An Alberta clipper low pressure system tracking from the Northern Plains through the Great Lakes region dropped moderate snow across much of Upper Michigan on the 13th and then lake effect snow into the 14th across counties bordering Lake Superior. Strong north winds gusting as high as 40 mph behind the system also caused a good deal of blowing snow near Lake Superior.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
An Alberta clipper low pressure system tracking from the Northern Plains through the Great Lakes region dropped moderate snow across much of Upper Michigan on the 13th and then lake effect snow into the 14th across counties bordering Lake Superior. Strong north winds gusting as high as 40 mph behind the system also caused a good deal of blowing snow near Lake Superior.
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 Feb 12, 10:55 PM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 1155 PM EST WED FEB 12 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 344 PM EST WED FEB 12 2014 SKIES ARE STARTING TO CLEAR ACROSS MUCH OF THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA BEHIND THE WEAK COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. LOOKS LIKE THE LAKE ICE LIKELY BROKE UP A LITTLE OVERNIGHT WITH THE STRONG SOUTH WINDS AS THE LATEST VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOT SHOWS A LITTLE MORE LAKE CLOUDS THIS AFTERNOON LIKELY OWED TO THE INCREASED FLUXES OFF THE SMALL LEADS OPENED UP OVERNIGHT. THESE CLOUDS ARE AFFECTING THE KEWEENAW...WITH PERHAPS A FEW SNOW SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...THIS IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH THIS AFTERNOON AS THE LOW LEVEL WINDS DIMINISH AND DRIER AIR MOVES INTO THE AREA. OTHERWISE...THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS SHOULD BE FAIRLY QUIET WEAK WEAK UPPER RIDGING ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF THE NEXT SHORT WAVE OVER MONTANA. MID CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE IN THE WARM ADVECTION REGION OF THE SYSTEM. WITH THE SHORT WAVE MOVING QUICKLY IN THE ZONAL FLOW ALOFT...EXPECT LIGHT SNOW TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE FAR WESTERN U.P. BY LATE TONIGHT...THE SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION THU MORNING. WITH THE SFC LOW TRACK GENERALLY MOVING THROUGH NRN MN AND INTO WESTERN UPPER MI BY THU EVENING...EXPECT THE HEAVIEST SNOW TO BE DISPLACED TO THE NORTH OF THE LOW...GENERALLY OVER LAKE SUPERIOR AND PERHAPS THE NRN TIP OF THE KEWEENAW. WITH THE MODELS BEING IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THE LOW...THEY ARE ALSO IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH QPF AMTS FROM THIS SYSTEM...WITH GENERALLY 0.15-0.25 INCH OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY EVENING. WITH MUCH OF THE LIFT FOCUSED IN THE DGZ...EXPECT SNOW RATIOS TO BE ABOUT 20:1 IF NOT A LITTLE GREATER. AS SUCH...MOST OF WEST AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN WILL SEE 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW WITH THIS SYSTEM...WITH AREAS N OF CMX SEEING UP TO 5 INCHES. THESE AMOUNTS AGREE QUITE WELL WITH 700MB SPECIFIC HUMIDITY VALUES OF 2 G/KM DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY. AT THIS TIME...WILL NOT ISSUE ANY WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AS THE GENERAL SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE LESS THAN CRITERIA AND THE SNOW WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT BUT STEADY FOR MOST OF THE DAY. WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR SOME BLOWING SNOW IN THE KEWEENAW LATER IN THE DAY...BUT AGAIN THIS COULD BE HANDLED WITH AN ADVY ISSUED ON THE MID SHIFT TONIGHT. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 344 PM EST WED FEB 12 2014 MAIN ATTENTION ON THU NIGHT/FRI AS AN UPPER TROUGH AND CLOSED SFC LOW MOVE ACROSS THE CWA. MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE TROUGH BEING OVER THE WRN CWA AT 00Z FRI...WITH THE SFC LOW OVER OR NEAR WRN UPPER MI. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE TO THE ERN CWA BY 12Z FRI...SHUNTING THE SFC LOW E OR SE OF THE CWA. THE TROUGH THEN LINGERS OVER OR JUST E OF THE CWA THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY FRI AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY EJECTS INTO THE TROUGH FROM THE NW. CYCLONIC FLOW ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH AS A SFC RIDGE MOVES TO THE CENTRAL CWA BY 18Z SAT. CONFIDENCE IS MUCH LOWER AFTER SAT AS MODEL DISAGREEMENT INCREASES...SO JUST USED CONSENSUS OF GUIDANCE FOR LATER PORTIONS OF THE LONG TERM. WITH THE CURRENT TRACK OF THE SYSTEM...NRN UPPER MI WILL BE FAVORED FOR THE MOST SNOW...ALTHOUGH AMOUNTS WILL NOT BE TOO SIGNIFICANT. CURRENTLY FOR THU NIGHT...HAVE 1-2 INCHES OF SNOW OVER ALL BUT GOGEBIC THROUGH MENOMINEE COUNTIES...WITH A TRACE TO 1 INCH THERE. BEHIND THE SYSTEM...N-NW WINDS WILL GUST TO 25-30KTS OVER AND ALONG THE ADJACENT SHORES OF CENTRAL AND ERN LAKE SUPERIOR...WITH LOCALIZED AREAS FROM NEAR MARQUETTE TO MUNISING POSSIBLY SEEING GUSTS TO 40KTS. THIS WILL LEAD TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR...WHICH COULD BE SIGNIFICANT FROM MARQUETTE TO MUNISING DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF ICE COVER ON LAKE SUPERIOR AND THE LOCALIZED WINDS. SNOWFALL FOR THE REST OF FRIDAY LOOKS TO BE HIGHEST NEAR MUNISING AND GRAND MARAIS AT AROUND AN INCH AS NW WINDS FUNNEL ANY LES THAT CAN DEVELOP WITH THE ICE COVER INTO THAT AREA. LES WEAKENS THROUGH FRI NIGHT...WITH LITTLE OR NO SNOWFALL EXPECTED SAT. AFTER HIGHS IN THE 20S ON THU...FRI WILL BE ONCE AGAIN COOLER WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER SINGLE DIGITS TO TEENS ABOVE ZERO...WHICH IS ALSO WHAT IS EXPECTED FOR HIGHS ON SAT. FRI NIGHT LOOKS TO BE THE COLDEST NIGHT IN THE LONG TERM AS THE THERMAL TROUGH WILL BE PASSING OVER THE CWA AS SKIES CLEAR AND THE SFC RIDGE MOVES IN FROM THE W. EXPECT LOWEST TEMPS IN THE LOW TO MID TEENS BELOW ZERO OVER THE INTERIOR W. THROUGH THE UNCERTAINTY WITH STORM SYSTEMS NEXT WEEK...IT DOES APPEAR THAT THE OVERALL PATTERN IS MOVING TOWARD A WARMER ONE...WITH HIGH TEMPS POSSIBLE GETTING ABOVE NORMAL EARLY TO MID NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1154 PM EST WED FEB 12 2014 LINGERING DRY AIR WILL ALLOW FOR VFR CONDITIONS INITIALLY AT KIWD/KCMX/KSAW. AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES AND E TO SE WINDS DEVELOP... STRATOCU OVER LAKE SUPERIOR MAY ADVECT TO KCMX...BRINGING AN MVFR CIG. TOWARD MORNING...UPSLOPE FLOW OFF LAKE MICHIGAN MAY BRING AN MVFR CIG TO KSAW AS WELL. OTHERWISE...ATTENTION TURNS TO THE NEXT LOW PRES SYSTEM WHICH WILL MOVE ESE INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES TODAY. SNOW SHOULD ARRIVE AT KIWD AROUND DAYBREAK AND THEN QUICKLY SPREAD E TO KCMX/KSAW DURING THE MORNING HRS. ALL TERMINALS SHOULD SEE IFR CONDITIONS DEVELOP WITHIN 1-3HRS AFTER SNOW BEGINS. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT A FEW PERIODS OF LIFR WILL OCCUR AS WELL... ESPECIALLY AT KCMX/KSAW. KIWD MAY IMPROVE TO MVFR FOR A TIME IN THE AFTN AS HEAVIER SNOW SHIFTS E...BUT A WIND SHIFT TO UPSLOPE NW LATE IN THE DAY WILL LIKELY BRING A RETURN TO IFR. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 344 PM EST WED FEB 12 2014 WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS SHOULD SUBSIDE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE LAKE. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES THU INTO THU NIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS TO INCREASE TO 20-30 KT ACROSS MUCH OF THE LAKE BY THU AFTERNOON...WITH SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS ACROSS THE EASTERN 1/3 OF LAKE SUPERIOR ALSO POSSIBLE. AS THE LOW MOVES EAST OF THE LAKE THU NIGHT...WINDS QUICKLY SHIFT TO THE N-NW AND INCREASE TO NEAR GALE FORCE LATE THU INTO FRIDAY. WINDS SUBSIDE FOR THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRES BUILDS ACROSS THE LAKE. PERHAPS STRONGER SOUTH WINDS OF 20-30 KT SUN NIGHT INTO MONDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && SHORT TERM...MRD LONG TERM...TITUS AVIATION...ROLFSON MARINE...MRD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 353 PM EST WED FEB 12 2014 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-132100- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 353 PM EST WED FEB 12 2014 /253 PM CST WED FEB 12 2014/ 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES WILL BRING STEADY LIGHT SNOW WITH 3 TO 5 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH THE MOST SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN UPPER MICHIGAN. STRONG NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS DEVELOPING BEHIND THE LOW MAY CREATE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND EAST OF BIG BAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT SNOWFALL REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MARQUETTE. THE PUBLIC MAY ALSO SUBMIT SNOW REPORTS TO OUR OFFICE ON OUR WEBSITE...FACEBOOK PAGE...OR ON TWITTER. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-132100- 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- 353 PM EST WED FEB 12 2014 /253 PM CST WED FEB 12 2014/ 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A FEW GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. EXPECT NORTH GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY OVER THE EAST HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-132100- 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- 353 PM EST WED FEB 12 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. TITUS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
There was a public report of an estimated four inches of snow in 12 hours at Ironwood on the 13th. There was 8.2 inches in the 36-hour period ending in the early afternoon of the 14th.
The observer ten miles east of Ontonagon measured eight inches of snow in 24 hours. There was also a public report of 8.5 inches of snow in 24 hours at Silver City.
The observer near Sidnaw measured five inches of snow in 24 hours.
The observer in Newberry measured seven inches of snow in 24 hours.
The observer in Manistique measured five inches of snow in 24 hours.
An estimated six to seven inches of snow fell in 24 hours across much of northern Schoolcraft County.
The spotter in Eagle Harbor estimated eight inches of snow in 24 hours.
The observer near South Range measured 7.7 inches of snow in 24 hours. There was also a public report of nearly six inches of snow in seven hours at Calumet on the 13th.
The observer in Herman measured 8.2 inches of snow in 24 hours.
The observer along the Alger County line in northeast Delta County measured 9.6 inches of snow in 24 hours. Observers in Garden Corners and Gladstone measured seven inches of snow in 24 hours.
The observer in Chatham measured six inches of snow in 24 hours.
There were public reports of seven inches of snow in 24 hours at both Big Bay and in the Trowbridge Park area of Marquette.
There was a public report of 3.5 inches of snow in Menominee in eight hours.
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, February 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: 501632, 501634, 501637, 501645, 501646, 501647, 501635, 501636, 501638, 501643, 501644, 501648, 501642.