Bessemer.
A National Weather Service employee five miles south of Marquette measured between nine and ten inches of lake effect snow in 12 hours. Seven inches of snow fell in Negaunee during the same period.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, March 2013
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: 437079, 437078.