Moderate lake effect snow showers developed over northwest and north central Upper Michigan on the 2nd and 3rd in the wake of a cold frontal passage.
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.
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 showers developed over northwest and north central Upper Michigan on the 2nd and 3rd in the wake of a cold frontal passage.
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 Dec 2, 12:58 PM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 1258 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 357 AM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 UPPER AIR PATTERN CONSISTS OF A BROAD 500 MB TROUGH OVER MOST OF THE U.S. WITH A SHORTWAVE OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES THIS MORNING. THIS SHORTWAVE HEADS EAST AND MOVES INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES BY TONIGHT. NAM SHOWS SOME 850-500 MB Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE AND DEEPER MOISTURE MOVING INTO THE CWA TODAY WITH THE Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE MOVING OUT TONIGHT. SOME LAKE MICHIGAN LAKE EFFECT FLURRIES HAVE STARTED TO FALL AT IMT AND AT THE OFFICE AND ADDED FLURRIES INTO THE FORECAST FOR THIS MORNING. LAKE MICHIGAN LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR TODAY IN AREAS AFFECTED BY SOUTH WINDS IN SOUTH SNOWBELTS AND KEPT IN CHANCE POPS FROM MNM THROUGH ISQ WITH SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN ERY. THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BETTER MOISTURE ARRIVES AND KEPT IN THE CHANCE POPS OVER MOST OF THE CWA. BY TONIGHT...THE SOUTH WINDS OFF LAKE MICHIGAN WILL HELP PRIME THE EASTERN CWA AND WENT LIKELY POPS THERE AND CHANCE POPS ELSEWHERE IN THE EVENING. OVERALL...DID NOT MAKE TOO MANY CHANGES TO THE GOING FORECAST AND LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL NOT GET OUT OF HAND AS THE MOISTURE IS FAIRLY SHALLOW UNDERNEATH A STRONG INVERSION. COULD STILL SEE A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW EAST OF ESC AND MUNISING. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 450 AM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 12Z WEDNESDAY WILL START OFF WITH WNW FLOW NEAR THE SFC...WITH 850MB TEMPS AROUND -9 TO -12C. THIS WILL CONTINUE THE POTENTIAL FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE WNW FAVORED SNOW BELTS /THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...AND FOR AREAS EAST OF MUNISING ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR/. 2 TO NEARLY 5IN OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT...HIGHEST EAST OF GRAND MARAIS. BLOWING SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AS WELL AS BEACH EROSION WITH WAVES IN EXCESS OF 8FT ALONG THE ALGER AND LUCE COUNTY SHORELINES. EXPECT GUSTS IN THE 25 TO NEAR 30KT RANGE. DIMINISHED THE IMPACT OF LES A BIT QUICKER THAN PREVIOUSLY FCST...AS WINDS BECOME MORE SW LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...SLOWLY TRANSITIONING FROM IWD THROUGH E LUCE COUNTY/E LAKE SUPERIOR AS HIGH PRESSURE TEMPORARILY BUILDS IN FROM THE WSW. DRY WEATHER...WITH MAINLY ZONAL FLOW AT 500MB AND A SLOWLY EXITING SFC RIDGE. A WEAK TROUGH SET UP ACROSS S CENTRAL CANADA THURSDAY AFTERNOON WILL DRIFT ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. GIVEN LIMITED MOISTURE...WILL KEEP MOST OF THE AREA DRY THURSDAY THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY. THE WEAK FRONT WILL SHIFT E FRIDAY EVENING...WITH NW WINDS BRIEFLY RETURNING AND BRINGING JUST SLIGHT CHANCE POPS BACK INTO THE FCST FOR THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND AREAS EAST OF MUNISING ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR. LOOK FOR MODERATING TEMPS FOR THE END OF THE WORK WEEK...WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW 30S FRIDAY. THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE FOR HIGH TEMPS THROUGH MONDAY. THE 02/00Z RUN OF THE GFS SHOWS 850MB TEMPS HOVERING -1 TO -4C THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...BEFORE WARMING UP TO 0 TO 2C ON SUNDAY ON S-SW WINDS. THE NEXT CHANCE OF ANY SNOW WILL LIKELY BE SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY...AS YET ANOTHER SFC LOW NEARS FROM THE NW. A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW MAY BE POSSIBLE...BUT WILL NOT GET TOO SPECIFIC AT THIS POINT AS PLENTY OF DISCREPANCIES STILL REMAIN IN THE FCST MODELS.. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1254 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. IT WILL PRODUCE MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES AND SNOW SHOWERS. LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT CMX AND SAW. SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS BETWEEN 2000 AND 3000 FEET FORECAST WEDNESDAY WITH SCATTERED LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS AT CMX. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 357 AM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES ON LAKE SUPERIOR THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH TWO GALE EVENTS THIS PERIOD. THERE WILL BE A PERIOD OF S GALES MAINLY OVER THE E HALF OF THE LAKE TODAY WHEN THE SHARPEST PRESSURE GRADIENT PASSES THROUGH AND KEPT THE GALE WARNING GOING OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. THIS GALE EVENT WILL BE RELATIVELY SHORT LIVED AS THE TROF/WEAKER GRADIENT PASSES W-E THROUGH THE UPPER LAKES LATE TODAY...WITH GALES ENDING THIS EVENING. ANOTHER W-NW GALE EVENT WED AFTERNOON/NIGHT FOLLOWS A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. BUT SINCE THE WEATHER PATTERN IS PROGRESSIVE...THE PASSAGE OF THE TRAILING HI PRES RIDGE THRU THE AREA ON THU WILL RESULT IN DIMINISHING/BACKING WINDS TO THE SW FOR LATER IN THE WEEK. NO GALES ARE EXPECTED DURING THIS TIME. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... GALE WARNING UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR LSZ266-267. GALE WARNING UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR LSZ264-265. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && SHORT TERM...07 LONG TERM...KF AVIATION... MARINE...07
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 354 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 MIZ001>003-009-032100- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-GOGEBIC- 354 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 /254 PM CST TUE DEC 2 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LIGHT TO POTENTIALLY MODERATE LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA OVERNIGHT...DUE TO MOIST WEST WINDS OFF LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY LIGHT TO POTENTIALLY MODERATE LAKE EFFECT SNOW...AND BLOWING SNOW...WILL CONTINUE OVER THE WEST TO NORTHWEST WIND FAVORED SNOWBELTS ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT SNOWFALL REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MARQUETTE. THE PUBLIC MAY ALSO PROVIDE REPORTS BY USING THE SUBMIT STORM REPORT OPTION ON OUR WEB PAGE...OR THROUGH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. MIZ004-005-010>014-084-085-032100- BARAGA-MARQUETTE-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA- SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT-SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 354 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 /254 PM CST TUE DEC 2 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF THE UPPER PENINSULA FROM WATERSMEET AND L'ANSE TO MARQUETTE AND ESCANABA. THE SNOW WILL CREATE SLICK ROADWAYS AND SIDEWALKS FOR THE EVENING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT SNOWFALL REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MARQUETTE. THE PUBLIC MAY ALSO PROVIDE REPORTS BY USING THE SUBMIT STORM REPORT OPTION ON OUR WEB PAGE...OR THROUGH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-032100- 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- 354 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 /254 PM CST TUE DEC 2 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SOUTHERLY GALES OF 35 TO 40 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING OVER THE EAST HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR. SEE THE LATEST MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE AND OPEN WATER FORECAST FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF WESTERLY GALES OF 35 TO 40 KNOTS ARE ANTICIPATED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEE THE LATEST MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE AND OPEN WATER FORECAST FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-032100- 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- 354 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. MIZ006-007-032100- ALGER-LUCE- 354 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL CREATE SLICK ROADWAYS AND SIDEWALKS TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY MINOR BEACH EROSION IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINE IN ALGER AND LUCE COUNTIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT DUE TO 10 TO 13 FOOT WAVE ACTION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT SNOWFALL REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MARQUETTE. THE PUBLIC MAY ALSO PROVIDE REPORTS BY USING THE SUBMIT STORM REPORT OPTION ON OUR WEB PAGE...OR THROUGH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. MPC/AK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 334 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 MIZ004>007-010>014-085-022300- BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA- SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...L'ANSE...GWINN...MARQUETTE... GRAND MARAIS...MUNISING...NEWBERRY...IRON RIVER...IRON MOUNTAIN... MENOMINEE...ESCANABA...GLADSTONE...MANISTIQUE...SENEY 334 PM EST TUE DEC 2 2014 /234 PM CST TUE DEC 2 2014/ ...LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON... AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING EAST OVER MINNESOTA...LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND MOVE NORTHEAST OVER THE CENTRAL UPPER PENINSULA THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. AREAS FROM WATERSMEET TO IRON MOUNTAIN TO MARQUETTE CAN EXPECT THIS SNOW TO ARRIVE OVER THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS AND DROP AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW BY THE START OF THE EVENING. EXPECT AREA ROADWAYS TO BECOME SLICK FOR THE EVENING COMMUTE IN THESE AREAS. THIS SNOW WILL THEN SPREAD EAST INTO THE MUNISING TO NEWBERRY AREAS BY EARLY THIS EVENING. MPC
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The spotter near Pine Stump Junction estimated nine inches of lake effect snow over a 24-hour period.
The spotter 15 miles south of Wetmore estimated between two and three inches of lake effect snow fell in less than five hours.
The spotter 15 miles south of Wetmore estimated between two and three inches of lake effect snow fell in less than five hours.
There was a public report of six inches of lake effect snow in 12 hours at Nisula.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2014
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: 550084, 550081, 550082, 550083.